VW is spot on with using the IKEA business model. Ikea reverse engineers their products using the overall value that customers place on their products. value = functionality AND price. the two are not exclusive in any product branding.
If an auto mfg wants to make a car for the middle class, you need to first make it affordable by the middle class. so I think its unfair to say VW dumbed down their US made cars. better to say they embraced the need for affordable VW cars made in America.
If …

I am not sure how to comment on the news that Winn-Dixie grocery stores have just filed for bankruptcy. was it because Because of Winn-Dixie finished third at the box office this past weekend?
Actually, Winn-Dixie operates stores in Cincinnati under the name of Thriftway (I guess the name would work too well above the Mason-Dixon Line) and I know why they are filing for bankruptcy. They never have fresh produce and the rest of their selection is weak.
Even more detrimental is the emergance of the 5,000 pound gorilla from Bentonville, …

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Larry from California bolted from an insurance agent, only to find a commission-based broker that intends to charge him a stiff 3.5 percent to manage two IRA accounts, valued at $90,000 each. what are his alternatives? Plenty! I often talk about an excellent organization called the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA.org), which is a good resource to find qualified advice-givers.
Tess may also want to check out NAPFA, since she asked about buying stocks to boost her …

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Today’s news talks about a tacoma off road bumper vehicle. A certain car company is presenting their newest model of an off road vehicle. Loyal customers are so excited to purchase this new model. the company is willing to give certain bonuses or add-ons if the customer will buy the vehicle in cold cash. this seems to be a very smart approach in business but I believe that this strategy works nicely. I believe that this off road bumper vehicle will be useful to people who love going outdoors. People …

We all know that student loans can set students back tens of thousands of dollars upon graduating college, but the debt problems don’t stop there. as well as student loans, most students are faced with credit card debt. it makes sense to get some form of credit in college to begin building that credit history, but all too often things spiral out of control. with limited income and high credit limits it’s easy to begin spending above your means and find yourself in a big problem down the road. So, …

Here we go with the third round of Free Money Finance March Money Madness (to follow all the action click on my March Money Madness category link and scroll down to read all the posts involved in this subject.) I’ve… …
FMF March Money Madness, Round 3, Posts 9-12

it was something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time … but never really had the guts to attempt.
Until several weeks ago.
After perusing Dell’s website for a while, and being not at all impressed with the price/performance ratios I saw, I determined that I was going to build my own computer. For the first time. at age forty.
It’s now done. the computer works, even. And because of that, the build was actually quite fun. Here’s my wrapup, for those interested. (Hey, it’s related to personal …

MySpendingPlan.com, a new website for people and groups who are looking for powerful, collaborative, and free software to mange their finances, announced its official launch. MySpendingPlan.com is free secure online personal finance budgeting software that’s easy to use for a variety of budgeting purposes from personal home finance, to vacation planning, home remodeling, and organization budgeting.Mark and La’Tonya Crawford are the founders of MySpendingPlan.com, a husband and wife team, with years of experience in providing financial counseling, real estate, and mortgage services. Mr. Crawford is a real estate broker and …

I highly doubt that funk legends Earth Wind & Fire were referring to the markets when they wrote the song “September.” But the opening line is strangely appropriate for this September.
Markets dancing in September. But why?