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Living Smart: How to Keep that Holiday Sparkle

(TNS)—We’ve spent the past several weeks (dare I say, months?) celebrating the holidays with friends and family amongst twinkling lights, glittering ornaments and beautifully wrapped packages. But now that the parties are over, how can we maintain that bright décor and warm feeling without using Santa and snowmen? Check out these ideas to make your […]
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11½ Ways to be a More Congenial Air Traveler

(TNS)—Recently I travelled via airplane. As is often the case, my seatmate didn’t acknowledge my existence with so much as a nod or a wan smile, but he did manage to nod off on my shoulder for 30 or so minutes before he woke up. I didn’t have the heart to shake him awake. It […]
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Consumers Have Confidence in 2016

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had decreased moderately in November, improved in December. The Index now stands at 96.5 (1985=100), up from 92.6 in November. The Present Situation Index increased from 110.9 last month to 115.3 in December, while the Expectations Index improved to 83.9 from 80.4 in November. “Consumer confidence improved in […]
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Is Coming to Work Sick Really a Good Idea?

(TNS)—Too ill to work? Many people, and especially those with paid sick leave, stay home. However, even people with sick leave regularly engage in “presenteeism” — going to work while ill. It’s the opposite of absenteeism, and its impact on the workplace has been a topic long sequestered in academic journals. As we head into […]
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Donald Trump Voted Worst Celebrity Neighbor in 2015

Americans would most like to be neighbors with the singer-songwriter and pop sensation Taylor Swift in 2016, according to the ninth annual Zillow® Celebrity Neighbor Survey. Republican presidential candidate and business mogul Donald Trump was named the least desirable neighbor of 2015. The annual Zillow survey asks U.S. adults which celebrities they would most like to be their […]
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How to Make Your Best Bucket List Ever for 2016

(TNS)—A new year is a great time to evaluate, plot, dream. Maybe it’s a resolution to become more health-conscious, planning a trip you’ve always wanted to take, starting a vegetable garden or entering a poetry slam. But how do you decide which goals, big or small, to incorporate into your life? We talked to Gin […]
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How to Maximize Your Home’s Potential in a ‘Seller’s Market’

Planning to sell in 2016? Whether it’s a pending late winter relocation or a thoughtfully planned downsizing that can occur at your own pace, it’s a seller’s market out there right now. But despite the advantages of a seller’s market, the folks at Ross Insurance of Holyoke, Mass. say it never hurts to take proactive measures to […]
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Six Ways to Start 2016 on the Right Financial Foot

Before the ball drops and the singing of Auld Lang Syne begins, the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) and the nation’s more than 6,000 community banks encourage consumers to keep their financial goals front and center in 2016. “No matter what your financial aspirations are—it’s important everyone learns how to properly manage his or […]
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Your Place: Kitchens Top To-Do Lists for Many Homeowners

(TNS)—You are where you eat, I suppose, and that’s why kitchens perennially seem to be the focus of home-renovation spending. That’s also what LG Electronics, which makes kitchen appliances, among other things, found in a survey of 1,022 Americans earlier this fall. Among their plans for renovating, the survey found, homeowners are resolving to make […]