Who Really Shops on Black Friday?
Did you watch the YouTube video of the Black Friday mob banging down the door of the local Tiffany’s at midnight, nearly rioting in their search for discounted Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard drop earrings? Or did you hear the tale of the shopper who pulled a gun on another Fendi seeking bargain hunter ...Read more.Who Killed Hostess Brands and Twinkies?
I’m sure you have, by now, heard the news. , the company that gave us such remembered childhood treats as Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Devil Dogs and other baked foodstuffs that have fallen into disfavor in our more gourmand age, announced today that it would be closing for business, effective immediately. More than a few observers ...Read more.We Need Holly Petraeus
A quick note about Petraeus … We like to claim in the United States that we honor veterans and their families, but that hasn’t stopped the financial services sector from preying on them. The abuses are numerous, and putting a stop to them can often seem less like effective law enforcement and more like a ...Read more.Mitt Romney’s Campaign Cancels Staffers’ Credit Cards In The Middle Of The Night
The next time you have the misfortune of hearing a titan or other one-percenter whine about how their trickle-down contributions are not appreciated by the masses remember this tidbit, courtesy of Garrett Haake at NBC: From the moment Mitt Romney stepped off stage Tuesday night, having just delivered a brief concession speech he wrote only that evening, ...Read more.Elizabeth Warren: From Consumer Advocate to United States Senator
No doubt Republicans are now wishing they had not opposed ’s appointment to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. ’s victory in the Massachusetts Senate race this evening is a huge victory for consumers – and a huge loss for the banking industry, which poured millions of dollars into the coffers of the incumbent, Republican ...Read more.New York City Marathon Canceled
City officials just announced the first ever cancellation of the City Marathon. Pressure had been mounting for days to postpone the event, which attracts tens of thousands of runners from around the world. Opponents pointed out that not only was the 26 mile event a logistical nightmare in the best of circumstances, handing out food and ...Read more.Stop the New York City Marathon
Here’s the ground situation: lower in the dark, with thousands upon thousands of senior citizens trapped in unheated high rise apartments, with many beginning to run short of food and water. Parts of Staten Island are a scene of mass destruction, with several dozen dead or missing, with untold numbers of homes damaged or destroyed. ...Read more.No Mitt Romney, Private Charity Is Not Enough
Will the era of a thousand points of light end with Mitt Romney’s photo op of a thousand cans of soup? Ever since President George H.W. Bush proclaimed a need for “a thousand points of light,” Americans have been enthralled by the idea that private charity is all that is needed to help those in ...Read more.Bringing Up the Kindele
Never mind the French — we Jews have our parenting secrets too. If I ever write another book, this is it. Bringing Up the Kindele: A Jewish Mother Shares the Secrets Behind Raising Children Who Don’t Listen, Won’t Shut Up and Might Never, Ever Leave Your Side. When Helaine Olen gave birth, she knew nothing about ...Read more.My Next Book
Pound Foolish is on Amazon! Go take a look!...Read more.About Helaine Olen
I am the voice of The Bills, a column about the intersection of money and life, at Slate. At Inc., I contribute to the Spread the Wealth personal finance column. My work on politics, economics, workplace culture and women’s issues has been published in numerous other print and on-line publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Salon, Pacific Standard, and The Los Angeles Times, where I wrote and edited the popular “Money Makeover” feature.
I'm the author of the critically acclaimed book Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry, and The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to be so Complicated, which I co-wrote with Harold Pollack.
What else? I’m a passionate bibliophile, a fan of 1970s pop music and a lover of rummage sales. I live in New York City.
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