If your car has been recalled, you're not alone. There were 529 recalls last year, more than double the number a decade earlier. That amounts to about one in every 12 cars on the road. Carmakers say the increase in recalls is proof of the industry's greater commitment to safety, not a sign that quality standards have fallen.
Has the government been going after corporate criminals too zealously? The Economist says the quick, vigorous prosecution of a handful of ex-bosses could short-circuit sweeping changes. "The danger is that, by throwing a few bosses to the lions, the government will satisfy the public's thirst for blood and thus ease pressure for deeper, systemwide reform," the magazine says.
Surveys consistently show most Americans don't expect Social Security to serve as the bulk of their retirement income, yet they don't save nearly enough to make up for the expected shortfall. A survey by Ohio State University, for one, indicated only 54 percent of families earning $50,000 to $100,000 yearly had adequate retirement savings. The numbers were far worse for those making less than $50,000.
Losing a job is a life-altering misfortune for most people, making them question their goals, abilities and worth while they struggle to pay the bills. Like other milestones - births, deaths, marriage - marking unemployment with a ceremony can help people adjust, according to the Celebrant USA Foundation, a nonprofit educational group that helps families personalize major ceremonies. "For every new journey we take, there is a rite of passage," said Charlotte Eulette of Celebrant, and a career transition also should be marked.
Retired pay phones are finding a new life as collectors' items. In just a couple of months, BellSouth has sold more than 500 pay phones for $135 each and has about 300 people on a waiting list. The phones have been rewired so they can plug into a wall outlet - and work without coins.
