Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Biz bits

By wire services
Published September 18, 2005

THE MODEL OF FAST ACTION after Hurricane Katrina hit wasn't federal rescuers, but another group that arrived on the Gulf Coast disaster scene almost immediately: profiteers. Citing law enforcement officials, BusinessWeek says an Indiana couple rolled into Jackson, Miss., with a trailer full of $700 generators that they sold for as much as $2,600. "Every time a hurricane or other disaster hits, the debate begins anew: Are rising prices a function of supply and demand, or are they the result of price-gouging? Most Americans believe the latter," the magazine says.

WHAT WOULD A TURNAROUND ARTIST do with an organization that had sales of $8.6-billion and 133,000 employees, a falling market share and a mountain of multimillion-dollar lawsuits? It's the American Roman Catholic Church, and Forbes says some Wall Streeters think they can fix it. "A pitched battle is shaping up between reformers and traditionalists within the U.S. Catholic Church," the magazine says. "On the one side are businesspeople (who) have few if any disagreements with the pope on matters of dogma (but) are openly defiant of the church authorities on matters of money. On the other side are powerful organizations (that) see any change as a direct threat to the long-established order of things."

BARRON'S IDENTIFIED the 100 largest companies by market capitalization - share value times shares outstanding - and asked 3,000 professionals to rank them in terms of respect. The top five most respected companies are General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Japan's Toyota Motor and Procter & Gamble, the business weekly says.

INVESTORS OFTEN pay little attention to their 401(k) plan investments, so the funds might not be building the best retirement security. Scott Revare of smart401k.com suggests using an "auto-rebalance" option that many plans offer quarterly to keep your investment percentages from skewing toward one asset class. He also recommends considering new fund options. Well-run plans review their fund roster periodically and will dump underperforming funds and replace them with better performers.

YOUR RESUME SPARKLES, the interview went well and the interviewer says he'll be in touch. Now it's time to send a thank-you note. Failing to do so could derail your employment prospects, according to a survey of 650 hiring managers by CareerBuilder.com. The note should be three paragraphs only. First: Thank the interviewer. Second: Sell yourself again with a reminder of your qualifications, adding any details or skills you forgot in the interview. Third: Affirm your interest in the job. You also can try to ease any reservations you heard from the interviewer.

Compiled from Times wires and Web sites.

[Last modified September 16, 2005, 17:50:03]