Columnists

Brunell: Good manners still count in business

January 9, 2018, 6:00am Business

Our parents drilled into our heads that saying “please” and “thank you” were not only part of everyday life, but were essential to operating a successful business. They are the basic ingredients of “Good Manners.” Read story

Harney: Virtual staging can make houses look too good to be true

January 8, 2018, 6:03am Business

Try to picture this real estate scenario — virtually. Like 90 percent of shoppers searching for a home, you start on the web, checking out listings and locations. You find a house that appears to be what you’re after, and you tap into the photos section of the listing to… Read story

Berko: Buying the hand that feeds you in this case unwise

January 7, 2018, 6:00am Business

Dear Mr. Berko: Brinker International has increased its earnings and dividends every year since 2011 and expects to do even better in 2018, but the stock price went down in 2017, from $55 to $32. How can that be when sales and earnings continue to increase very nicely? Brinker recently… Read story

Berko: Think of corporate tax cuts as a rising tide

January 6, 2018, 6:00am Business

Dear Mr. Berko: Could you please tell us what you think the stock market will do once this tax bill is in effect? All the people I know say that these tax cuts and changes are bearish and that the country will suffer because of these new rules and regulations. Read story

Singletary: Start new year with money mantras

January 5, 2018, 6:00am Business

I don’t care that the success rate for New Year’s resolutions is low. I make them anyway. Read story

Berko: Congress on hook for sky-high insurance, college

December 31, 2017, 6:02am Business

Dear Mr. Berko: I pay over $33,000 a year for health insurance for me, my wife and my four children. That’s more than we’ve spent on doctor bills and medicine in the past 10 years for our whole family, including our 9-year-old black Lab. My insurance agent and I are… Read story

Berko: Buy stock in public water and watch value triple

December 30, 2017, 6:00am Business

Dear Mr. Berko: I’ve got a bug in my ear telling me to invest in water utility stocks. My parents live in Flint, Mich., and my brother recently moved to Pensacola, Fla., and had to buy a water purifier. He says Pensacola has the worst water quality in the country.… Read story