New tax law reveals the mirage of the Social Security trust fund

There have been endless screeds written, blogged and babbled about the tax legislation that finally became law last week. But one aspect that has largely escaped notice is the way that the Social Security tax holiday portion of the package shows how economically useless the $2.6 trillion Social Secu

Charities turn to gift cards to raise money during Christmas, winter holidays

Gift cards have long been heralded as the savior of last-minute shoppers during the holiday season. Now, they are also coming to the rescue of the procrastinating philanthropist. So-called charitable gift cards allow recipients to use the money on the card to make donations to the nonprofit of their

E15 fears: More ethanol in gasoline is bad news for power equipment, critics say

It seems like a great idea: Increase the amount of renewable ethanol from grain at the gas station and decrease America's reliance on foreign oil.

Economic events for the week of Dec. 20

Are flaws in the keeping of trade data making our trade deficit with China seem higher than it is? Yuqing Xing and Neal Detert, two Tokyo-based economists, show how the iPhone contributes $1.9 billion to the reported trade deficit with China, even as a more accurate accounting would mean it gives...

New at the top: Dean Schauer

Position: Chief financial officer of Ariel Way, a District-based technology and services company.

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Washington area appointments and promotions for the week of Dec. 20

Mandiant of Alexandria named Scott O'Neal, former deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber crime division, director.

Washington area bankruptcy filings for the week of Dec. 20

These firms recently filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court's local court clerk's offices.

Sandy Spring Bank in Olney pays back all of its federal TARP loan

Sandy Spring Bank in Olney repaid all of the funds it borrowed from the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program last week, becoming the largest community bank in the Washington area to close out its balance.

Value Added: Gary Bargamian doesn't let illness keep him from the showroom floor

One of my favorite Christmas rituals is sitting down to watch the 1951 film version of "A Christmas Carol" and opening up the tear ducts.

From cars to TVs to patio pavers, learn the tricks of talking your way to a deal

This is the story of how Elena Smonina haggled her way to $4,000 in savings on a home landscaping project. It begins with an admission: "Gardening was never my thing," says Smonina, a tax manager who lives in Milford, Conn. So she created a challenge for herself: Use 3,000 square feet worth of patio...