Business - Opinion

As the nation's largest financial institutions scramble to pay back their bailout money, some regional banks may be on the government dole until at least 2011. Lending for offices, malls, hotels, and similar properties averages more than a third of loans at 35 of the biggest regional players with federal funds, according to an analysis by Bloomberg BusinessWeek . By comparison, such debt averages 9.5% of loans at Citigroup and Wells Fargo . And with defaults at a 16-year high and rising, the worst may be yet to come. Full Story »

As I write this, I am 35,000 feet in the air, returning from a weeklong trip to Japan. My friends and I chose to stay in Tokyo the entire time and leisurely explore the city, rather than run from one photo opportunity to another. Despite a missed connection with my luggage and a bit of a culture clash (I'm vegetarian), I had an amazing time. But even Tokyo, a city of wealth, glitz, and technological marvels, has its homeless. They crowd into cardboard shantytowns (the neatest I've seen) in underpasses and lie out of the way, ignored by the passing crowds. Full Story »

Just as cash-strapped consumers are more inclined to clip food coupons than they were when the economy was on firmer footing, investors need to be conscious of ways to legally minimize what they pay the government in taxes on gains in their portfolios. Full Story »

How valuable is a summer internship in a recession? Consider Goldman Sachs, the leading choice for students interested in a career on Wall Street. This year, the investment bank hired 600 fewer entry-level employees. That's not surprising given the stunted economy and the government bailout of banks. What is noteworthy is nearly 90% of Goldman's new hires were former interns. The previous year, Goldman wasn't as concerned about hiring a high percentage of students it had already invested time and money to train -- only 58% of entry-level hires had spent a summer at the company. Full Story »

Guest: Brian Lohr, director of MBA admissions at the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Full Story »

Over the past few decades, work experience has increasingly been a factor in MBA admissions, with many business schools now expecting applicants to have a minimum of five years before applying. In the 1960s and 1970s, most students pursued their MBA immediately after their undergraduate program. Ten years ago, the average age of a first-year MBA was 25. Today it is 28. While this has enhanced the profile of many business school classes (in terms of higher salaries and positions), the net impact on students has not been adequately determined. Full Story »

(Bloomberg) -- Senate Democrats tentatively agreed to abandon plans to set up a full government-run insurance program in a bid to remove one of the biggest obstacles to health legislation, a person familiar with negotiations said. Full Story »

The Great Recession may be winding down, but state and local government finances continue to deteriorate. California, the eighth-largest economy in the world, keeps treading on the edge of fiscal disaster. Nine other states aren't in much better shape, according to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States. Even after taking into account aid from Washington, state governments face a combined projected budget deficit of $350 billion over fiscal years 2010 and 2011, according to the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities. Full Story »

It's a given for many academics and investors that over the long run stocks outperform bonds. But those in the top tax bracket may want to rethink that axiom, especially if they live in states with high income tax rates. That's because for tax purposes, most states generally don't treat stock gains or dividends any differently than ordinary income. Full Story »

Your applications are done. You've been accepted at your dream school. You paid the deposit. What could go wrong? For the would-be MBA class of 2011, plenty. The unforeseen events that often waylay admitted students were compounded this year by difficulty securing loans, problems selling homes, and anxiety about leaving the workforce. At many programs, that meant more would-be students asking for a deferral of admission. ... Full Story »

Leaving the Army was a difficult decision. I had already invested eight years of my life in my military career, considering the time spent as an ROTC cadet at Wake Forest University and an active duty tour that took me everywhere from Kansas to Iraq. However, during my deployment I realized that my professional and personal goals weren't compatible with a lifetime spent in the armed forces. With this in mind, I began the bittersweet process of getting out -- and at the same time I had to ask myself the next logical question: Now what? Full Story »

From the day my parents took me to the Philadelphia Phillies spring training complex in my hometown of Clearwater, Fla., I wanted to be the starting shortstop for the New York Mets. My Hungarian immigrant father and my Brooklyn-native mother had fallen in love in New York and there was no way they'd allow me to root for anyone but the Mets. Little League followed and I made all-star teams but when I hit high school, the growth spurt I had anticipated failed me and professional baseball became a fleeting dream. ... Full Story »

At first glance, banks seem to be recovering nicely from the financial crisis. But investors cheered by optimistic earnings reports could soon face a painful surprise. Full Story »

Home buyers might soon have to bring more cash to the table to qualify for Federal Housing Authority-backed mortgages. The FHA mortgages, which now make up 30% of originations, have surged in popularity because borrowers need a down payment of just 3.5% to qualify, but the housing crisis has battered the agency's reserves. Full Story »

Macao - The Venetian casino complex in Macao is plenty grand. Singing gondoliers ply their boats along a canal that meanders through a mall featuring luxury boutiques, an 1,800-seat theater for the Cirque du Soleil, and dozens of bars and restaurants. Full Story »

Dubai -- After Dubai announced in late November that the state-controlled investment firm Dubai World was seeking to reschedule payments on some $26 billion of debt, global markets went into a tailspin. While foreign bourses quickly rebounded, local shares have taken a pounding, and the credibility of Dubai's leadership has suffered serious damage. Yet lost in all the drama is the fact that Dubai is an important economic experiment in a strategically vital region. ... Full Story »

(Bloomberg) -- The tallest tower to open next year in London's main financial district won't house bankers or office workers. It will be a student dormitory. Full Story »

(Bloomberg) -- Mortgage rates for fixed 30-year loans in the U.S. dropped to a record low amid signs that the housing market is beginning to emerge from the worst slump since the 1930s. Full Story »