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How do you use the holidays to reinforce values other than materialism
Marketing professor Lan Chaplin co-authored a study on children and materialism that will appear in the December edition of the Journal of Consumer Research. As the year’s biggest gift-giving holiday nears, she discusses her findings in an interview with News Bureau business and law editor Jan Dennis. How do you raise a non-materialistic child in […]
Expert: Cutting-edge gains not always death knell for old-guard firms
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For every technological breakthrough that spawns new industry giants such as Microsoft or Intel, old-guard companies wither or die, according to an evolutionary theory of capitalism embraced for well over a half-century. Economist Joseph Schumpeter’s cyclical concept of “creative destruction” has long been used to explain radical business shifts, from the decline […]
With home prices sliding, is real estate still a good investment?
Geoffrey Hewings, director of the university’s Regional Economics Applications Laboratory, is an expert on the real estate market, compiling a monthly home sales forecast for the Illinois Association of Realtors. Across the nation, the housing market is mired in its worst slump since the late 1980s, with prices sliding and September sales of existing homes […]
Christmas spirit lives in family tree-trimming rituals, U. of I. expert says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Worried the Christmas spirit has been cast aside like a lousy gift amid a frantic, commercialized holiday rush that cranks up even before Halloween’s pumpkins start to shrivel? A University of Illinois marketing expert says twinkling examples of the storied yuletide theme will turn up in more than 80 million homes across […]
Legal expert says laws often follow when public’s fears exceed reality
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – When hijacking fears soared out of control after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, tougher airport screening quickly followed to ward off panic that could have crippled the nation’s airline industry. New laws and strengthened enforcement are often rooted in similar times of angst when the public’s worries far outstrip reality, says Amitai […]
Labor expert: Writers strike involves new issues and old problem – money
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A strike by film and television writers is just another sequel to the reruns about how to divvy up riches from the nation’s lucrative entertainment industry, a University of Illinois labor expert says. “The buzz words in this strike may be new – ‘DVD,’ ‘streaming Internet, ‘digital media’ and so on, but […]
U. of I. professor calls on Congress to close private equity tax loophole
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Congress should act quickly on a Senate bill that would plug a loophole allowing publicly traded private equity firms to avoid paying corporate taxes, says a University of Illinois law professor who testified before House and Senate panels that reviewed the long-overlooked tax disparity. Victor Fleischer says the bill, known as the […]
U. of I. scholar: Illinois could weather recession better than nation
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois would likely fare better than the nation if the sagging U.S. economy plunges into a recession amid a worrisome housing market slump and sub-prime loan crisis, a University of Illinois economist says. “A recession in 2007 or early 2008 might have a relatively light impact on the state since real estate […]
New book to offer straightforward legal advice for medical professionals
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Doctors save lives, but often don’t have a prescription for legal woes that can plague their businesses and even slice into the bottom line, a University of Illinois professor says. Law professor Michael Murray is a co-author of a self-help book that will be released next year, coaching doctors, dentists and other […]
U. of I. professor calls on Congress to close private equity tax loophole
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Congress should act quickly on a Senate bill that would plug a loophole allowing publicly traded private equity firms to avoid paying corporate taxes, says a University of Illinois law professor who testified before House and Senate panels that reviewed the long-overlooked tax disparity. Victor Fleischer says the bill, known as the […]
‘Black Monday’ anniversary a reminder of stock market’s inherent risks
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The 20th anniversary of Wall Street’s historic “Black Monday” collapse is a good reminder that the lure of investment riches comes with equally dramatic risks, a University of Illinois stock market expert says. “Events like this remind us that markets have risks and that investors need to exercise prudence. It reminds us […]
Illinois casino expansion would drain state’s economy, U. of I. professor says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois would choke its economy and ruin lives if lawmakers expand gambling to bankroll statewide road improvements and mass transit in Chicago, a University of Illinois professor and national gambling critic says. “You cannot gamble your way to prosperity. Every economist says you can’t do it,” said John W. Kindt, a professor […]