They may be in their prime, but according to a new study, this is one unhappy group. Baby boomers have decided to postpone retirement. Gen Y is laying claim to the social-networking bonanza. But what of those born between 1965 and 1978? Well, they’re underpaid, overworked, guilt-ridden, and deeply indebted. Full Article »

For years, Madison Avenue steered clear of events that marked the anniversary of 9/11, anxious that any participation could be perceived as exploitive.

As the 10th anniversary nears, however, marketers, media companies and advertising agencies are changing course, involving themselves with sponsorships, screenings, fund-raisers, programming and other highly visible activities. Full Article »

The items, mostly copies of luxury objects, inside the little shop in downtown Manhattan are made of thin cardboard and might not even pass muster deep in the background of a movie set.

But that did not deter the police from arresting a shop worker on counterfeiting charges for selling several items, including Louis Vuitton and Burberry handbags.

There is just one problem: the items are supposed to be fake. Full Article »

Brands have pursued product placement for years, cutting deals to get sodas and sports cars in movies and on television. Some have even insisted on the opposite, having their logos and labels blurred by the camera when associated with the bad guy, for instance.

Now Abercrombie & Fitch is doing one better: it has offered to pay the cast members of the trashy-and-proud MTV reality show “Jersey Shore” never to wear its clothes on air. “This association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans,” the company said in a news release. Full Article »

“When people don’t answer my e-mails, I always think maybe something tragic happened,” said John Leguizamo, the writer and performer, whose first marriage ended when his wife asked him by e-mail for a divorce. “Like maybe they got hit by a meteorite.”

Betsy Rapoport, an editor and life coach, said: “I don’t believe I have ever received an answer from any e-mail I’ve ever sent my children, now 21 and 18. Unless you count ‘idk’ as a response.” Full Article »

My parents, Betty and Terry Doonan, met in a Royal Air Force soup kitchen at the end of World War II. They had both run away from home a few years prior and were disinclined to return to their respective birthplaces.

Eight weeks after their first encounter, they went to a registry office with two pals and got hitched. No family. No white dress. No nothing. The “reception” was held at the nearest pub, where Betty and Terry got thoroughly drunk and managed to lose their marriage certificate. Forever after, they were unable to recall the date of their marriage and as a result never once, in 60 years of marriage, celebrated a wedding anniversary. This always seemed to cause them great amusement. Full Article »

Everyone knows that having a good credit score qualifies you for lower interest rates on loans and better terms on credit cards. But it can also affect the rates you pay for car insurance — sometimes quite significantly, when the savings are measured over time.

The most important factors in setting rates generally are your age, where you live and driving record, says Des Toups, senior managing editor of CarInsurance.com, a rate-quoting Web site. But most insurers also check your credit when quoting a rate, because there’s a correlation between your score and the likelihood you will file an insurance claim. The higher the score, the less likely you are to file one. Full Article »

Much has been made of the distinct writing style of the blurbs that accompany Groupon flash-sale postings—a kind of vanilla-absurdist tone, dubbed the Groupon voice. Following the company writing manual, an editorial staff of would-be writers and M.F.A.’s uses nonsensical images, fake proverbs, mixed metaphors, and other devices to write mildly irreverent copy for the company’s daily deals. How might’ve literature’s greats written, had they cut their teeth in Groupon’s copywriting department? Herewith, fake Groupon offers—presented with very sincere apologies. Full Article »

How you feel about money can have a significant impact on how you save, spend and plan for your financial future—not to mention on your overall mental and emotional well-being. This is one of the findings of a new academic study, “Money Beliefs and Financial Behaviors: Development of the Klontz Money Script Inventory,” published in the current issue of The Journal of Financial Therapy. Full Article »

During the recession, you needed a job and wound up taking one for which you are overqualified. Although you were initially grateful just to have the work, you now feel bored and depressed. Is there any way to change that? Start by changing your perspective, says Caitlin Kelly, author of “Malled,” a book based on her experience as a retail sales clerk after losing her job in journalism. Full Article »

Whether it’s Mark Zuckerberg talking about killing pigs or a Hollywood blockbuster under its belt, Facebook has plenty of attention in our lives. Twitter falls into the same camp. From Justin Bieber’s noisy 10 million followers to hordes of social media gurus tweeting the benefits of 140 characters or less, it’s easy to discover how and what makes Twitter work. However, there is one social network that lacks drama but makes up for it with a devoted business community and plenty of compelling features. [Full Article]

The battle to legalize same-sex marriage may be dominating the headlines, but that issue could take years to resolve. More immediately, a growing number of companies have taken it upon themselves to make life a little more equal for their gay employees.

These companies are reaching into their own pockets to pay for an extra tax that their gay employees owe on their partners’ health insurance — something that their married heterosexual co-workers don’t have to worry about because the federal government recognizes them as an economic unit. [Full Article]

Standing amid pleather ottomans in a dimly lit Manhattan lounge, New York Giants defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul was mystified by the vodka bottle before him. It had a screw top; conspicuously absent from its label were a flock of gray geese, a mogul’s chateau, or any symbol of gratuitous wealth. Concerned, Pierre-Paul looked up Wódka Vodka on his smartphone and discovered that it retailed for $12. “What the f—k are you serving this for!” he barked at Matt Shendell, proprietor of The Hill bar and restaurant. In response, Shendell persuaded Pierre-Paul to taste the one-time Soviet favorite before passing judgment. He did. At the end of the night, he took a bottle home with him. [Full Article]

For centuries, cursive handwriting has been an art. To a growing number of young people, it is a mystery.

The sinuous letters of the cursive alphabet, swirled on countless love letters, credit card slips and banners above elementary school chalk boards are going the way of the quill and inkwell. With computer keyboards and smartphones increasingly occupying young fingers, the gradual death of the fancier ABC’s is revealing some unforeseen challenges. [Full Article]

Instead of taking a mental health day off from work to recuperate from doing my taxes, I take a fiscal health day to knock off as many things from my financial to-do list as I possibly can, from renegotiating cable or insurance deals to finding a better bank account.

Fiscal health day is not yet a national holiday, alas. So you may need to set work aside for a day (or over several lunch breaks) to do what needs to be done, since it’s often easier to reach customer service employees when the sun is up on weekdays. [Full Article]

Amazon announced a new feature for its Kindle e-reader called Library Lending, which will enable users to borrow e-books from more than 11,000 libraries in the U.S. The feature will launch later this year, and be available for all Kindle generations. [Full Article]

Sitting at a table in a Barnes & Noble in St. Petersburg, Fla., T. J. Waters was signing copies of his book “Hyperformance” when a fan standing in line with the eBook version walked up and said, “It’s too bad you can’t sign my Kindle.” [Full Article]

Q. Over the last couple of years your company has eliminated jobs, and you now have more work than you can handle. How do you ask for help in a way that doesn’t make you look inadequate or incompetent? [Full Article]

Apple COO Tim Cook, who has been running the company during CEO Steve Jobs’ indefinite medical leave, was just ranked No. 1 on Out magazine’s list of America’s most influential gays and lesbians. It’s a warm public welcome for a very private guy. [Full Article]