"It May Be Time to Find a New Credit Card"

According to the NY Times, "rates and fees are rising as new rules take effect. But with good credit, you can always switch card issuers." Read details here.

G.I. Jane Breaks the Combat Barrier

"American military women have changed the way the United States goes to war, without the disruption of discipline and unit cohesion that some feared." Read the NY Times article here.

"A Hand Up for Students Facing a Mountain of Debt"

Students now have a new option as they take out a loan for college: SafeStart. Read the NY Times article here and see why this is unique.

Also, here is a novel alum-to-student (peer-to-peer) interest free loan program at Harvard, UniThrive. (Calling Duke alums?)

The Economist: Efficiency and beyond

"The efficient-markets hypothesis has underpinned many of the financial industry’s models for years. After the crash, what remains of it?"

This is one of the best articles I have found synthesizing academic economics with the current financial crisis. Read the article here.

"Women in Power Are Set Up to Fail"

"Are women set up to fail — by being appointed to positions of power only in hopeless situations?"

"Two British academics say so, and they claim to have proved it this year. In one study, they took 83 businesspeople — roughly half of them women — and described to them two companies, one that was steadily improving in profitability and another that was steadily declining.

" The subjects were told to pick a new financial director for the firm and were presented with three candidates: a man and a woman who were identical in experience and a lesser-qualified male. The subjects were slightly more likely to pick a man to lead the successful firm but were far more likely to pick the woman to lead the failing one.

"Two other experiments with similar designs yielded the same result: When presented with men and women to lead a company that’s going down the tubes, people pick the woman. What's going on?..."

Read the rest of the NY Times article here.

For Today’s Graduate, Just One Word: Statistics

Statisticians are quickly becoming among the highest paid workers after graduation. Find out why in the NY Times article here.

Breakfast Can Wait. The Day’s First Stop Is Online.

First thing I do in the morning? Check my email. And apparently, I"m not alone. Here's a fun, easy-read article from the Times about how our technology addictions have taken over leasurly mornings:

... Technology has shaken up plenty of life’s routines, but for many people it has completely altered the once predictable rituals at the start of the day.

This is morning in America in the Internet age. After six to eight hours of network deprivation — also known as sleep — people are increasingly waking up and lunging for cellphones and laptops, sometimes even before swinging their legs to the floor and tending to more biologically urgent activities...

Read the rest of the article here.

Debate in Germany: Research or Manufacturing?

This debate is remarkably similar to one in America years ago. C-CEO of a Germany company states: “Silicon Valley isn’t a factory anymore,” he said. “It’s a think-tank.” Read the rest of the NY Times article here.