St. Louis business news columnist Jim Gallagher

Prepaid debit cards: Good deal or bad?

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

You can have plastic without a bank, but beware the hidden fees

May 27, 2012 | 12:05 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Hitting rock bottom: Housing crash spawns dirt cheap sales

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Want to buy a house for $12,000? It may — or may not — be the bargain it seems.

May 24, 2012 | 12:15 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Stocks slide as investors fear risk

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Two local strategists view Europe mess differently.

May 20, 2012 | 12:15 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Down Fang! St. Louis ranks 10 in dog bites among mail carriers

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Los Angeles leads as the town with the meanest muts.

May 18, 2012 | 9:55 am | (Loading… ) comments.

PNC Bank issues dreary forecast for St. Louis

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

St. Louis should expect little improvement in the local job market or housing prices this year, according to a dismal new forecast from economists at PNC Bank.

May 16, 2012 | 2:13 pm | (Loading… ) comments.

New law opens door to investment scams

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

I think I'll set up a business and "crowdfund" it. I'll make a good buck. My investors will lose their shirts. Fine with me.

May 13, 2012 | 12:15 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Home remodeling: Do it for comfort, not profit

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

The home remodeling business in St. Louis is still wallowing in a slump. But perhaps not for long.

May 11, 2012 | 12:01 am | (Loading… ) comments.

St. Louis may lag the nation in growth, PNC experts say

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

PNC guru says St. Louis should lag behind the nation in growth

May 10, 2012 | 5:59 pm | (Loading… ) comments.

'Crammers' bilk consumers through phone bills

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Updated 12:53 p.m.

May 08, 2012 | 5:20 pm | (Loading… ) comments.

How to get hitched cheap

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Business columnist Jim Gallagher advises: Spend money where it has the most meaning for the couple.

Apr 29, 2012 | 8:00 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Foreclosures up in St. Louis

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

There were more than 4,800 homes in some stage of foreclosure in the first quarter of this year.

Apr 26, 2012 | 11:58 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Study: Women handle credit cards worse than men

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Women know less about money than men, and that shows up in their costly use of credit cards, a study says.

Apr 26, 2012 | 10:28 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Jobless rates for grads vary with major

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Job-oriented majors beat liberal arts in the competition for employment.

Apr 25, 2012 | 11:15 am | (Loading… ) comments.

With economy slowly improving, here's what to worry about

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

It’s tough being a sourpuss these days.

Apr 22, 2012 | 12:15 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Some neighborhoods see rising home prices

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Local home sale prices are still in a slump, but some scattered neighborhoods are bucking the trend.

Apr 20, 2012 | 12:15 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Are home prices near a bottom?

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Real estate pros aren't ready to call the end of the long downward trend of home prices.

Apr 15, 2012 | 12:15 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Decision time for families: Posh U or cheap Grungy State?

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Pick a school that will give you the skills you need at a price you can afford.

Apr 15, 2012 | 12:05 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Preferred stocks: Do sweet yields merit the risk?

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

With yields of over 6 percent, preferred stocks look tempting for income-starved investors. They’ve already had a nice run, with preferred prices up 10.2 percent this year.

Apr 08, 2012 | 12:15 am | (Loading… ) comments.

Subprime lending cranks up again

BY JIM GALLAGHER • jimgallagher@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8390

Here we go again. Four years after subprime lending helped crash the financial system, banks are once again happy to loan money to people who have trouble paying it back.

Apr 04, 2012 | 4:19 pm | (Loading… ) comments.