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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spare Change

The Spokesman-Review

Money Tip

Consumers increasingly are reaching for credit and debit cards when making purchases; cash and checks were used in 60 percent of all transactions in 2004, down from 74 percent in 1999. If the trend continues, electronic payments’ market share will top 50 percent by 2009.

Net Nugget

www.minyan ville.com

Todd Harrison, former president of Cramer Berkowitz, a $400 million hedge fund, founded this site after deciding there was an emotional void in his life despite his great wealth. The site’s mission is to educate the public on markets and finance through news and commentary presented in an entertaining way.

News Rack

Millions of shoppers read Consumer Reports before making a purchase, but its readers are mostly males 50 or older who are geeked-out about research. Now Consumers Union, publisher of the magazine, has introduced ShopSmart, targeted to female readers with reviews of products geared toward women and their families.

Survey Says

Affluent investors — those with at least $100,000 in financial assets, excluding real estate, pensions and 401(k)s — are less confident about the economy’s future than they were at the beginning of the year, and their investment outlook is at its lowest levels since brokerage firm Smith Barney began a monthly poll of that group. Almost half of investors polled say the investment climate is worse than a year ago.