Bizzy’s AM Coffee Biz-Econ-Life Links (080106)

Free Links:

• A good idea from Monday’s USA Today — There’s a good chance you’ll get the best credit card deal from the primary bank you do business with, as many banks are doing more to retain existing customers. Not mentioned directly in the article is the idea that a bank you have multiple accounts with is more likely to be forgiving if you make a mistake and are late with a payment or go over the limit. If they aren’t at first, you need to remind them that you might close all of your accounts if they aren’t more lenient. The article notes that the card industry has become very concentrated (the top 5 issuers have over 70% of card volume), so you need all the leverage you can get.
• Thanks to gas prices, inflating tires with pure nitrogen, which appears to improve gas mileage by over 5%, is gaining, uh, steam.
• The Washington Post noted last week that the number of investor class-actions suits has dropped. Though it mentions that the indictment of “leading” class action firm Milberg Weiss may be among the factors, it doesn’t mention that the reason why the firm was indicted, illegally paying plaintiffs to be lead class action litigants, may also be a factor. If you can’t find a lead plaintiff, you don’t have a suit.
• Northwest’s flight attendants are threatening random work stoppages if their contract impasse isn’t resolved. They don’t seem to realize, or at least appreciate the increased probability, that they are therefore also threatening a non-random liquidation of the company if large numbers of travelers defect to other airlines.
• Speaking of airlines, a lot of them are actually reporting profits, including just-out-of-bankruptcy United and US Airways. That’s impressive considering fuel prices.