Author Archive for Melissa Preddy

Veteran financial writer Melissa Preddy served as a business writer, editor and columnist for The Detroit News from 1995 to 2008, is a Michigan-based freelance journalist. Follow her daily posts. | E-mail: Melissa Preddy

Follow moving companies to understand your local housing market

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 30, 2010 in Beats, Economy, Featured, Real estate | Econ development, Story ideas, Transportation | Airlines | Travel

We’re coming to the tail end of the busiest residential moving season of the year, and it’s a fine time to get to know your local van lines.
Moving companies are fonts of data that you can use as local economic indicators and context for jobs and housing stories.
The major companies like United Van Lines and [...]

What does FOIA exemption for SEC in financial reform act mean?

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 29, 2010 in Beats, Featured, Investigation, Investing | Banking, Personal finance, Story ideas

We knew the 2,319-page “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” would contain some interesting surprises once all the legal lingo was parsed.
Well, the president’s signature was barely dry on the financial regulatory reform signed into law last week when a new stir erupted.
Fox Business pronounced yesterday that the Securities and Exchange Commission is [...]

Finding fresh angles amid the business of death

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 28, 2010 in Beats, Economy, Featured, Personal finance, Small | Private | Non-profit, Story ideas

One of my long-time sources, a respected financial adviser, likes to cackle at his own plan for being slid into a crematory oven to the carnivalesque notes of The Doors’ “Light My Fire.”
Maybe most people won’t opt for the same final musical tribute, but choosing cremation over burial is an increasing trend – especially after [...]

Find financial stories in the business of higher education

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 27, 2010 in Beats, Economy, Featured, Investigation, Personal finance, Story ideas

With little more than a month to go before Labor Day, back-to-school business topics are hot.
For business writers, financial aid is a rich field to mine, from how-to personal finance articles (see FinAid.org for a wealth of resources) to scams. This Federal Trade Commission report released earlier this month says fraudulent “financial aid consulting services” are [...]

From pool construction to Mad Men: A summertime story-idea sampler

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 26, 2010 in Beats, Manufacturing | Large companies, Small | Private | Non-profit, Story ideas, Technology, TrendingTopic

This is an idea blog, and as you know, story ideas range from full-bodied and meaty to fleeting and fluffy. We try to serve up mostly meat, but some of the other fare is just too tasty to be ignored.
So here’s a round-up of weighty and not-so-weighty summertime ideas, all worth a second look:
Auto dealerships: [...]

Mine contracting databases to find data on local firms

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 23, 2010 in Beats, Featured, Investigation, Small | Private | Non-profit, Story ideas, Technology

Events that sometimes seem far removed – in geography or in time – may have more of a local economic impact than you realize.
So even if you’re nowhere near the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, it may be worth checking around for area companies that have generated business from one facet or another of the [...]

Who’s profiting from medical marijuana in your market?

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 22, 2010 in Beats, Economy, Featured, Health care, Small | Private | Non-profit, Story ideas

Drug enforcement choppers for Operation Hemp spotted 500 marijuana plants yesterday in a rural Michigan community right near me. Of course, that’s chump change compared to the 300,000 pot plants authorities have snuffed out this month in California’s Shasta County, where lawbreakers have been putting state park land to interesting agricultural uses.
Still, the notion of [...]

Find how the mortgage crunch is affecting your market

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 21, 2010 in Beats, Economy, Featured, Personal finance, Real estate | Econ development, Story ideas

Not too many years ago, banks would just about write you a mortgage on the strength of your scratch-off lottery ticket winnings.
Not so much anymore.
Gone are the days when lenders would predicate decisions on volatile borrower income streams like overtime, child support and commissions. Nor will they toss in extra cash for remodeling and furnishing, [...]

Dig into midterm election platforms for business stories

By Melissa Preddy on Jul 20, 2010 in Beats, Economy, Featured, Small | Private | Non-profit, Story ideas, Technology

With fall’s midterm elections speeding toward us – and many states’ primaries yet to be held – you can find timely inspiration for business stories by checking out candidates’ platforms.
Your own news outlet is (hopefully) your best source for a rundown of pending elections in your state; for extra help check out the League of [...]