Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

Despite the recent boost in holiday sales, debts past, present and future make it impossible for consumer spending to drive a recovery. The holiday shopping season has begun with a hopeful bang. Americans said they intended to spend more this season, and, so far, there are numbers to back that.

Can't do doorbusters or sweeping discounts? Brooklyn Industries's Lexy Funk explains small-retail's tricks for profiting big this shopping season. This year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping weekend was a significant boost for U.S.

Retailers cashed in on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, but experts caution against any premature victory dances. In the aftermath of the nation's biggest shopping weekend, storeowners and retailers have plenty to be thankful for: voracious consumers blasted through modest sales projections this past weekend, spending some $52 billion from Thursday to Sunday, and about a billion more on Cyber Monday. Though the numbers certainly seem to indicate a strong holiday sales season, experts suggest that with nearly four weeks left until Christmas, it's hardly time to celebrate.

CollegeHumor co-founder Josh Abramson gets serious about his next venture: funny t-shirts. In 1999, when Josh Abramson was a sophomore in college, he co-founded the website CollegeHumor, a central portal where he and his friends could post funny pictures and videos they were circulating anyway. Five years later, looking to diversify revenue streams, Abramson started BustedTees, which sells t-shirts and other knickknacks that carry many of the funny slogans from CollegeHumor

The Friday after Thanksgiving is known for big deals at large retailers. But can AmEx's marketing push help claim enough of that business for the little guys?

Forget slashing prices and big ad campaigns. With just a few days left, here's how to max your sales in three easy steps. Black Friday is almost upon us and the big box stores are gearing up for the usual insanity