Tax refunds expected to help revive economy

There has been abundant debate about whether the economy needs a short-term stimulus. A monthly consumer poll suggests it is about to get one as the government sends income tax refund checks.

Fifty-nine percent of Americans getting money back plan to spend it on bills or consumer goods, according to the latest Cambridge Consumer Credit Index.

More than a quarter of us, 27 percent, will put the money in the bank. Only 4 percent said they would invest the funds in stocks, bonds or mutual funds.

The index survey was conducted by random telephone dialing to more than 1,000 households.

Labor: Many executives worried about getting pink slip

Nervous at work about the appearance of a pink slip? So is the boss, according to a survey of nearly 1,200 executives.

More than two-thirds, or 68 percent, are concerned about their current jobs or careers, with the majority, 59 percent, saying their worry comes from events outside of their control: poor company prospects, the possibility of a merger or reorganization or poor prospects for their industry.

The survey found that 72 percent of the executives have had three or more jobs in the past decade.

The survey was conducted among 1,185 executives by ExecuNet, an executive recruitment and career management firm in Norwalk, Conn.

Motley Fool: Name that company

I’m the world’s largest gaming company, with $4.7 billion in annual revenue, more than 29,000 hotel rooms, 2 million square feet of casino space and 55,000 employees. I own, manage or have an interest in 29 gaming properties under some brand names you might have heard of, such as Caesars, Paris, Bally’s, Flamingo, Hilton and Grand Casinos. I operate on four continents and in five countries: the United States, Canada, South Africa, Uruguay and Australia. I was created in December 1998 and am based in Las Vegas. My name is valuable on a Monopoly board, too. Who am I?