GM spokesman becomes 'Chevy Guy' thanks to 'technology and stuff'

"Chevy Guy" Rikk Wilde became a viral sensation bumbling his way through a World Series presentation Wednesday night.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Wilde, or as the Internet has dubbed him "Chevy Guy" was given the duty of presenting Bumgarner with the keys to a new Chevy Colorado at the end of Wednesday night's World Series game 7.

Chevrolet is an official sponsor of Major League Baseball and traditionally the World Series MVP is presented with a car by a spokesman from the company.

It's usually a cut and dry presentation, but Wilde, a Chevy regional manager, was visually nervous which caused him to bumble the lines that he was obviously reading from prepared notecards.

"It combines class winning, um, leading... 'ya know, technology and stuff," Wilde said about the Chevy Colorado during Fox's post game show.

The phrase "technology and stuff" has since taken on a life on its own instantly becoming a hash-tag. Not to mention, Wilde getting bestowed with the moniker "Chevy Guy."

You would think it an embarrassing situation for Chevy's parent company, GM (GM), but the company is having fun with it.

Chevy even sent out tweets early Thursday morning with the viral catch phrase attached.

"A lifelong Kansas City Royal fan, Rikk was still a little emotional over the outcome of a tremendous seven game series," GM said in a statement. "We believe baseball fans in Kansas City and elsewhere can relate with Rikk's authentic emotions."

Regardless of the awkward presentation, Chevy has gained some pretty good social publicity from Wilde, which for the car company is pretty good stuff indeed.

First Published: October 30, 2014: 6:53 PM ET

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Baby Boomers say they aren't moving out of their homes

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In a survey of 4,000 Baby Boomer households conducted by the non-profit Demand Institute, 63% of Boomers plan to stay in their current home once they retire.

Much of that has to do with the recession. The financial crisis put an end to years of rapid wealth accumulation, causing the typical Boomer household's net worth to fall to $143,000 in 2013 from just over $200,000 in 2007, according to Federal Reserve data.

Related: Why everyone is moving to Texas

Not only that, but this generation is also carrying a lot more mortgage debt. The survey found that the median outstanding mortgage balance for 50- to 69-year-olds was $118,000 in 2013, up from $48,743 in 1992.

"Boomers' nest eggs have shrunk dramatically in recent years," said Jeremy Burbank, vice president at The Demand Institute, the non-profit think tank run by the Conference Board and Nielsen. "Financially, this generation is not necessarily ready for retirement, and half of their assets are tied up in their homes."

Related: How to avoid homebuyer remorse

Not everyone is planning on staying put, however; 37% of the Boomers surveyed said they were planning to make a move.

Nearly half of the movers said they wanted to get a bigger place -- and that they intended to spend more money on it. But with a median net worth of just $40,000, this group was among some of the least wealthy surveyed. In fact, the report found that many of those who were looking to "upsize" were also looking to switch from renting to owning.

Those who said they plan to move into a smaller home were much more affluent, with a median net worth of $322,000, the Demand Institute found.

Related: Asset allocation; fix your mix

Whatever the size of the home, Boomers seemed generally unconcerned about whether or not it would be "aging-friendly" -- even though a whopping three-quarters of them reported having significant health issues, such as cardiovascular conditions, arthritis, obesity and high blood pressure.

And only one-in-five of the movers said they intend to live in senior housing.

Instead, many of those surveyed said they plan to use their money to remodel things like kitchens and bathrooms in order to increase the value of their existing homes.

More than 17% of the 76 million Boomers are already retired and about 10,000 will reach the traditional retirement age of 65 every day for the next 15 years. And even though many Boomers plan to stay in their current homes, the Demand Institute estimates that this generation will purchase about $1.9 trillion in homes over the next five years.

"Their choices will have a real impact on the housing sector in the next several years," said Burbank.

First Published: October 30, 2014: 7:29 PM ET

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Can anything save Sony?

TOKYO (CNNMoney)

Major rating agencies Fitch and Moody's have downgraded the company to "junk" status. Standard & Poor's has warned it could soon do the same.

The latest indignity came in September, when Sony said it expects to lose a staggering $2.1 billion this fiscal year and announced plans to scale back its smartphone business.

Since assuming Sony's top job in 2012, CEO Kazuo Hirai has spun off the company's television business, sold its Vaio PC operation and slashed thousands of jobs in a bid to rapidly restructure the company.

These are the kind of changes that investors have been calling for. But so far, the CEO has little to show for his efforts.

That stands in stark contrast to Sony's glory days. The Sony Walkman revolutionized the way people listen to music, and Sony's Chromatron and Trinitron lines brought color television to the masses.

But engineers across the company say they are not dwelling on the past. Instead, they are hard at work developing products that might revive the firm.

At one Tokyo campus, a deputy manager demonstrated a credit-card sized electronic device that is designed to replace a wallet full of cash cards used by millions of Japanese consumers. The device connects to a smartphone, and allows users to easily buy train tickets or snacks at the convenience store.

Sony (SNE) is also developing "SmartEyeglass," a wearable pair of glasses that the company says will act as a second screen for a user's smart phone and eventually incorporate facial recognition technology.

Related: Movie theaters ban Google Glass and other wearables

The criticisms of these products are familiar -- Alibaba and Apple already have payment apps, and Google Glass already exists. Where is Sony's next revolutionary offering?

While Sony waits, the company will rely on proven strengths, including its PlayStation console and high-res audio division. The company's Hollywood studio is in good shape, as are its imaging and finance units.

Related: The world is running out of plasma TVs

But can Hirai accelerate change, and answer critics including activist hedge fund managers like Dan Loeb of Third Point? Loeb has pressed the CEO for a more far-reaching restructuring of the company, including a spin off the film and music division.

Analysts say something must be done.

"In high grade products, they still have relatively strong brand recognition in the Japanese market. But globally, unfortunately, no," said Makiko Yoshimura, an electronics analyst with Standard and Poor's. "It's very tough to maintain competitiveness of technology. It's a very tough challenge."

A walk through Toyko's world famous Akihabara electronics district reveals the difficulty of the task facing Sony.

Hirroki Ueno, a young salaryman, holds an iPad as he speaks to CNN.

"Sony doesn't seem to be making new products like they used to," Ueno says. "It seems like they haven't done much in the last 10 years."

First Published: October 30, 2014: 10:33 PM ET

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Elon Musk warns against unleashing artificial intelligence 'demon'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Musk, who promises to take humans to new heights with space and battery technologies, was especially grounded in his latest caution on artificial intelligence.

He told an audience at MIT on Friday that "we should be very careful about artificial intelligence," warning it may be "our biggest existential threat."

"With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon," he said.

"In all those stories where there's the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, it's like yeah he's sure he can control the demon," he continued, to some laughs from the audience.

Musk then cracked a smile: "Didn't work out."

His Tesla (TSLA) electric vehicles and SpaceX rockets, which recently won a multi-billion dollar contract with NASA, have pushed the limits of their respective technologies.

Musk hasn't embraced artificial intelligence, a field of study at MIT and other schools with significant ethical considerations and business potential. He has previously cautioned it is "potentially more dangerous than nukes."

But he has invested in artificial intelligence companies -- because, he told CNN's Rachel Crane recently, he wanted "to keep an eye on them."

"I wanted to see how artificial intelligence was developing," Musk said in the CNN interview. Among his questions: "Are companies taking the right safety precautions?"

Related: Google snaps up artificial intelligence firm

On Friday, Musk was responding to a question about whether artificial intelligence was "even close to being ready for prime time?"

"I'm increasingly inclined to think there should be some regulatory oversight maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we don't do something very foolish," Musk said.

Tech entrepreneur Marc Andreessen -- of Netscape fame -- is on the same page. Don't be "freaked out" by Musk's comments, he seemed to say on Twitter.

"Famous last words. Actually, they would be famous ... if there were any humans left alive to hear them," Musk posted in response.

Andreessen replied: "Sadly, that also means you'll get no credit for being right."

First Published: October 26, 2014: 1:45 PM ET

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'Collabition.' 'Decisioning': The worst corporate jargon around

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

For instance, when you're asked to "strategerize a greenfielded, collaborative solution that considers the equities of all stakeholders" you may think you should do something eco-friendly.

But you'd be wrong.

According to one CNNMoney reader from Alexandria, Va., who was asked to do this very thing, what you're really supposed to do is just work with everyone on your project to come up with a solution.

Or consider the role of peanut butter. Unless you work for Skippy, you may wonder what it has to do with anyone's job. But if you ask the numbers guys in your division, they may talk about how "we peanut bread spread the dollars across all segments."

The real meaning? We allocated money to every department (or region or category of expense), according to another reader, who works in the insurance industry.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg, who teaches at University of California, Berkeley's School of Information, equates corporate jargon with high school slang -- the kind teenagers use to sound like they belong.

"Using it marks you as an insider," Nunberg said.

Plain English seems to be in particularly short supply when there's potential to scare the pants off the rank-and-file.

Quiz: Are you a corporate jargon junkie?

One reader got word that management planned "to leverage internal efficiencies by enlisting external resources, thus driving a reduction in operating costs, thereby enhancing shareholder value."

Translation: Layoffs are coming. That way we can promise to reduce our operating costs, which Wall Street loves! But don't worry -- we'll outsource the old jobs to an outside firm, which may even hire the very same folks who get pink-slipped!

"Good thing no one ever asked how much money we saved, because the answer was none. Our operating costs actually went up," said a CNNMoney reader in Sarasota, Fla., who worked at a company that promised to "leverage" and "enhance"

That may help explain why outsourcing is such big business. An invitation to an industry conference about the practice promised to "have one foot planted in the reality of present day, and the other in the future, so we can develop a realistic roadmap for crossing this chasm from today's tactical efficiency to our utopia of achieving genuine business value and alignment between business operations and corporate objectives."

Plain-English translation: No idea. But utopia sounds nice.

Related: Workaholism: Regain balance before you burn out

Judging from the slew of submissions from CNNMoney readers, there's a long list of words and definitions that you need to know to be an insider these days. Here are 10 of our favorites:

Ideation session: Sure, you could just say you're having a meeting to come up with good ideas for a new project. But why not hold an ideation session to action plan a strategy?

Collabition: Word mash-ups can be fun. Or they can make you cringe. Exhibit A: collabition, an ill-conceived merger of "collaboration" and "competition." It's a close cousin, of course, to coopetition (cooperation + competition).

Onboard: Training new employees is essential. So is persuading colleagues why your proposal is a good one. But "onboarding" them makes it seem so much more ... sporty?

Rightsize: Getting rid of workers sounds like a such a downer. Why not keep things upbeat and say you're "rightsizing" the company.

Decisioning: Making a decision. Really, why is that so hard to say?

Parking lot: When you don't want to talk about something -- say when you're running a meeting and get caught short by a question -- you might say "let's put that in the parking lot."

Level set: When someone says, "let's level set" or "we need to level set with the group" it's akin to saying "we should get together to figure it out."

Unsuck-it.com, which deciphers business jargon, offers another definition: to agree on expectations.

Or you can use it to postpone dealing with something unpleasant, such as when someone questions the wisdom of what someone else says. "Once that phrase gets pulled [in a] meeting, the glaring disagreement is kicked along to be dealt with later," said one reader.

Cadence: Who says marching band has to end when you leave school?

When you're in sales, you might call clients once a month to make sure they're happy. But apparently it sounds much better to tell your team to "establish a regular cadence of outreach with our clients to ensure we are delivering value," a reader wrote.

Updation: Merely an awkward way to say "update." A reader from North Carolina said it began as a joking term when his company was developing its current operating system. Now it actually appears in the operating system as an "action description."

Open/ing the kimono: To reveal or be transparent about something. Several readers nominated this as a contender for all-time worst corporate jargon. Agreed.

Said one reader: "I end up visualizing whoever said it and I really don't want to .... Plus, in my experience, the person then proceeds to lie, which makes the phrase even more abhorrent."

First Published: October 26, 2014: 3:38 PM ET

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Howard Lutnick donates $25 million to college

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Howard Lutnick's philanthropic efforts -- especially since the September 11 attack that claimed hundreds of his New York employees -- got $25 million deeper this weekend.

The gift is his largest to Haverford College. Lutnick's mother died when he was in high school, and his father passed in his freshman year. The school covered his tuition, and Lutnick graduated in 1983.

The donation is the cornerstone of a $225 million capital improvement project and brings his total contributions to the Philadelphia-area liberal arts college to $65 million, the school said.

Lutnick has become known for his donations, and those of the brokerage Cantor Fitzgerald.

Each year on 9/11, the company donates that day's profits to charity. The firm says it has so far made contributions totaling $101 million.

First Published: October 26, 2014: 4:47 PM ET

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NYC tabloids keep a straight face on Ebola

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In the hours before Spencer was diagnosed he had gone bowling, rode the A train and stopped by a meatball shop. But there was not a single pun to be found on New York City newsstands Friday morning. No hysteria and no sensationalism.

Instead newspapers like AM New York went with just the facts. The free daily's front page simply said "Ebola in NYC" and showed a picture of Spencer in a hazmat suit while caring for victims in West Africa:

"We didn't want to be alarmists," said Pete Catapano, executive editor of AM New York. "Obviously it's a scary subject... We wanted to be very direct, very straight-forward."

Related: Syracuse University disinvites journalist over Ebola fears

The Daily News also took a tempered approach with its front page:

The New York Post (which is infamous for its outrageous covers) was a little more brash with its "Ebola Here!" headline, but did stick to just the facts:

"A subject like this... people make jokes about it. That's not our place to do that," Catapano said. "We just wanted to be very respectful, and let the story speak for itself."

Related: EU pledges 1 billion euros to fight Ebola

First Published: October 24, 2014: 5:39 PM ET

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The Ebola stocks: Effect of an outbreak

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Some people have considered canceling visits to big theme parks and have aired worries about whether airports and public areas are safe zones.

It's no wonder that investors are assessing Ebola's impact on the economy. Stocks of companies that make drugs that treat the virus have had a wild ride.

It's no small issue. Ebola has killed nearly 5,000 people, mostly in West Africa. The deadly virus has killed one person in the United States and on Friday, a doctor in New York City became the fourth person to have tested positive for Ebola in the country.

One trader, Dave Lutz of Jones Trading, has compiled a list of stocks that are either directly impacted or could be affected by the spread of Ebola.

Canadian biotech firm Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TKMR)' stock surged in September after the FDA authorized the company's drug for patients with Ebola in the United States. Shares have since pulled back. The company has started limited production of its drug, TKM-Ebola, which will be available in early December.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) is another small biotech company working on a drug that could be used to treat Ebola. Its stock has been on a roller coaster ride lately.

NewLink Genetics (NLNK) is working with the World Health Organization and other agencies on an Ebola vaccine. Its shares have surged 57% in the past month.

Companies that make protective equipment for healthcare workers or provide services to governments have also seen gains. Lakeland Industries (LAKE) said in September that it was boosting production of the protective suits in response to growing demand. It's stock has surged 76% in the last four weeks.

Alpha Pro Tech (APT) also makes protective equipment for healthcare workers. Its stock jumped 5% on Friday alone.

Some investors believe the airline industry is also vulnerable to the outbreak. Concerns about air travel rose this month after a Dallas nurse, who treated an Ebola patient, flew round trip between Dallas and Cleveland before being diagnosed with the virus.

Though airline stocks were hurt earlier in the month, they are now near all-time highs after reporting record setting profits.

Cruise ship operators have also been in focus after a healthcare worker who handled Ebola test samples was quarantined on a cruise ship earlier this month. Shares of both Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) have been under pressure recently.

Hotel chains could also be at risk if worries about Ebola cause people to curtail their vacation plans.

Hilton Worldwide (HLT) and Starwood Hotels (HOT) are on Lutz's list...

...as are amusement park operator Six Flags (SIX) and movie theater company Regal Entertainment (RGC).

First Published: October 24, 2014: 4:39 PM ET

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The best time to book your holiday flight is...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

A new survey shows the lowest prices for domestic airfares are found eight weeks before the departure date, around 19% below the average fare of $496, according to the Airlines Reporting Corporation, a travel industry research group owned by the airlines.

The report, which was based on ticket sales between January 2013 through July 2014, also found Sunday is the cheapest day to buy plane tickets. This Sunday marks nine weeks until Christmas week, so the clock is ticking.

"It's about time we stop believing in the airfare voodoo that Tuesday is the best day to get good ticket prices," said George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com. The average domestic fare paid on a Sunday is $71 cheaper than on a Monday, the most expensive day, the report showed.

Getting a deal on holiday travel is always hard, but maybe even more so this year, according to Keith Nowak from Travelocity. He said supply and demand is in full effect, giving airlines the pricing power.

Passengers are flying more this year than in the recent past, but airlines aren't adding more seats, he said. "You've got passenger loads growing faster than seats being added. It's clear given the current load factors, holiday planes are going to be full."

Related: Hottest places to travel this winter

The most recent data from the Department of Transportation showed the number of domestic fliers in July was the highest since the end of the recession. U.S. airlines carried 385 million passengers, up 2.1% from 2013.

Here are four expert tips to snag the best deals this holiday season:

Book early. Booking early doesn't always mean better prices, but you're more likely to get the flight and seat you want, especially given the expected high demand.

It's all about value, said Hobica. "You can get a good deal on an ugly, ill-fitting cashmere sweater, or you can pay a little more and get what you want. Flying out at the crack of dawn, jammed in a middle seat is the ugly sweater."

Related: How much should you really tip housekeeping? A travel tipping guide

Be flexible with dates, airports. Put in multiple nearby airports and try different arrival and departure dates when searching for flights.

"You want to open up as many fare options as possible to increase your chances of finding the best deal," said Nowak.

And it's not just about the ticket price. "Smaller airports might have significantly lower parking prices. If you're gone for a week, that can be a lot of savings," he said.

Be persistent. Travelers can hold seats for up to 24 hours without purchasing them with most airlines now, said Hobica, which can make a plane appear fuller than it is and discourage potential fliers.

"People hold seats and then release them. Keep checking the flight, you never know when something might open up."

Travel on the holiday. Flying on the actual holiday tends to bring lower prices. "If you fly late Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day or on January 1, those are always the cheapest days and times to fly," said Hobica.

Related: $134,700 one-of-a-kind trip for fashionistas

Consider Europe. If visiting grandma in the states isn't a requirement, travelers can find cheap affair to Europe right now, said Hobica.

"And if you are in the mood to splurge, business class seats are 50-60% cheaper to Europe during the holidays."

First Published: October 24, 2014: 3:01 PM ET

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How to avoid homebuyer's remorse

The most common homeowner complaint is that the house is too small.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

So it's no wonder that in a recent survey of 2,000 homebuyers, a whopping 80% said they regretted at least one thing about their home.

The number one complaint: The home just isn't big enough, mortgage information site HSH.com found. Others complained about a lack of closet space or that the place didn't have enough bathrooms. Bad neighbors were also a problem, as was a substandard school system.

A lot of those issues could have been avoided.

Related: Mansions for under $1 million

Take Kenny Kline, who thought he got a bargain on a fifth floor walk-up apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y., last year. At $720,000, the two-bedroom seemed like a good deal in Brooklyn's competitive real estate market.

But walking up and down the five flights of stairs grew tiresome quickly.

"I'm only 29 so I thought I could handle it, but trudging up those stairs multiple times a day with groceries, packages, furniture, whatever, has really taken its toll," he said. "Then, I hurt my back. That made the epic journey up and down even more insufferable."

He plans to "tough it out for at least another year," he said, not wanting to repeat the moving process -- and all of the costs involved -- so soon.

Related: 5 things to consider before tapping your home for cash

Of course, some factors, like bad neighbors, can't be anticipated. And some conditions change over time. Nearby property may be developed into a shopping mall or freeway, for instance.

For Amanda Haddaway and her husband, privacy became a big issue when they lived in their Frederick, Md., townhouse. They could look out their windows right into the units of neighbors, who could look into the Haddaway's home just as easily.

The two also needed more space. When they had moved in together, the townhouse just couldn't accommodate their combined stuff.

So they sold the home and built a big, new one on a six-acre lot in Woodsboro, Md.

"It's definitely much more peaceful where we live now; our closest neighbors are a half mile away," said Haddaway. "And we've been able to get rid of our storage unit."

Freelance writer Lauren Bowling bought a house in Atlanta in July 2013 when she was still with her fiancé. But three months later, they broke up.

"I don't hate my house but, as a single woman, it is way more space, upkeep and energy than I need right now," she said.

Related: Crowdfunding your home renovation. Should you do it?

She intends to keep it for a while since she'd like to try to recoup some of the money she spent on the purchase and renovations.

To keep you from buying a home you'll regret, Brendon DiSimone, a New York-based real estate broker and author of Next Generation Real Estate, offers up these tips.

Don't give in on your core requirements. If you know that having three bathrooms is important for your happiness but the house only has two, keep shopping.

Don't let yourself fall in love with a home that doesn't match your needs. Regret may not set in immediately but when it does, the fix, like adding a bathroom, might cost you plenty.

Don't cave in to a partner or spouse. If you believe you will be unhappy in the new house, don't let your wife of husband talk you into buying it. It will only cause resentment.

Know your give-in points. Everyone house hunts with a wish list, but there are some items that can be compromised. Tiny kitchens might be a deal breaker if you are an avid cook but maybe you can live without a den.

Calculator: Was my home a good investment?

Don't get caught up in the heat of the moment. Overpaying is one of the biggest sources of remorse, especially if buyers get involved in a bidding war. Bidding against other buyers can be exciting and entice homebuyers to throw their budgets out the window. But sometimes, it becomes more about winning than how much the house is worth to you.

"Ask yourself, 'Do I really want the house or do I want to beat somebody else out?'" he said.

Don't lose your edge. Once a shopper makes the decision to purchase a home, they sometimes overlook major issues. If the inspector finds dry rot in the joists or the appraisal comes in much lower than the sale price, stand your ground: either pull out of the deal or get the seller to lower the price to reflect the cost of the repairs.

Do your research. These days, there's a ton of information available on the web that can help you in your search for a new home. Sites like Trulia and Zillow offer all sorts of stats on the quality of school systems, walkability and access to restaurants, as well as crime, that will help you assess whether a neighborhood or area is right for you.

First Published: October 23, 2014: 7:45 PM ET

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