Reuters

While much of the tributes to the late Steve Jobs have focused on his innovation, we're guessing folks on Wall Street are going to miss him for a related, but different, reason.

He made investors a lot of money.

Shares in Apple rose more than 6,000 percent between the time Jobs took back the helm at Apple in September 1997 and the time he stepped down in August of 2011.

Jobs, who died earlier this week, returned to the company he had co-founded as many were questioning whether Apple could even survive. Shares in the company were trading around $5, adjusted for splits.

On Aug. 24, the day Jobs resigned, shares in Apple closed at around $376.

In the years in between, Jobs reinvigorated the company’s computer line and oversaw the invention of the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad.

Last year, Harvard Business Review named him the best-performing CEO in the world, citing the $150 billion increase in market capitalization between 1997 and 2010, when the list came out.

“It may come as no shock that Steve Jobs of Apple tops the list,” Harvard Business Review wrote.

Jobs was known for being deeply involved in the minutiae of product development, but experts said this week that they expect the company will continue to be successful without Jobs. Investors are surely hoping for that.

Related:

Thanks, Steve, for Woody, Buzz, Nemo and Carl

Chinese Apple fans say farewell to ‘Master Jobs’

What Steve Jobs taught us about failure

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

The weak economy is leaving many worried about, or wanting for, work.

If you’re like a lot of people, the recent spate of worrisome economic news got you thinking about one thing:  job security.

Unemployment emerged as the most important problem facing Americans, according to a recent Gallup poll.

Another survey, released by the employer review site Glassdoor a few days ago, found that more than half of employees think recent economic news and stock market swings will affect their career, job or job search.

We’ll get a sense of how the job market is faring on Friday, when the government releases its monthly employment report for September. The news last month wasn’t good: The economy created zero jobs in August, and the unemployment rate stood at 9.1 percent.

That may be one reason employment is top-of-mind for many people.

The Gallup poll, released in mid-September, found that 39 percent of Americans named unemployment as the biggest problem facing the country today, a 10 percentage point leap over the previous month.

By comparison, 28 percent said the economy was the biggest problem, and 12 percent named the federal budget deficit.

Frank Newport, Gallup’s editor-in-chief, said the economy and the job market have both topped the list in that poll for quite some time. But last month, as the stock market floundered and talk of a double-dip recession increased, the job market seemed to be the first thing coming to mind for many people.

“I would not go so far as to say jobs are the only issue, but for many people jobs are symbolic of the health of the economy,” he said.

Newport said its one of many signs of how people are feeling bedraggled lately by the nation’s economic and political situation.

“There’s a lot of built up anxiety and angst in the American public,” he said.

Rusty Rueff, a workplace expert with the jobs website Glassdoor, said their recent poll found that only 16 percent of people were worried about getting laid off, the lowest level in more than a year. But many workers were nervous that the recent market swings and bad economic news could affect their job in some way, such as their ability to advance of how big their paycheck is.

Rueff thinks workers may think that their job is secure because their employers are already operating on such a shoestring that they can’t cut any more. Still, the weak job market does appear to have people worried about whether they could find a good new job if they had to.

“Layoff concerns have dropped, but they are scared to death about what happens to them if, in fact, they do get laid off,” he said.

Not surprisingly, the recent market volatility had a bigger effect on people who are currently out of a job. More than 90 percent of unemployed jobseekers said they were worried that the recent events would hurt their job search, according to the poll.

The survey of nearly 2,300 people was conducted by Harris Interactive for Glassdoor.

AP

Before you think that your pithy, self-referential online review will bring down (“I said THREE CHERRIES in my Appletini — this place haz Worst. Service. Evar.”)  or completely make (“They offered this delight! It’s called sushi! I’ve never had it before! Tasty!!!) your local restaurant, a Harvard Business School student has some facts for you.

Writer Michael Luca looked at how Yelp.com reviews affect the bottom line in Seattle-area restaurants. It turns out that unverified rantings really do matter. From the abstract:

1. A one-star increase picks up revenue 5 to 9 percent.
2. Unless you’re a chain restaurant.
3. Where Yelp penetration increases, chains lose market share.

Read the entire article here. Then make your comments on it that are sure to influence other readers below.

Shout-out to Eater Seattle for bringing it to our attention.

By Kara Reinhardt
Cheapism.com

The time to think about winter tires is not as you’re skidding off the road wishing you’d bought some. It’s right about now, when the roads are sprinkled with fall leaves rather than covered in ice. With safety at stake, this is certainly not the place to skimp on quality for the sake of price. That said, tires with solid ratings from experts and consumers can be had for less than $80 apiece, or less than $320 for four — and experts do recommend that you replace all four. Trying to get away with buying just two snow tires for a two-wheel-drive car can lead to poor handling and uneven wear.

Winter tires improve a car’s traction in cold weather, with treading that grips the road in snowy and/or icy conditions. Some winter tires also come with metal studs, which provide an even better grip. However, studded tires don’t perform as well on dry pavement and are subject to state regulations that restrict or even prohibit their use, because they can damage roads. Winter tires in general are specifically designed for cold temperatures and can make for a rough ride in warmer weather. Switching back to standard all-season tires right away in the spring can extend the life of your winter tires, saving you money.

All-season tires live up to their name in moderate climates, where drivers don’t see much winter weather and have no need for dedicated snow tires. Manufacturers are required to rate these tires according to the Uniform Tire Quality Grading System, which gives consumers a sense of how the tires perform relative to others with the same brand name. A UTQG rating comprises tread wear (relative to a standard of 100), traction (AA is best), and temperature resistance (A is best).

Before shopping for any new tires, take a look at your vehicle’s tire placard, which you can typically find on the doorframe or doorjamb on the driver’s side. Match the size of the tires you buy to the size on the placard. Another measure to consider is the tires’ speed rating. Generally a higher rating translates to better handling. Most winter tires have a speed rating of Q, or 99 mph. Standard all-season tires have ratings of S (112 mph) or T (118 mph).

Below are Cheapism’s top picks for affordable winter and all-season tires.

• The Michelin X-Ice Xi2 (starting at $72) is a studless winter tire that performs particularly well on packed snow and ice, according to reviews. It outdoes other winter tires with a 40,000 mile tread-wear warranty and a speed rating of T, or 118 mph. (Where to buy)
• The General Altimax Arctic (starting at $56) is a “studdable” winter tire, so you have the option of using the studs depending on the weather and the laws in your state. Reviews praise the tire’s performance in winter weather both with and without studs. (Where to buy)
• The General Altimax RT all-season tire (starting at $51) impresses reviewers with its traction and overall value for the money. It earns a UTQG rating of 600-A-B, according to General Tire. While consumers rave about this tire’s performance on wet and dry roads, winter weather isn’t its strong point, so it’s best for warmer climates and drivers who switch to snow tires in the winter. It comes with a T speed rating and a 70,000-mile tread-wear warranty. (Where to buy)
• The Falken SN211 all-season tire (starting at $54) offers the same speed rating and an even better 80,000-mile tread-wear warranty, as well as a 720-A-B UTQG rating. Drivers admire its quiet ride and say it outperforms expensive tires from big-name brands. (Where to buy)

More from Cheapism:

Cheap Tires

Cheap Luggage

Mascara reviews

Cheap Shoes Websites

Today Money financial expert Sharon Epperson joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Sharon’s TV appearance this morning.)

Tara asked:

“Is it better to pay off student loan debt or save for retirement?”

Sharon replied:

“It's not an "either/or" situation. You should definitely save for retirement and the earlier you start the better off you'll be. You need to itemize your student loans and figure out if you can consolidate. Pay off what you need to pay to stay current. But don't neglect your own retirement savings in the process.”

Here’s the full chat archive and Sharon’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Steve DeAngelo of Harborside Health Center

In a potentially crushing blow to the burgeoning medical marijuana industry, the IRS has ruled that dispensaries cannot deduct standard business expenses such as payroll, security or rent.

Harborside Health Center, one of the nation's largest medical marijuana dispensaries and considered a model for the industry, is on the hook for $2.5 million in taxes from 2007 and 2008.  That is $2 million more than the Oakland, Calif.-based company paid for those tax years.

“I see only two outcomes here,” said Steve DeAngelo, director and chief executive of Harborside. “Either this IRS assessment has to change or we go out of business. There really isn’t a middle ground for us.”

DeAngelo says the ruling will likely be appealed. He has 90 days to respond to the ruling.

The IRS ruling is based on an obscure portion of the tax code -- section 280E -- passed into law by Congress in 1982, at the height of Reagan administration’s “war on drugs.” The law, originally targeted at drug kingpins and cartels, bans any tax deductions related to "trafficking in controlled substances."

Although 16 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws allowing medical use of marijuana, the federal government still considers it a Schedule I drug, the most restrictive category with the harshest penalties.

The Internal Revenue Service refused to comment on the specific case, but letters sent from Andrew Keyso, IRS deputy associate chief counsel, to some members of Congress spell out the official position:

“Section 280E of the Code disallows deductions incurred in the trade or business of trafficking in controlled substances that federal law or the law of any state in which the taxpayer conducts the business prohibits. For this purpose, the term “controlled substances” has the meaning provided in the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana falls within the Controlled Substances Act.”

The news has spread rapidly through the cannabis community and is likely to have a chilling effect on businesses.

“We are all a bit nervous and frustrated,” said Ken Estes, owner of Patient To Patient Group Collective in San Jose, Calif. “We have tried to comply with every city, state and federal law. We ask for input from all the agencies. But we are still being punished for operating a legitimate business.”

Harborside, which celebrated its fifth anniversary Monday, serves 94,000 patients with 84 full-time employees and brings in about $22 million in annual revenue. According to DeAngelo, the center, set up as a not-for-profit business, pays about $1.1 million in taxes to the city of Oakland, $2 million to the state of California and $500,000 to the federal government.

“We have no complaint about the taxes we pay," DeAngelo said. "We are doing our part. All we ask is that we be treated like any other business enterprise. To treat us like criminals is simply wrong. Drug kingpins and cartels don’t file taxes. We do. But no business, including ours, can survive if it is taxed on its gross revenue. The IRS is trying to tax us out of existence.”

Keith Stroup, legal counsel and founder of NORML, the nation’s largest marijuana advocacy group, says the IRS ruling is likely to  stifle the quasi-legal industry and force people back onto the black market.

“You know, Al Capone was taken down by the IRS, not by the FBI or the police. And I can assure you that Steve DeAngelo is no Al Capone,” Stroup said.

Stroup believes the move also could make it more difficult for the medical marijuana industry to capture significant capital investment. Medical marijuana is now a $1.7 billion market, according to a report released this year by See Change Strategy, an independent financial analysis firm that specializes in new and unique markets. The figure represents estimated sales of marijuana through dispensaries in states with medical marijuana laws.

Although the IRS declined comment, Stoup says NORML has received e-mails from other dispensaries that are currently being audited and will likely receive similar rulings. “Harborside is one of the biggest, so that is why the IRS targeted them first,” Stroup said. “But there are other dispensaries that will suffer the same fate unless Congress acts.”

Some members of Congress have taken up the cause.

Reps. Pete Stark, D-Calif., Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Jared Polis, D-Colo., have introduced legislation to ensure the medical marijuana industry is treated like any other business.

Two Republican presidential candidates — Ron Paul and Gary Johnson — also support the legislation.

Stark’s bill, the Small Business Tax Equity Act, authorizes medical marijuana dispensaries to take the full range of business expense deductions.

“You’d think that a time of record budget deficits that the IRS would be happy that a legal business is doing the right thing and paying its taxes," Polis said. "Instead, the IRS seems intent on destroying a successful and legal business that creates jobs and strengthens our economy."

The confused legal situation is “an un-American  loop of nonsense,” says Jerome Handley, a tax attorney in Oakland who has more than 100 clients in the medical marijuana industry. “My advice to my clients is simple: Document everything … and stay out of the spotlight.”

William Panzer, an Oakland  tax attorney who helped author California’s medical marijuana law, Proposition 215, also successfully fought the IRS in a similar case in 2007.

In that case, U.S. Tax Court Judge David Laro declared that Californians Helping to Alleviate Medical Problems (CHAMP), a medical marijuana provider, could deduct the majority of employee costs as caregiving expenses. The IRS sought $426,000 in back taxes and penalties, but CHAMP ended up paying a tax assessment of less than $5,000.

“This law is not about protecting citizens from criminals. It is a concerted effort by the federal government to crack down on a legitimate business,” Panzer said.

DeAngelo points out the apparent craziness of the law. “The IRS allows me to deduct my cost of purchasing cannabis, which is the controlled substance they say is illegal. But I can’t deduct my payroll or my rent? That, clearly, defies logic and common sense.

"Besides," DeAngelo added, "have you ever heard of a drug trafficker that actually files a tax return? Me neither."

The majority of wealthy Americans agree with raising taxes on very rich people like Warren Buffett, but they're less enthusiastic about raising taxes on other six-figure earners.

A little less than a quarter of wealthy Americans support raising taxes on households that earn $250,000 or more per year, according to a new survey from Harrison Group and American Express Publishing Corp.

But nearly half said the income tax rate should be raised for people who make more than $500,000 a year.

In addition, about 65 percent were in favor of the “Buffett Rule,” which calls for income tax increases on those who make more than $1 million a year.

The two companies surveyed about 800 people in September who have discretionary income of $100,000 to more than $1 million per year.

About four in 10 of those surveyed believed tax increases would improve the overall economy.

The general population is much more supportive of raising taxes on all wealthier Americans. A Gallup poll released last month found that two-thirds of Americans favored raising income taxes for individuals making more than $200,000 a year and families earning more than $250,000 annually.

President Barack Obama has called for increasing taxes on the nation’s wealthiest people as one way to deal with the nation’s bulging budget deficit.

Related:

Most Americans say go ahead, tax the rich more

Buffett touches a nerve with plea for more taxes

Peter Dasilva / EPA

A protestor gets arrested by riot police in downtown Oakland, Calif., in 2009.

The police officers in one of California’s toughest cities are being asked to fight crime with a little less of a potty mouth.

The Bay Citizen reports that several police officers in Oakland, Calif., have been reprimanded for swearing on the job.

The crackdown is apparently part of Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts’ efforts to focus more on community policing in a city that has been plagued by homicides, poverty and gang problems.

But some police officers are crying foul.

“I’m sorry. I’m not dealing with librarians. I’m not dealing with P.T.A. moms,” Sgt. Dom Arotzarena, the president of the Oakland Police Officer’s Association, told The Bay Citizen. “I’m dealing with criminals, guys who are in San Quentin, guys who are in prison. The last thing I want people to think is that I’m some softie.”

Of course, even those of us who aren’t arresting gang members for a living have been known to drop an F bomb or two.

Former Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz is at least as well-known for being fired by phone as she is for her salty language.  Some observers noted that her swearing may have gotten more attention because she’s a woman.

Other workplaces also have attempted to crack down on swearing. The investment firm Goldman Sachs reported instructed employees not to swear in e-mails after the company’s curse-laden e-mails were referred to repeatedly in Congressional hearings following the financial crisis.

Even this writer has admitted to occasionally being driven to curse.

By Zillow

Zillow

This San Francisco home sits above tunneled water caverns.

881 Innes Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124
For Sale: $975,000

It's not every day that you find a home for sale with underwater stone caverns, but this isn't just any home. This unique property on the San Francisco real estate market is the Albion Castle, and even listing agent Debbie Herzfeld, who has been in real estate for nearly 30 years, says she even hasn't seen anything like it.

"It's an interesting property to sell," Herzfeld said.

According to San Francisco City Guide, London brewer John Burnell immigrated to San Francisco in 1868 and purchased waterfront property in a section of San Francisco now known as Hunter's Point. The parcel featured underwater springs, and he set about starting Albion Porter & Ale Brewery.

Burnell dug out low, arched tunnels to serve as reservoirs and built a three-story, Norman castle-style stone tower in which to store the casked beer in a cool, dry space. Although popular, the brewery was short-lived. Upon the onset of Prohibition in 1920, the brewery was shut down and the property was abandoned. The home's three caverns are still accessible, explained listing agent Herzfeld.

"You just go down through a gate."

In 1928 the property found new life. Leonard Mees, president of the Mountain Springs Water Company, purchased the water rights to the springs and reportedly supplied San Francisco with spring water until 1947. Whether the water is still good to drink is unknown; no testing has been done.

While Mees was tapping into the spring water, the property was falling into disrepair until 1933 when sculptor Adrien Alexander Voisin purchased the property and built a home and adjacent studio amidst the ruins.

The unusual mix of medieval-style stone work and 1930s home is now for sale for $975,000. The Hunter's Point home has bounced on and off the San Francisco real estate market in recent years, first listed in 2009 for $2.95 million with a few price changes before the listing was removed in 2011 and re-listed at $1.1 million, and then $975,000, respectively.

The home last sold at an auction for $2.1 million in 2005. Median San Francisco home values are $679,000. According to a mortgage calculator, at the current price, this home will have a $3,619 monthly payment with a 30-year-fixed rate mortgage and 20 percent down.

Currently the home is a receivership sale, meaning that the court has assigned the sale to a receiver to liquidate the assets for the owners. An offer has been accepted, but Herzfeld says that she's continuing to show the property for possible overbids.

Although the home would work as a great single family home with 1,436 square feet of living space and an updated kitchen with new Viking appliances, many of the people who have been interested in the property are brewers, restaurateurs or people who are looking for a place for special events.

Zillow

The home was built in the 1930s on the site of a former brewery.

Zillow

The underground caverns still hold spring water.

Zillow

The home's unusual vibe continues with a literal throne in the bathroom.

See more photos of the Albion Castle on Zillow.

Zillow's site is filled with information on homes for sale and apartments for rent, plus we have data on more than 100 million homes in the U.S., so lots of homes catch our eye.

Single women over the age of 60 are facing retirement, increasingly uncertain about their financial future. Some even say they can no longer afford to retire. NBC's Chris Jansing has more.

A contest offering $10 to guess which of your colleagues will be fired next is a good reason to quit your job, according to a judge in Iowa.

Administrative Law Judge Susan D. Ackerman ruled that Misty Shelsky, who worked at the QC Mart convenience store chain for two years, was eligible for unemployment insurance after quitting her job because her employer held a contest offering $10 to the employee who correctly guessed which colleague would next be fired.

Shelsky quit after receiving a memo that announced: “NEW CONTEST – GUESS THE NEXT CASHIER WHO WILL BE FIRED!!!," according to case records.

In the ruling, the judge called the employers’ actions “egregious and deplorable.”

“The employer’s actions have clearly created a hostile work environment by suggesting its employees turn on each other for a minimal monetary prize. The claimant has established this was an intolerable and detrimental work environment,” Ackerman wrote.

The employer has another chance to appeal the decision, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Workforce Development office said.

William Ernst, who owns the chain, did not immediately respond to two messages from Life Inc. seeking comment.

The Des Moines Register, which first reported the story, said Shelsky was one of several employees who quit after the memo came out.

“It was very degrading,” she told the Des Moines Register. “We looked at that, then looked at each other, and said, ‘OK, we’re done.’”

Pew Research Center

The Great Recession appears to have brought families closer together, literally: The share of Americans who are living in multigenerational households has spiked as the economy has tanked.

About 51.4 million people were living in some kind of multigenerational household in 2009, according to the Pew Research Center’s analysis of the Census data released last month. That’s a more than 10 percent increase from just two years earlier, when about 46.5 million people were living with another generation of their family, according to Pew.

The percentage of Americans who are living with multiple generations has been on the rise for a few decades, reversing a trend toward living apart that had begun in the 1940s. About 16.7 percent of Americans lived with someone from another generation in 2009, up from 15.1 percent in 2000.

Pew found that more than half of the multigenerational householdsinclude two adult generations, such as an adult child and his or her parents. The second largest group includes multiple generations, such as Grandma, Mom and Dad and their child. There’s also a small group of households with a skipped generation, such as grandparents living with their grandchildren.

There are clear financial advantages to living with your family. The Pew analysis found that the poverty rate for families in multigenerational householdswas lower than people in other types of households.

Sharing a household with Mom, Dad or your adult child is an even bigger help if you are out of a job. The overall poverty rate for unemployed people was 30.3 percent, according to Pew. But for people living with another generation, it was just 17.5 percent.

The spike in multigenerational households also reflects how tough the weak economy has been on younger adults. The analysis found that more than 20 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds were living in some type of multigenerational household.

 Related:

It’s crowded at Mom and Dad’s

The high cost of single parenthood

At the brink of historic financial losses, the United States Postal Service launches a new TV advertising campaign designed encourage the use of snail mail. Msnbc's Alex Witt talks with reporter Ed O'Keefe.