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MyDailyThread.com - One online deal a day for select metro areas
LivingSocial.com - One online deal a day for select metro areas

We're always looking for better ways to gauge the economy amid uncertainty about jobs, economic growth and the dreaded double dip of a potential second recession.

The problem with most statistics is that they're after the fact looking back. But what if you could get hard data that indicates immediately how the economy is doing?

UCLA thinks they've got just that in their new Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index. The San Francisco Chronicle reports this awkwardly named index measures how many gallons of diesel fuel truckers purchase at truck stops around the country.

The index claims to be a direct indicator of how the economy is doing, which makes sense when you think about how important trucks are for the logistics of our economy.

Amazingly, the Pulse of Commerce Index has been back-tested over 10 years and researchers found an almost exact correlation between economic activity and diesel fuel purchases.

Best of all, they already have January's numbers, and the numbers show the economy grew slightly last month vs. the same time period last year.

If this index keeps indicating growth month after month, you've got to realize that job growth will still lag behind. Clark likens the scenario to a rheostat in your home, where you can slowly dial the lights up or down instead of just flipping them on and off with a switch.

When the time is right, we'll start to see employers move from hiring temps to hiring contract workers to eventually hiring full-time employees again. It's the rheostat model.

But when jobs disappear, they go out like a flick of the switch!

The Federal Reserve has issued final guidelines on the new credit card rules that go into effect Feb. 22. Here's a quick rundown of some of the highlights:

• Banks must give 45 days notice before raising the interest rate on future purchases.
• Your interest rate on existing balances can't be raised until you're in default for 60 days.
• Your monthly statements going forward will reflect how many years you'll be in debt if you only make minimum payments.
• Any annual fees must be capped at 25 percent of your card's limit.
• If you have multiple interest rates on your account, anything you pay over the minimum balance will be applied to the highest rate first. But beware, if you only pay the minimum, the money will still be applied to the lowest balance first.
• Teaser rates on new cards must be honored for one year.
• Two-cycle billing will no longer be allowed. This was a sneaky way that banks would charge massive interest if one month you paid in full and the next month you didn't.

A new Experian study finds that more than half of adults age 45 and over post enough info on their Facebook page to open themselves to identity theft.

Meanwhile, more than a third of people of any age haven't put any privacy settings in place on their Facebook accounts. For tips on how to adjust your settings for maximum privacy, see either the New York Times or ReadWriteWeb.com.

As a reminder, here's a quick rundown of information you shouldn't post on your Facebook page:

• Full home address
• Place of birth
• Phone numbers
• Educational background

And when it comes to passwords, be sure to use a strong password with both numbers and letters. PC Magazine recently compiled a list of the 10 most common passwords in the United States today. Do not use these on any of your accounts!

Finally, when you're on a trip, be sure to wait until you get home to post any updates or pictures online. Burglars will monitor their marks on social networks to figure out when nobody is going to be home.

Clark loves getting bargains. Recently, he bought his two youngest children the chance to go on a helicopter ride for a mere $39 each. Putting a helicopter in the air is enormously expensive, so $39 was a real steal!

He was alerted to the deal by Groupon.com. This free website offers members one deal per day for extra cheap in select metro areas across the country.

The service is available in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and other large cities. Many of the daily deals are half-price offers for services, restaurants and activities.

The success of Groupon has spawned competitors like MyDailyThread.com and LivingSocial.com. Each service targets certain large cities, with an eye toward rolling out into more markets. If they're not in your area yet, set up an e-mail notification so you'll know when they are.

As long as you don't spend money on things you wouldn't normally, this can be a really fun way to save!