For those who couldn't possibly have anything else left in life to buy, a British company is introducing the $175,000 mattress.

Savoir Beds is debuting the "Royal Bed" this week at Kensington Palace in London, reports CNBC.

And save the memory foam for the working class. This mattress would never stoop so low. Instead, the bed will contain pure Mongolian cashmere, silk and curled Latin American horse tail. Each mattress will have more than 1,600 miles of woven silk, in fact.

And what would the mattress be without your family crest embroidered on to it? The Royal School of Needlework will embroider a crest, your initials or a favorite emblem on to the fabric. 

Michael Dell probably will have to write a bigger check to take the company he founded more than two decades ago private.

According to Bloomberg News, Blackstone Group is considering whether to top the $24.4 billion offer CEO Dell and Silver Lake Partners have made for Dell (DELL) the company. Activist investor Carl Icahn has argued that their $13.65 per share offer for the Round Rock, Texas-based company significantly undervalues it. Icahn has pressed for a special dividend instead.

Dell's two largest outside investors, Southeastern Asset Management and T. Rowe Price, have also criticized the Dell and Silver Lake offer for being too low.  Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg expect a bid could reach $15 per share, which seems more reasonable. 

Economics and a hot-button political issue are intersecting in Colorado, as the state prepares to enact several new gun laws.

Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper is expected to sign the three new laws on Wednesday. The first requires a universal background check for people wanting to purchase a gun in the state. The second says gun buyers must pay for that background check. And the third puts a 15-round limit on ammunition magazines.

But the ban on larger-capacity magazines is gathering the most heat. It turns out that one of the nation's top producers of large-capacity gun magazines, Magpul Industries, is based in Colorado. The company manufactures a line of 30-round magazines for AR15, M4 and M16 rifles, and it says it has sold millions "to military, law enforcement and commercial users."

 

The beverage industry throws millions of dollars a year to nonprofit and educational organizations, particularly ones that serve blacks and Hispanics, The New York Times reports.

Is it just a coincidence, then, that Hispanic and African-American civil rights groups have opposed new laws that restrict soda consumption, such as the recently defeated regulation in New York City limiting serving sizes?

That's the question posed Tuesday by The Times and the advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and there's no clear answer.

The soda industry has donated to such organizations as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Hispana Leadership Institute and the National Hispanic Medical Association, The Times reports. 

It's often said that getting old isn't for sissies, but baby boomers and Gen Xers may find that's an understatement. 

Americans aren't saving enough to retire, with 57% of U.S. workers reporting less than $25,000 in total household savings and investments, excluding their homes, according to a new report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. 

Even worse, the study found fewer workers are actually putting money aside for retirement, with only 57% saying they're currently saving, down from 65% in 2009, the study found. 

It's not something that workers are unconcerned about, however, as 28% said they have no confidence they'll be able to retire comfortably, up from 23% just last year. 

 

The multibillion-dollar U.S. skiing and snowboarding industry often markets itself with carefree images of people enjoying powdery snow and sunny blue skies. But rarely does it deal publicly with the very unglamorous issues of accidents, injury, liability and insurance.

A new three-part series by the Denver Post has reviewed years of accident reports at Colorado ski resorts, as well as the ensuing lawsuits, and has come out with some interesting data -- information that often applies to ski areas all around the country.

Informally trained resort employees are usually the first on the scene at a skiing or snowboarding accident. That means, in the event of a death or serious injury, the victim's relatives and even law enforcement often have only the resort's version of the accident.

 

Darden Restaurants' (DRI) Red Lobster seems to be testing the adage "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Amid challenges from casual-dining chains such as Chipotle (CMG) and Panera Bread (PNRA), which offer no-tip counter service, Red Lobster is testing a new option that plays the same game. 

The chain is trying two versions of what's called fast-casual dining, which is counter service that appeals to diners by cutting out the need for tips while delivering food faster than traditional sit-down restaurants. 

Red Lobster calls the new service "Seaside Express" and is testing it in two locations near Orlando, Fla., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

 

With consumers hit by higher payroll taxes and feeling squeezed by a jump in gas prices this year, the Easter Bunny is getting shortchanged. 

Retailers can expect the average Easter celebrator to spend $145.13 on candy, decorations, clothing and food, down a tick from $145.28 last year, according to a study from the National Retail Federation. 

Even though it's a small shave for Easter spending, it's not good news for retailers already worried about consumers' tight wallets. Executives at Wal-Mart (WMT) had already expressed concern about a "total disaster" in its February sales as payroll-tax increases hit consumers earlier this year. 

With shoppers watching their spending, almost two-thirds of families said they'll hit discount stores this Easter.