Society has come a long way in a relatively short period of time thanks to a slew of technological advances and developments designed to change the way we do things – and for the better. But, progress isn’t without its setbacks, and many of these setbacks rear their head when it comes to money. Unheard … Continue reading “Today’s Top Money Problems (And How to Fix Them)”

Don’t have the money in your checking account or the cash on hand to pay for some sort of bigger purchase? Chances are you’ve just come to pulling out your credit card to proceed with the transaction. After all, it’s the convenient, easy option, and with outstanding credit card debt having recently surpassed the $1 … Continue reading “4 Things You Should Never Use a Credit Card to Purchase”

Netflix opened April at $280.29, but managed to hit a record high of $336.06 by the 17th of the same month. What’s going on with this foundational tech stock? And should buyers wait for it to fall or start buying in now? Though Netflix was initially hit hard by the damage that also took down … Continue reading “Netflix Shares See Boost Following Subscription Reports”

Social media companies have been in the news regularly in recent weeks. Sometimes, the news has fueled interest in social media, particularly when President Donald Trump uses Twitter to make policy announcements or comment on political opponents. On other occasions, the news has been bad such as when Facebook was accused of violating its customers’ … Continue reading “Investment Opportunities In The Social Media Industry”

It’s the stuff of an executive’s nightmares. On April 14th, a Starbucks manager called the police on two black customers who were there waiting to discuss a business proposal with a third party. Video catches these customers being taken out and arrested by police, all while other customers ask why this is happening. As a … Continue reading “Starbucks Undergoes “Racial Bias” Training at 8,000 Stores”

QuinStreet’s (NASDAQ: QNST)stock jumped this past week after the company announced preliminary quarterly results. The web performance marketing company’s excellent revenue growth put its top line above the typical analyst expectation. QuinStreet is a leading provider of web performance marketing solutions. The company’s technologies and products provide customers and businesses with the data they need … Continue reading “QuinStreet — is the Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?”

Shares of ShotSpotter (NASDAQ: SSTI) have soared this spring, and for good reason. ShotSpotter is a gunshot detection business headquartered in Newark, California. The company provides gunshot detection products through a SaaS-based subscription model to clients around the globe. At the moment, ShotSpotter has clients located in the United States and South Africa. Company executives … Continue reading “Is Shotspotter Worth Investing In?”

Many investors find themselves choosing between their retirement account and their own personal investment portfolio. Why not have both? Investors are used to thinking of their retirement accounts as being controlled by their brokerage, but they don’t have to be. A self-directed IRA is the perfect tool for knowledgeable investors who want to take control … Continue reading “The Benefits of Investing in a Self-Directed IRA”

Amazon’s stock has been undergoing a lot of changes recently in the wake of both Facebook’s privacy concerns and a highly visible attack by the current president. With as much going on as there is, Amazon may be a good buy for those looking to get in at lower prices. However, Amazon could also have … Continue reading “How Politics is Going to Change Amazon’s Stock Prices”

Here’s a neat little fact that you may not have known before: Homeowners, as a whole, are currently sitting on more than $5.4 trillion in home equity. That’s right, $5.4 trillion. Trillion. As a refresher, home equity is the total amount of money a homeowner can borrow against their home, while still meeting a 20 … Continue reading “Today’s Homeowners Have Record Amounts of Equity”

Tuesday, April 17th is the tax deadline for individuals filing in 2018. Taxes are rarely a pleasant experience for those who have more than just a W2 income, but they’re sadly inescapable. If you’re eyeing some hefty tax bills on the horizon, you may want to consider the following tax tips: 1: Throw some money … Continue reading “Last Minute Tax-Time Tips for Investors and Entrepreneurs”

It seems like we’re hearing about another major retailer or entity being hacked every other week or so these days. The latest is Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue, which estimate that as many as 5 million people may have had their credit card information compromised in a North American data breach. Five million … Continue reading “Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Hacked — What Should You Do?”

China and the United States have been going back-and-forth in an unofficial trade war for years, but this just escalated greatly. China’s latest move has been to create new trade restrictions on 106 American products, totaling approximately $50 billion. But, the hostility has been brewing for some time — and it was not unprovoked. In … Continue reading “China’s Trade War: What Targeting These 106 American Products Will Mean”

Do you think that as an entrepreneur or as the owner of a small business you are paying the right amount of taxes? If you think the answer is “yes,” you might want to consider consulting a wide range of sources, because there might be several tax-savings decisions you can make before and after April … Continue reading “What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know About Taxes”

It seems like all investing attention these days surrounds tech stock, but there’s another market that is sitting in the wings, quietly gaining value: gold. Yes, gold. Specifically, gold value is up more than 6 percent since the start of 2018 — and it’s being helped by declines so far this year in equity mutual … Continue reading “Gold is Making a Surprising Comeback”

When it comes to getting a new car, buying either new or used, or leasing, is the way that the vast majority of Americans go. Both routes have their share of pros and cons. Buying a vehicle allows you to work toward something that you’ll eventually call “yours” after you pay off the loan. However, … Continue reading “Auto Sales Decline — Could Subscription-Based Services Be The Future?”

Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and even Google — stocks have been plummeting, leading many to wonder whether it’s time to buy or sell. The dust still hasn’t settled yet regarding current privacy concerns, and there’s more at risk than it may at first appear. That being said, those who want to take a gamble should start … Continue reading “Is the Big Tech Stock Crash Over…or Has It Just Begun?”