You rely on your retirement plan find to be there to help you enjoy the benefits of working hard all your life. You’ve been smart about your investments and feel pretty secure with the possibilities of your retirement fund being there when you need it. However, dips and highs in the stock market can make … Continue reading “4 Ways to Protect Your Retirement Plan from Almost Anything”

Buy! Buy! Buy! No, sell! Sell! Sell! OK, that might not be an accurate depiction of the activity on Wall Street, but you don’t even need to be remotely familiar with the stock market to know that the Dow Jones Industrial has been in a state of flux recently. On Monday, February 5, the Dow … Continue reading “Explaining the Recent Drops in the Stock Market”

2018 got off to a vigorous jobs start in January, with private sector businesses creating a hefty 234,000 jobs; well above the 185,000 anticipated by economists. “The job market juggernaut marches on,” Mark Zandi, chief economist for ADP/Moody’s Analytics announced in a statement. “Given the strong January job gain, 2018 is on track to be … Continue reading “US Businesses Added 234,000 Private Sector Jobs in January”

Walmart, the top-ranked company on the 2017 Fortune 500 list, is in the general merchandise industry according to a Wikipedia listing of the world’s largest companies by 2016 revenues. The industries that other Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Exxon Mobil, and General Motors are in is also accurately identified by the Wikipedia listing. Now, … Continue reading “Amazon Has Very Ambitious Plans for 2018”

You or your business are probably paying less to Uncle Sam this year, which means it’s time to start looking at taxes different. With tax rates slashed at virtually every level, many businesses are using their savings to raise pay and bonuses for their employees. The employees, in turn, under the revised tax brackets, will … Continue reading “Money-Saving Tax Strategies for 2018”

Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ: SWKS) is a leader in semiconductors that allow for mobile connectivity. The company makes front-end modules, power amplifiers, direct conversion radios, chips and more. Its creations are essential to many of multimedia handsets, and has sold its chips to the likes of Samsung and Apple. The company is now moving into the … Continue reading “Investing in the Future: A Serious Look at Skyworks Solutions”

It seems as though every month there is a new announcement of retail store closings. This should come as no surprise, because a lot of the online retail giants are doing so well, perhaps the most obvious example being Amazon. Many people are looking to online shopping as an alternative to going to their local … Continue reading “More Retail Stores are Closing — Toys “R” Us is Next”

As a retiree, there are many changes to look forward to. More free time to spend pursuing hobbies and a less stressful lifestyle centered on relaxation is usually at the top of that list of changes. What you might not realize are the many ways that tax season changes once you reach retirement age. Getting … Continue reading “6 Ways Tax Season Changes for Retirees”

Shares of Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: KODK) popped this past month partially in response to the anticipation of the company’s cryptocurrency known as KODAKCoin. Kodak is joining forces with WENN Digital to create the intriguing new cryptocurrency. KODAKCoin will serve as currency on the imaging company’s platform called KODAKOne. There is plenty of excitement about … Continue reading “Kodak Joins the Crypto Game — Is it Time to Invest?”

NAFTA has been on everyone’s minds, from the beginning of the Trump presidency and especially now. But the North American Free Trade Agreement is a complex beast, and even those who have thoroughly studied it can say very little with certainty. With recent moves from Justin Trudeau to secure Canada’s independence from North American purchasing … Continue reading “What Happens if NAFTA is Repealed or Modified?”

It’s a natural part of living and nearly everyone does it. Grocery shopping — that often mundane chore that sometimes seems unending — has changed a great deal in just the past decade or so, and this has major implications for the rest of the global economy. In that space of time, Americans were able … Continue reading “6 Ways the Grocery Shopping Experience is Changing”

Ahhh, the golden years — the time that everyone looks forward to when the hectic daily grind is behind you, your mortgage is paid off and you can finally travel as you’ve always promised yourself… This should be easy, because you’ve saved diligently throughout your career, right? Unfortunately, workers of all ages may find that … Continue reading “Retire Rich: How to Jump Start Your Savings Plan at Any Age”

Quick — which country’s bolivar currency isn’t worth the paper it is printed on? The IMF has predicted that inflation in oil-rich Venezuela should reach a staggering 2349 percent in 2018; other experts predict the rate will be much higher. The Venezuelan government and its oil company have begun defaulting on debts as well. This … Continue reading “The Cash Crunch: You Can’t Get $1 Out of The Bank in Venezuela”

On December 22, 2017, a new federal tax bill widely considered the most significant tax legislation to occur in about 30 years was signed into law. And though the bill won’t have any effect on your 2017 earnings and statements, it certainly will moving forward. The good news is that for the vast majority of … Continue reading “Do You Need to Change Your W-4 Withholdings?”

Cryptocurrencies are rapidly losing value as governments the world over are cracking down on mining, purchases and exchanges. Bitcoin has lost nearly half of its value, tumbling from over $20,000 to less than $12,000. Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin and other well-known cryptocurrencies also fell as investors worry about countries creating new regulations affecting cryptocurrencies or even … Continue reading “Governments the World Over Crack Down on Cryptocurrencies”

The saying “As January goes, so goes the year,” refers to what is called “The First Five Day Barometer.” This is the idea that January stock performance tends to predict the rest of the year’s stock performance. According to the First Five Day Barometer, if equalities post high in the first five days of the … Continue reading “The Stock Market Indicates That 2018 May Be Another Record-Setting Year”

The new year isn’t very old, but it’s not too early to think about your 2017 taxes. This year’s deadline for filing — April 17, 2018 — will be here quickly. The following six tips can help you avoid the dreaded IRS audit this year. 1. Neatness Counts The refrain of your elementary teachers who … Continue reading “6 Ways to Avoid an IRS Audit This Year”