How Much Retirement Income Will You Really Need?
Many people underestimate lifestyle costs, medical expenses and inflation.
Ways to Put a Refund to Work...
Is a tax refund coming your way? If you have already received your refund for 2012 or are about to receive it, you might want to think about the destiny of that money. Here are some possibilities:
Could Gas Prices Harm the Recovery?
By March 16, retail gas prices were up 16.94% YTD. This major climb is leading some economists to wonder if the leap in gas prices is powerful enough to stall our economic momentum.
China, Its Currency & the Global Economy
Right now, there are dozens of mutual funds and ETFs devoted explicitly to investing in China’s impressive emerging market. Even with the risk of asset bubbles, the promise of China is simply too tantalizing to ignore for many. The question is whether its economy can maintain its powerful momentum in 2012. If not, the impact on global investors could be significant.
Tax Corporations Less... Tax Dividends More?
On Capitol Hill, a rough consensus is starting to emerge: a feeling that the corporate tax rate should be reduced to help U.S. firms stay globally competitive. At the same time, President Obama’s 2013 federal budget proposes a massive tax hike on corporate dividends, a change that could harshly impact the individual investor.
Underpublicized 2012 Tax Changes & Reminders
Every year, the IRS institutes big and little changes – and some don’t get as much notice as they should. This year is no exception. Here is a rundown of some of alterations and asterisks affecting taxpayers this year.
Obama's Proposed 2013 Budget & the Taxpayer
The wealthiest taxpayers could be hit hard if the tax hikes in President Obama’s 2013 federal budget proposal become law. The good news is that the tax changes outlined by the President in mid-February may be softened by eventual bipartisan compromise. As currently proposed, they would impact the wealthiest Americans on several fronts.
The Landmark Mortgage Settlement
Big news, but will it make a big difference? On February 9, the Justice Department announced it had struck a settlement approaching $26 billion with the major U.S. mortgage servicers. This is the biggest multistate settlement of any kind since the Big Tobacco payout of 1998, with five big banks (Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Ally Financial and Wells Fargo) agreeing to make amends for robo-signing and other consumer abuses. Other lenders may join them in the deal.1,2
While this is all well and good, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan conceded to the press on February 9 that...
Facebook's IPO (Initial Public Offering)
Anticipation is high. Facebook filed an S-1 form with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 1, taking its first big step toward going public. It aims to raise $5 billion through its upcoming IPO. Some of the details from the S-1 form...
Are People Really Retiring Later?
True or false? You may have heard this claim before (or something like it): “Many Americans are being forced to retire later because their savings and investments took a hit in the Great Recession.”
Recently, a big-name economist disputed that belief. In a commentary for Bloomberg, former White House budget director Peter Orszag wrote that some of the statistics don’t seem to back up this conventional wisdom, but perhaps it all depends on which statistics you cite.