Money Today That Matters Tomorrow
The Federal Reserve announced a new round of quantitative easing, known as QE3, to boost economic growth and promote employment. The stock markets and investors reacted very favorably, building on an already strong run over the last two months. The new round of quantitative easing will be executed by the …
With a host of tax changes set to come into effect next year thanks to the expiring Bush-Obama tax cuts and new “Obama-care” health care related taxes, it can be hard to keep up with all that’s happening. But these Medicare and employer health care related tax changes in particular, …
Ever wondered where all our federal tax dollars go? I did and a recent report from the center on budget priorities and policies (CBPP) provided a very nice graphic on how federal tax dollars are distributed. With all the political rhetoric that abounds around the national debt, excessive federal spending …
With ongoing volatility across global markets and an uncertain future in terms of taxes, regulations and government safety nets such as social security; diversification is key in managing the risk associated with your retirement savings. That’s why these four risk diversification strategies across products and services make a lot of …
In a presidential campaign, you hear lots of rhetoric on the how bad the economy is (Republican viewpoint) or how things are much better than in 2008, when we were at the depths of the recession and had a different president (Democrat viewpoint). On a monthly basis, media outlets publish …
An interesting study by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provided some very telling graphics around income distribution changes relative to which groups paid the most in taxes. Amazing how politicians can both take the same data and spin it in different ways. The first graphic shows the cumulative growth in …
Today, with the crappy economy and tough job market many employees are stuck in a job that they detest but need to keep to pay their bills. This makes them unmotivated to do more than the bare minimum and sometimes even display unethical behaviors. Here are 21 signs, in no …
While America has the most number of millionaires in absolute terms, it does not have the most per capita. Reflecting the shift in global wealth distribution, most of the countries where the per-capita number of millionaires exceeds that of the US are in Asia and the Middle East. 62.5 million …
[Update – Fed Undertakes QE3] The Federal Reserve has confirmed market expectations of a new round of quantitative easing, known as QE3. The new round of easing will be done by expanding its holdings of long-term securities with open-ended purchases of $40 billion of mortgage debt a month. The focus, …
A set of three couples sit around an oval table, discussing the future of their newborns. A father asks, “Has anyone actually started saving for college yet?” One parent cries, “Ugh not me.” Another parent tries to explain, “No, no you got time.” But then the “smart” couple confesses and …
[Updated] Will i still have to pay health insurance penalties (under the Obamacare individual mandate)? This is the question a lot of Americans are asking. The short answer is NO from 2019. Here is why the individual mandate, a.k.a Obamacare penalty, is no longer in effect from 2019: While Congressional Republicans …
I’ve written a fair bit on tax-advantaged individual retirement plans, but still keep getting lots of questions on this topic. This is likely due to two main factors. One, thanks to the complexities of our tax code, it is not always easy to find current and applicable IRA information. Secondly, …
Just like any other business minded person, financial (investment) advisors and planners are in it for the money – they have to make a living, and they’re doing it on your dime. Don’t ever doubt that they are terrific salespeople as well as financial advisors. So, taking their word as …
A lot of people say “richer” Americans are an eccentric lot. But the fact is that, your co-worker or neighbor down the road is probably more likely to better fit the “well-to-do” or upper class profile than someone like Donald Trump. Based on information from the Census and IRS data, …