When owning a home or a business, there are many monthly costs that have to be paid and vary each month, such as electricity, heat and water. This has deterred many people from entering the housing market or heading into entrepreneurship. A new report may discourage even more … [Read more...]
Statistics Canada report finds Canadians are richer than ever before
The overall Canadian economy has been in a quandary: it missed out on the significant impacts of the Great Recession, but household debt levels and its housing market have become major concerns for public officials at all three levels of government. According to a new report from … [Read more...]
One-quarter of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals may have involved insider trading
The mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market is a vast one. It consists of lucrative contracts, enormous fees charged by all the parties involved and it can either help or hurt the value of a stock. For the average person, they’re indifferent to these business deals, but they’re … [Read more...]
LOL: Rogue Greenpeace employee loses $5.2 million on foreign exchange bet
Greenpeace International, a global environmental awareness organization, apologized to its contributors in an issued statement after it had lost more than $5 million in foreign currency exchange contracts. The group confirmed that it had acquired foreign currency at a fixed … [Read more...]
U.S. consumer prices rise due to food and transportation costs
Despite the various statements made by economists and Federal Reserve officials who say there is no inflation, the Department of Labor confirmed that United States consumer prices increased last month by the largest amount in more than a year. The biggest inflation jump occurred … [Read more...]
Ban on plastic microbeads from facial scrubs may hurt business but improve environment
This week, the state of Illinois became the first jurisdiction in the world to ban plastic microbeads from personal care products (PDF). Moving forward, companies are prohibited from selling body scrubs and facial exfoliators that consist of the plastic spheres. Environmentalists are … [Read more...]
Charitable donations hits new record of $335.17 billion in 2013
As the United States economy slightly improves and disposable income of millions of households rises, more individuals and families are giving money away to charitable organizations and non-profit entities. New numbers show that charitable giving is increasing again. An annual … [Read more...]
Peter Schiff suggests investors should avoid U.S. financial markets
The United States economy is in a quagmire at this point and time. The stock market is up, the consumer is consuming again and some statistics suggest things are getting better. However, there are other data points that highlight how the labor market is in a crisis, the overall cost … [Read more...]
Report finds regulation compliance costs businesses $1.86 trillion
Over the past several years, think-tanks and market-related organizations have released reports that have given the United States low grades when it comes to red tape, bureaucracy and the cost of complying with regulations. Following each session of Congress, Republicans and Democrats … [Read more...]
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul working on a corporate tax holiday proposal
Last month, it was reported that 300 American Fortune 500 corporations, such as Apple, Google and Microsoft, are holding approximately $2 trillion offshore and are avoiding paying more than half a billion dollars in United States taxes. Officials say if that money was brought home … [Read more...]
Traffic may worsen amid economic growth: report
The morning and afternoon commutes are a hellacious experience to the average driver: gas, brake, honk and frustration are the common themes between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. If you thought the commuting experience would improve then you might be in for some … [Read more...]
Research shows U.S. pensions will be ‘cash negative’ by 2016
For decades, the United States was the beacon for retirement pension plans, whether they were at the public or private level. Workers and retirees would be content that the money they invested in the system would be there for their retirement years and each person would receive a … [Read more...]
Steve Forbes says U.S. will return to a gold standard
The United States hasn't been affiliated with a gold standard since the administration of President Richard Nixon in 1971. Known as the Nixon Shock, in which the president imposed a series of damaging economic policies, like price and wage controls, the resigning Commander in Chief … [Read more...]
Consumer credit up $26.85 billion totaling $3.18 trillion
For years, consumer debt has been a major burden for households across the United States. With the average credit card debt more than $15,000, one consumer would think that they should stay away from credit. According to the latest data, it has been quite the opposite for the credit … [Read more...]
Grandparents paying for their grandkids’ college amid retirement fiasco
Despite older Americans having a difficult time coming up with and maintaining funds for their retirement years, grandparents seem to have no problem doling out large sums of money for their grandkids’ expensive post-secondary tuition rates. A new study finds seniors are paying for … [Read more...]
Analysts say housing price gains will slow down over next two years
Despite the United States housing market making some gains since the real estate crash a few years ago, there are still some troubling signs that could prove another downturn is expected: mortgage rates are on the uptake, the number of mortgage applications has fallen and the overall … [Read more...]
Majority say the American Dream is unattainable amid homeownership declines
Decades ago, it was believed that if you owned a home, a car and had a steady job then you had attained the American Dream. Nowadays, most people think that this is unachievable in an economy that is leaving people without jobs and homes. According to a new CNNMoney poll, 59 … [Read more...]
New data suggest U.S economy isn’t performing up to par
The latest economic data may concern Federal Reserve economists and administration officials regarding a potential recovery in the United States. It suggests that sectors of the U.S. economy aren't necessarily performing as well as expected and they may pose a hindrance to economic … [Read more...]
Seattle council passes $15 minimum wage, to become highest in the nation
The Seattle city council overwhelmingly voted in favor of passing an ordinance that would raise the minimum wage to $15 over a period of several years. The measure would commence Apr. 1, 2015 and the phasing in would be different for four different groups. The issue has dominated … [Read more...]
WalletHub: 90% want higher taxes on investment income
Over the past several years, there has been a lot of discussion of imposing higher taxes on investment income. Proponents of this move say the funds can be utilized to pay down the budget deficit, fund infrastructure projects and put towards education and healthcare. Opponents, … [Read more...]
