December 2010
22 posts
5 tags
A toast to a market rally?
We just enjoyed the best stock-market rally during a fourth quarter since 2003, with the market up about 10 percent. Sure, the Santa rally helped, as the market naturally rises between Christmas and New Year’s.
So, should we really propose a toast to gaining ground on the market levels we had before the collapse?
It depends on whom you ask. Some experts argue that this rally is all smoke and...
5 tags
5 tags
5 tags
4 tags
Health reforms being implemented in 2011
More health reforms are hitting the medical system next year … which is just a few days away.
These reforms may not be the bulk of the bill, but the provisions from the Affordable Care Act are worth noting. These watchdog regulations will impact your insurance costs and benefits.
Expect to see more policing of insurance costs. The reform bill creates a medical loss ratio for insurers that aims...
4 tags
Two wage garnishments may get you fired
Why would an employer want to can you for garnished wages? There are a number of reasons why your boss wouldn’t exactly be thrilled with your financial situation:
· Studies show that you may be distracted or unproductive at work due to stress from your financial troubles.
· You may be seen as a risk around cash, or any company supplies or materials that could mysteriously...
6 tags
Euro plastic crossing the pond?
Life may have just gotten easier for frequent travelers to Europe.
“Chip and PIN” might be coming to U.S. shores after all. If you’ve never seen a chip-and-PIN debit or credit card, it looks like conventional plastic, but it has a microchip embedded inside. When you buy something, instead of just signing a credit card slip, you have to enter your PIN on a keypad similar to debit card readers in...
7 tags
5 tags
4 tags
Battling banks with a boycott?
Money talks. And apparently it also walks.
At least that was the idea behind the Bankrun 2010 website. The plan was to instigate an international bank run & have all the world’s citizens remove their money from banks earlier this month.
“December the 7th, 2010. Let’s withdraw our money!” The site proclaimed.
Here’s a statement from the website:
• The overwhelming majority of holders of a...
4 tags
5 tags
8 tags
A rosy outlook for 2011
The Wall Street Journal surveyed 55 economists and found that most are optimistic about economic growth in the year ahead.
We’ll see this accelerating growth throughout the year in the form of a rise in gross domestic product by 3 percent.
Bloomberg News concurs with these booming business predictions. According to their survey of 11 strategists, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index will likely...
6 tags
5 tags
5 tags
3-year-old used car is good trade bait
Are you driving a three-year-old auto? If you are – and if you’d rather be behind the wheels of the latest model – then you may be in luck. Buying a new car could actually lower your car payment.
With interest rates at all-time lows and used-car values at record highs, the idea isn’t preposterous. It’s actually rooted in the realities of today’s economy.
New-car buyers are likely to get a...
5 tags
3 tags
4 tags
7 tags
5 tags
3 tags
