The Internet is buzzing with retirement planning news lately. So much has written about target-date retirement funds in the US and they are approaching one trillion dollar mark. The target-date funds are specific in that they are intended to cater to a group of people who will be retiring at a certain age and date. […]
Economy
Netflix flexing its muscles
Netflix is making headlines again. It will raise its monthly fee for service by $1 a month for new customers in the near future. News of a price hike will create a glut of new customers to beat the clock. Netflix was experiencing seven percent customer growth for each quarter prior to the announcement. It […]
US compete with Europe for share of luxury goods market in China
Made in the USA products are making a headway ahead of European brands in China. It is more visible in luxury accessories market where style, price and pride go head to head. Famous traditional European brands including Gucci and Louis Vuitton are competing with such US luxury brands including Michael Kors, Coach, Tory Burch and […]
Target data breach calls for new secure encrypted cards sooner
Who can forget the news that came from Target in December 2013 telling us millions of customer credit and debit card data have been stolen from its data bases. Later it was revealed that hackers stolen information on more than 70 million customers. Data stolen also includes names and addresses and phone numbers. Target is […]
So, the debate on minimum wage continues in the US
President Obama wants to increase the Federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2016. Several Nobel Prize winning economists and several other prominent economists have urged the Congress to increase the Federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. The median fulltime wage in the US stands at $19.55. Any increase in Federal minimum wage […]
It is getting bit harder to get a new mortgage
On January 10, 2014, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau introduced new rules concerning mortgages. New regulations were a direct result of the adoption of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection Act imposed by the Congress. It calls for lenders to make reasonable and good –faith efforts to determine borrower’s ability to repay the […]
The minimum wage battle continues in the U.S.
The President Obama sponsored a bill recently calling the Congress to adopt a $10.00 an hour Federal minimum wage by 2015 which is more than what he proposed during his 2013 State of the Union address. Republican controlled House and critics of raising minimum wage were quick to reject the idea but the President is […]
Will Janet Yellen continue current Fed policies?
The U.S. Senate is expected to take up the nomination of Janet Yellen as the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve in early January 2014 after the Senate Banking Committee earlier this month decided to recommend approval of her nomination. If confirmed by the Senate she will be the first women to hold the coveted […]
Some basic information about Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
The Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) have $1.18 trillion assets invested across 1,476 funds. This amount of funds equals to one-third of all money invested in the U.S. equities. This is a remarkable achievement for the ETF industry which started in 1993 with a single fund. During 2000 to 2010, funds invested in ETFs grew more […]
Big setback for launching of the new Affordable Care Act
It appears that President Obama’s single most domestic achievement, the health-care law, running into turbulent time. Many who live in states that opted to sign onto exchanges run by the Federal government’s healthcare.gov exchange are having difficulties logging on to the Web site to select a plan and register. Many try to connect the Web […]