After stock markets powered forward (NASDAQ and Russell 2000 hit new all-time highs) and contentious trade talk continued, this week, the focus turns to the Federal Reserve. For the second time this year, policy makers are expected to raise short-term interest rates by a quarter of a percent to a new range of 1.75 to 2 percent. If so, it would be the sixth quarter-point bump since the current rate tightening cycle started in December 2015.
Read MoreAt 12:01am Friday morning, the U.S. imposed previously announced tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico. When the plan was unveiled back in March, the three regions were given a reprieve. The hope was that during a cooling off period, the U.S. would be able to convince the three to restrict metal shipments, as it had been able to do with South Korea, Brazil, Australia and Argentina.
Read MoreThe school year is almost over and that means thousands of high school students are about to start new jobs. While many are building their college applications by securing unpaid internships, I have always liked the idea of earning money. My own summer jobs included: day camp counselor, receptionist, referee and clerk. Here are 7 things that I learned along the way.
Read MoreIn 2013, the Federal Reserve initiated a comprehensive survey, The Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households, which attempted to provide a snapshot of people’s financial lives. At that time, just five years after the 2008 financial crisis, many were still reeling. Some had lost homes, others were forced to tap savings and retirement assets, and many were still out of work and/or contending with fewer hours.
Read MoreHappy 5-29 day, a day when states try to boost interest and participation in 529 education savings programs with various incentives. To mark 5-29 Day 2018, it’s time for a refresher Q&A on the popular plan and an update as to what has changed after the Tax Cut and Jobs Act was enacted.
Read MoreIn the decade since the financial crisis and recession, college graduates were often faced with a grim reality: they had unlucky timing. With few exceptions, they encountered a tough job market, sometimes with piles of debt owed for a diploma that was supposed to help make the transition to adulthood easier.
Read MoreIf you feel like things are more expensive, you are right. Despite a slightly weaker than expected inflation report in April, this year, prices have accelerated faster than Fed officials anticipated just a few months ago. Last week we learned that headline inflation increased to a 14-month high of 2.5 percent from a year ago in April, due in large part to rising gas prices. Excluding food and energy the core rate increased by 2.1 percent.
Read MoreA couple of months ago, I noted that the housing market had a problem: there were too few homes for sale. Persistently low inventory means that there are a lot of frustrated would-be buyers out there, spending weekends at open houses. It also has led to home prices continuing to rise at a more than six percent clip from a year ago.
Read MoreThe 2018 Retirement Confidence Survey (“RCS” – a joint venture between the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute and research firm Greenwald & Associates) is out and about two-thirds of Americans feel confident or at least somewhat confident in their ability to retire comfortably. Yet nearly the same share say that preparing for retirement makes them feel stressed.
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