VALENTINE’S DAY IS THURSDAY AND TODAY WE ARE TALKING LOVE AND MONEY. While millions of people are making plans for Thursday, a much smaller number is thinking about the role finances play in their relationship. And while talking about money isn’t exactly romantic, it is a mistake to ignore the role it can play in […]
YOU ARE JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT CHARITABLE GIVING THIS MORNING. WHY? As we kick off the first filing season under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law in December 2017, there are questions about how it could affect charitable giving. While Americans are incredibly generous, and most people give to […]
TODAY YOU ARE HERE TO HELP US PREPARE FOR A POTENTIALLY BUMPY TAX SEASON. WHY? Even though the federal government has reopened for three weeks, the shutdown is expected to have ripple effects for taxpayers. The lack of funding for the IRS prevented large swaths of the agency from operating during a time its worker […]
Where do we currently stand on the government shutdown? As of today, the federal government has been partially shutdown for 31 days and counting – the longest stretch in history. While most of us know about the shutdown, not everyone understands how it is playing out for workers, for millions of Americans who rely on […]
Why is financial anxiety on your mind? Numerous surveys have found that Americans feel more anxious than ever before, and financial decisions and pressure are significant drivers of this. Despite a strong economy and low unemployment, more Americans cite money as the biggest source of stress in their life. According to a recent study by […]
TODAY IS THE BIGGEST ONLINE SHOPPING DAY ALL YEAR, AND YOU HAVE SOME ADVICE FOR US. Today is Cyber Monday. Americans are expected to spend $7.8 billion online, according to projections from Adobe Analytics, meaning it will be the single largest online shopping day in U.S history, eclipsing Black Friday ($5.9 billion) and Thanksgiving ($3.3 […]
What do the mid-term results mean for the economy and for everyday Americans? We are unlikely to see significant changes to economic policy, at least in the short term. As a result, while the results will certainly have ripple effects, they are unlikely to affect the core foundations of the economy. As Warren Buffett says, […]
FRIDAY SAW THE RELEASE OF THE OCTOBER JOBS REPORT. WHAT WAS IN IT? Overall, Friday’s jobs report contained really positive news. According to the Labor Department, the economy added 250,000 jobs in October. That did not change the unemployment rate, which held steady at 3.7%, tied with the lowest rate December 1969. But most importantly, […]
YOU JOIN US THIS MORNING WITH CREDIT SCORE NEWS. WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR US THIS MORNING? An interesting story broke last week that could benefit some of our listeners with below average credit. Fair Isaac Corporation, the company responsible for the widely used FICO credit score, announced it would soon be testing a new […]
WHATS GOING ON WITH THE MARKETS THESE DAYS? In the past few weeks, the markets have sent investors on a bumpy ride. Last week, the S&P 500 and the Dow both fell a little over 4 percent. This week they recovered some of the losses. These ups and downs amid otherwise good economic news can […]
We are talking about our 401k accounts. Why? There is a new study out that highlights a challenge to retirement saving for many Americans. As you know, employer sponsored 401k accounts are the backbone of many people’s retirement saving. In recent years, many employers have embraced automatic enrollment, meaning they sign employees up for 401k […]
Why do we need to pay more attention to childcare these days? According to a new study by Care.com, the cost of childcare has gone up for the fifth year in a row. In fact, a division of real estate site Zillow analyzed the study and found that at $1,385 a month, the average cost of child care in […]