QUOTE OF THE QUARTER“Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear.” – Norman Vincent Peale QUARTERLY TIP When companies offer health insurance benefits to domestic partners, they are often taxable. A cost-benefit analysis can be illuminating and...
Is it all negative, or are there opportunities to consider because of the crisis? Many economists think a Greek default is inevitable. As we enter 4Q 2011, Greece has a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 160% (and that percentage is rising). While Greece accounts for less than...
Plan to avoid these common money blunders. A recent survey found that over 60% of women feel they are better at handling money than men are.1 However, married women sometimes find themselves in perplexing financial situations – conditions that might be avoided with a little planning...
Will Congress pass it? What difference could it potentially make? On September 8, President Obama announced a new plan to improve the economy – the $447 billion American Jobs Act, a sequel of sorts to his past economic stimulus proposals. His announced goal: job creation without...
WEEKLY QUOTE“We should have a great fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are, the signs of our ideas only, and not for things themselves.” – John Locke WEEKLY TIP Have an elderly parent who is on too many mailing lists - and spending or...
WEEKLY QUOTE“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”– Franklin Delano Roosevelt WEEKLY TIP Consolidating your banking and money management accounts at one institution could mean fewer or lower banking fees, and maybe some perks as well. WEEKLY RIDDLE You have 9 seemingly identical cubes...
Will stocks manage to stabilize before summer ends? August 2011 is on pace to become the roughest and most volatile month for the stock market in almost three years. Where exactly will this correction bottom out? How long will buyers stay on the sidelines? Two crucial questions...
A look at the changes coming in 2012, 2013 & 2014. Companies sponsoring group health plans should be aware of the changes coming to the health insurance industry as part of the “second stage” of health care reform. These major and minor adjustments should be kept...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Friendship either finds or makes equals.” – Publilius Syrus WEEKLY TIP If you are divorcing and will have joint custody of your children, clarify who will claim them as dependents on a federal return. If you both claim the same dependents, it might be a red flag for the...
The government still has some options to stimulate the economy. What can Washington do now to help consumers, housing and stocks? Options remain. The Obama administration and the Federal Reserve are reportedly considering two interesting tactics: one first employed 50 years ago, and another that could...