Peshkova | Istock | Getty Images Fixed-income investing is entering an exciting new era, and investors should take notice. Decades of low interest rates, engineered by global central banks, have suppressed the bond market’s ability to generate attractive and reliable returns. But in recent quarters, we have witnessed a dramatic shift higher in interest rates,
Month: November 2023
The Federal Reserve left its target federal funds rate unchanged for the second consecutive time Wednesday. Even so, consumers likely will get no relief from current sky-high borrowing costs. Altogether, Fed officials have raised rates 11 times in a year and a half, pushing the key interest rate to a target range of 5.25% to 5.5%, the
A recent report from Bank of America BAC found that a growing number of Americans are resorting to hardship withdrawals from their 401(k) accounts, signaling financial distress is on the rise. Hardship withdrawals refer to funds withdrawn from an individual’s 401(k) account due to immediate and heavy financial need. Federal law states these withdrawals are
There is nothing inherently wrong with forming and utilizing a charitable remainder annuity trust (“CRAT”) for tax-planning purposes; people do it all the time. Issues arise, though, when taxpayers claim positions generating benefits that arguably exceed those contemplated by Congress and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). When this occurs, enforcement actions begin, and participating taxpayers
Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the hottest spots in the United States. From 1990 to 2000, its population grew by 36.6%: From 395,934 people to 540,828. From 2000 to 2010, it surged by another 35.2%: From 540,828 to 731,424 people. And though less but still impressive, from 2010 to 2020, Charlotte’s population grew by
A house is for sale in Arlington, Virginia, July 13, 2023. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images As mortgage rates hover near the highest level in more than two decades, homebuyers are turning to riskier mortgage products to help them get into a home. Last week, the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate
In this article YUM Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Sign for the food brand Pizza Hut on 30th May 2022 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images) Mike Kemp | In Pictures | Getty Images Yum Brands on Wednesday reported quarterly revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations, hurt
Stanley Druckenmiller, Duquesne Family Office, at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha, Sept. 28, 2022. Scott Mlyn | CNBC Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller said the federal government has been spending recklessly and failed to issue debt at low rates in past years, mistakes that will ultimately lead to some tough choices in the future. “We are spending like drunken sailors,”
Aston Martin DBS Superleggera (c) Paul A. Eisenstein | TheDetroitBureau Shares of Aston Martin were down by 11% at 10:01 a.m. London time Wednesday morning, slightly paring losses incurred after the British luxury carmaker cut its volume target due to production problems for its new DB12 model and posted a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss. Company shares
We are only two weeks into the Open Enrollment Period, and I have encountered four clients who are very dissatisfied. They complain that the copayment for a new drug is “insane” or “ridiculous.” In other words, they are paying way too much. These clients have two things in common. One, they are all unhappy and,
Many people are baffled about the status of conservation easement donations, which is logical given all that has happened recently. Among other things, courts ruled that the IRS violated the law when calling certain things as “listed transactions,” the IRS tried to salvage the situation by issuing Proposed Regulations, and Congress drastically changed the rules
We’ve been on a tour d’horizon lately with our studies, analyzing various American states and identifying the richest cities there. Recently, we have covered several states of the Midwest, including the richest cities in Ohio, Missouri, and Michigan. Now, we turn our eye on that classic state that Abraham Lincoln eventually called his home state:
In this article SAVE JBLU Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT The JetBlue drop-off area at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Oct. 31, 2023. Leslie Josephs/CNBC JetBlue Airways stock tumbled to a nearly 12-year low Tuesday as the company forecast a loss for the fourth quarter and heads to court to defend its acquisition of
In this article AMD Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su speaks at the AMD Keynote address during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 4, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty Images AMD reported third-quarter earnings on Tuesday that beat analyst expectations, though the
Daniel Gonzalez | Moment | Getty Images Working longer is among the best ways to ensure you don’t outlive your retirement savings. The problem is, you can’t count on it as a strategy. When it comes to retirement age, there’s a big gap in expectations versus reality. Americans generally retire earlier than planned — often
Fanatic Studio | Collection Mix: Subjects | Getty Images As Jasper Chan ambled down the grounds of Thailand’s Wat Arun temple in the capital of Bangkok, his attention was hardly on the famed ornate mosaics adorning the temple’s structures. Instead, just as he was about to step through the doorway to tranquility, the 30-year-old legal
High inflation and higher interest rates continue to weigh on American households. As of September, 62% of adults said they are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new LendingClub report. The figure is unchanged from last year. “Living paycheck to paycheck remains the main financial lifestyle among U.S. consumers,” the report said. More from
For a long time, we were entitled to only an annual credit report from the three reporting agencies: Equifax EFX , Experian and TransUnion. Now you can get a report weekly and for free. When you get a parent’s credit report, you can find a lot of information. Your aging parents may be spending more
In the second of a two-episode series, Tim Jacobs of Hunton Andrews Kurth continues his discussion of the energy credits enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act and the proposed regulations. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. David D. Stewart: Welcome to the podcast. I’m David Stewart, editor in chief of Tax Notes
Your scariest visitors tonight might be Samara from the Ring, Ghostface from Scream or The Black Phone’s Grabber, but the weeks and months ahead could bring far scarier prospects to your door – from a “surprise hurricane” to a wildfire, earthquake or other disaster – with potentially life-changing impacts to your home and life. I