New York and New Mexico, in an abundance of caution have shut down movie theaters. Fans no longer have the privilege of spending $6 for a box of Milk Duds and watching blockbuster releases. Blame it on the pandemic. Of course, there have been no big movie releases recently. Even the movie theaters that are … Continue reading “Film Industry Reeling Under the Stress of COVID-19”

Contrary to what you may believe, the typical bank won’t just let you open a new checking or savings account on demand. No, just as there’s a process for getting approved for a new credit card or loan, there’s also a process that banks follow for approving or denying consumers for the aforementioned types of … Continue reading “Unable to Open a New Bank Account? Here Are Your Next Steps”

A retirement plan should include reliable income sources — Social Security, 401(k), IRA distributions, etc.—as well as lower-risk investments. The best approach is both to mix and hedge. The mix should include the reliable income sources. About 40% of that mix is your Social Security income. Plan ahead and choose the best time to begin … Continue reading “Retirement: Make it Easier by Adding These EASY Investments”

You would figure that despite the exorbitant taxes, knee-jerk policies, and stifling business regulations, billionaires would find a way to stick it out in the Golden State. Apparently, even they can’t handle it… Jeffrey Gundlach is a billionaire bond manager who lives in California. He is seriously considering leaving the Golden State, following the footsteps … Continue reading “Not Just the Working Class: Billionaires Are ALSO Ditching California”

There’s no question the only thing that’s going to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic is an effective vaccine, and the good news is that we should have data from the various vaccines in their phase three trials in as soon as a few weeks. But even when a safe, effective vaccine is approved, … Continue reading “Survey: Nearly 80% of Small Businesses Say They’re Prepared for COVID-19 Spike”

Don’t look now, but the 2020 holiday season is only a few more months from officially beginning – and with COVID-19 likely to continue at least into the late fall and early winter, it’s bound to be a holiday season unlike any other we’ve experienced. This is especially true when you couple this with the … Continue reading “Now’s the Time to Start Making Your Holiday Budget”

As election year partisanship torpedoed a new round of coronavirus economic relief, the White House is looking at a new series of actions. House Democrats want no part of any piecemeal solution. They want their $3 trillion omnibus package, or nothing. Nothing is what they got. But there is money remaining in the first round … Continue reading “Trump’s Executive Action is Giving Many Unemployed Americans a $300 Boost”

While Congress has seemingly shifted its focus from an additional stimulus package to further assist hard-hit industries, the topic has again been discussed in recent days. And while Democrats are continuing to push for additional stimulus checks and bailouts, there’s some economic experts who think that an additional measures may not even be necessary at … Continue reading “Is Another Stimulus Plan Really Necessary? Some Economists Don’t Think So”

Ask voters what is their top issue during this election year, and the unsurprising answer is all about their pocketbooks and bank accounts. In fact, voters in key swing states rank the economy as a tipping point in deciding the outcome of the next presidential election. As the economy rebounds from the coronavirus slump, the … Continue reading “The 2019 Economic Boom is STILL a Strong Case for Trump’s Re-Election”

Would you be willing to watch an advertisement or look at a pop up ad for a few seconds every so often on your mobile phone if it meant you could save $5 to $10 a month on your cell phone bill? AT&T is betting that the answer – at least from enough of its … Continue reading “Would You Watch Ads for a Cheaper Phone Bill? AT&T Thinks So”

The Bipartisan Policy Center recognizes that even “in times of economic growth, the federal government has run large and growing budget deficits, near $1 trillion per year.” That was before the COVID-19 pandemic. As lawmakers throw more deficit spending at the pandemic, “federal budget deficits are escalating to levels not seen since World War II.” … Continue reading “The U.S. Budget Deficit SOARED in August — Highest Since World War II”

It seems that all we hear when we turn on the TV, open up the newspaper or log on to a news website is bad economic news because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And to be fair, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of bad news – especially from an economic perspective as millions of … Continue reading “Some States Are Recovering Faster Than Others — Here’s Why”

Wage earners pay 6.2% of their salary in social security taxes. Employers kick in that same amount. The bad news is that the benefits that accrue from a lifetime of paying into Social Security won’t be enough to support anyone’s retirement lifestyle. Of course, Social Security was never intended to be the only source of … Continue reading “Workers Are Waiting Too Long to Start Saving for Retirement”

With an increasing number of consumers shopping online amid the COVID-19 pandemic comes an increasing number of online security threats that consumers need to be on the lookout for. In fact, experts say that there’s an entire host of online thieves working behind the scenes attempting to hack consumers’ credit cards, bank account information and … Continue reading “Identity Theft is Surging Amid the Pandemic: New Signs to Watch For”

In presidential election years, we always like to take a closer look at what certain tax plans will mean for your finances. This presidential election year is no different. While President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act into law, which represented a significant tax reduction for many middle-class to upper-class Americans, it’s … Continue reading “Joe Biden’s Tax Plan: What You Need to Know”

When we think about tax shelters, we normally consider investments or charitable contributions that lower a taxpayer’s liability. High earners in New York and elsewhere have a different outlook. They are heading at Florida’s as the best tax shelter and they are moving down I-95 at a rate of about 950 a day. What analysts … Continue reading “Exodus Continues As Low-Taxed Florida Draws More Northern Immigrants”

If you are part of that 40 percent of Americans who are not saving anything—or are not saving enough, think about these rules of thumb as a foundation of any savings plan: 50% of your income should be the maximum amount you spend on necessities—What you need 30% of your income should be dedicated to … Continue reading “Report: Most Americans STILL Need to Save More”