25% of all personal income in the United States comes from government payrolls. That means a full quarter of Americans are living off of the earnings of other Americans. Even in the most productive nation on Earth, which we are, or the most robust economy on Earth, which we have — this is not sustainable. … Continue reading “25% of all US Incomes Come From Government Payrolls”

More than half of all Americans expect their retirement years to include some sort of job. According to a new survey from Voya Financial, it’s estimated that nearly 60 percent of Baby Boomers still working expect to still have some sort of income from employment in their retirement. Furthermore, the survey states that 60 percent … Continue reading “Survey: More Workers Expect to Hold a Job During Retirement”

Whether it’s a change in behavior due to financial hardship or consumers have just taken the COVID-19 pandemic – and the uncertainty that comes with it – as a chance to adjust their spending habits, a new study indicates that more Americans than ever now consider themselves “savers.” According to a survey conducted by CNBC … Continue reading “60 Percent of Americans Are Now “Savers””

Apple and Tesla’s stock split has many potential investors scratching their headlines — and understandably so. One the one hand, it looks like an easy buying opportunity. On the other, the move raises predictable uncertainty. A stock split is a decision by a board of directors to increase the number of shares in a company … Continue reading “Apple and Tesla Stock Splits Are Mixed Investment Opportunities”

Over 185 million Americans — or, roughly half of the total population of the United States — rely on employer-provided insurance for their healthcare. Unfortunately, not everyone has been able to keep their plans as businesses have been forced to downsize due to government lockdowns. We’ve talked extensively about the economic challenges that this country … Continue reading “Lost Employer-Offered Health Insurance? Here’s Where to Turn Next”

September is a critical period in the presidential election race. Voters start paying closer attention to things that matter to them. And, yes, it’s mostly about the economy. As a reflection and beacon of the economy, U.S. stocks have bounced back from their coronavirus plunge. They are breaking records as they begin rescuing wage earners’ … Continue reading “Is the S&P Betting on a Trump Victory in November?”

In line for another credit card? What about a home equity loan or some other type of personal loan? If you answered “yes” to either of these now or expect that one of these loans may apply to you at some point in the future, then you’re in luck – and it’s all thanks to … Continue reading “The Fed’s New Approach to Inflation (and How It’ll Help You)”

The Democratic Party’s nominating convention made history by being the first without anyone actually convening because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the new age of social distancing, the Democrat theme was “uniting America.” An ironic undercurrent of that theme was what Fox Business News reporter Ed Rensi describes as “a harmful policy agenda that would … Continue reading “The Democrat Tax Plan Would CANCEL Trump-Era Gains and HARM the Economy”

The U.S. Dollar Index, a measure of the value of the dollar relative to the currencies of U.S. trade partners fell from its March 2020 rating of 102 to its current value of about 93. March, of course was the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Currency traders measure the index in small-point increments and the … Continue reading “The U.S. Dollar is Holding its Own as the World’s Leading Currency”

After Congress failed to reach an agreement on a fourth coronavirus stimulus package earlier this month, President Donald Trump took it upon himself to sign several executive orders that would help Americans get by in the meantime. One of those executive measures – the Lost Wages Grant – was an order to help bolster unemployment … Continue reading “Are You Getting the Extra Weekly Unemployment? It Depends on Your State”

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has an old saying, “Nothing stops the mail.” And for the most part, it’s true – even when not all mail is good mail. On this note, many Americans have been walking out to their mailboxes this summer to a very unsettling piece of mail: A letter from the … Continue reading “Do You Owe the IRS Money? Don’t Cut the Check Just Yet…”

Buoyed by the growth strategies of the Trump Administration, the U.S. economy posted remarkable gains in July as other countries struggled to find traction. According to the Wall Street Journal, manufacturing and service indexes reached an 18-month high of 54.7. The measure, which tracks manufacturing expansion or contraction, improved from 50.3 in June. Under the … Continue reading “U.S. Economy Stands Its Ground As Others Falter”

While much of the focus during this pandemic has been on hardships that Americans have faced in the way of job loss, suspension of businesses and financial insecurity, a new study conducted by MassMutual Select indicates that nearly a quarter of Americans have become more financially well off during these times. Specifically, the survey states … Continue reading “Study: 22% of Americans are MORE Well Off in the Pandemic Era”

As US businesses go under and unemployment claims surge, why does the Stock Market behave as if nothing is wrong? The short answer is that the New York Stock Exchange is not the economy. The more complicated answer is that, well, the stock market is like a smoky mirror image of how the economy is … Continue reading “Is There a Disconnect Between the Stock Market and Our Economy?”

Two billion dollars. That’s the aggregate amount of health care rebates in 2020 that is expected to be paid back to plan holders over the coming months – and it’s about twice as much as it was one year ago. In fact, this year’s health insurance premium rebates could set a record for what gets … Continue reading “Are You Eligible for a Health Insurance Rebate?”

U.S. weekly jobless claims clocked in at 963,000 in mid-August, showing the lowest numbers of initial filings since March 14. While the number of jobless claims has been dropping since that time, CNBC reports the numbers fell well below Wall Street estimates of 1.1 million. Continuing claims total around 15.5 million, down 600,000 from that … Continue reading “Recovery: Weekly Jobless Claims Fall Below 1 Million for the First Time Since March”

There’s no question that certain industries have been hit harder than others throughout this pandemic. And while restaurants, hospitality and transportation all seem to soak up most of the attention, movie theaters are another venture that cannot be ignored. When the pandemic began to ripple throughout America, Hollywood delayed practically all of its scheduled releases. … Continue reading “All Industry Eyes Are on Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Remake”