New leadership in Congress is preparing to take over in January, and the next Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee is putting big banks on notice. California’s Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, perhaps best known as the woman who called for supporters to harass Trump Administration officials at gas stations, will most likely replace current … Continue reading “Incoming House Finance Chair Vows Harsh Bank Regulations”

Wells Fargo has discovered even more homes that it accidentally foreclosed on over the last few years, now totaling over 800 homeowners that may have gone through the process of foreclosure even though they qualified for a loan modification or a repayment plan. Poor business processes and incorrect calculations appear to be to blame for … Continue reading “Wells Fargo Finds More Homes Accidentally Foreclosed On”

All-in-all, the midterms went as most expected. While the Democrats were able to win control over the House, the Republicans kept the Senate. This was reassuring for many investors, and the market was able to open higher on Wednesday. Though the Democrats may not have the House yet, the Republican influence in the Senate is … Continue reading “Investors Revisit Their Sentiments After Midterm Elections”

Though the holiday shopping season technically begins on November 1, most people will agree that it “officially” begins on the day after Thanksgiving. Yes, the “holiday” known as Black Friday always draws big crowds – and big profits for retailers. In fact, it’s estimated that as much as 70 percent of the U.S. population participates … Continue reading “Identity Theft will Be a Huge Threat This Black Friday”

The holiday season is soon to be upon us, and that means that you can prepare yourselves now for the ugly sweater parties, family gatherings and other activities that typically characterize the Christmas season. The holidays are also the season to be giving, and according to various retail forecasts, Americans are going to be giving … Continue reading “2018 Christmas Spending Set to Reach Record Highs”

U.S. midterm elections are always disruptive to the market, but currently they’re coming at an exceptionally bad time. Both political and economic uncertainty are currently contributing to the market’s volatility, and both parties — Democrat and Republican — are casting blame on each other. With Democrats now in control of the House of Representatives, investors … Continue reading “Will a Democratic House Crash the Markets?”

Some analysts have been predicting a bull market while others have been predicting bear. But what we’ve actually been seeing is a period of volatile turmoil: the market has been racing up and down with a lot of fear, confusion, and uncertainty. According to a LinkedIn co-founder, this chaos could actually be a good thing. … Continue reading “Is Chaos Good for the Economy? LinkedIn Co-Founder Says “Yes””

There’s only about two months left in 2018, and soon Americans will be filing their 2018 income taxes based on the new regulations of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Proposed last November and signed by President Donald Trump right before Christmas of 2017, the Act called for significant tax reform. And while we’ve already … Continue reading “2018 Tax Tips: Where Are You At As The Year Winds Down?”

You already know that it’s never ideal to carry a balance on your credit card, but only charging items that you know you’ll be able to pay off in full isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Things happen, and when they do, a credit card is often used as a payment crutch so that … Continue reading “A New Credit Card Debt Tactic: Repayment By Purchase”

Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) is currently priced around $61. The GPS company competes against the likes of Fitbit (NYSE: FIT). Garmin’s products have been outsold by Fitbit’s uber-popular Versa smartwatch. However, Garmin has plenty of room to grow and that much more market share to win. Let’s take a look at whether Garmin is a buy … Continue reading “Garmin Emerges as a Leader in GPS Technology”

Iqiyi (NASDAQ: IQ), commonly referred to as the “Netflix of China,” has taken investors on quite the journey this year. Trade issues between the company’s home nation of China and the United States are partially responsible for the stock’s recent tumult. However, iQiyi is a growth stock with plenty of room for upward momentum in … Continue reading “The ‘Netflix of China’ Snatches Investors’ Interests”

Though the lottery is a dream for many, it seems to be a nightmare for those who actually win. According to the Times, 70% of those who receive a windfall of money will lose it all within a few years. Some of them will end up destitute; others will even end up dead. Why? In … Continue reading “What Happens When People Win the Lottery?”

It’s been up and down for U.S. stocks in the past few days, and it has a lot of investors nervous. The stock market has crashed, eliminating significant gains, and then rallied once again on the backs of solid earnings reports. But though many investors are optimistic, Bank of America’s analysts believe the United States … Continue reading “Stocks Rally, But Bank of America Warns It May Not Be for Long”

If you read any story or watch any type of report about previous big money lottery winners, they’re likely to follow a familiar path. That path is often one about how the excitement and joy they first experienced when hitting the lottery turned to frustration, annoyance and perhaps even despair. Yes, while everyone would certainly … Continue reading “How to Keep Your Lottery Earnings Private”

If you haven’t noticed, things are going pretty well in the United States from an economic standpoint. We say that jokingly, of course, as for several months we’ve covered the record low unemployment numbers, the resurgence in U.S. manufacturing, the surging stock market and more. But, even throughout these strong economic times, there’s been one … Continue reading “How Much of a Threat is the Fed to the Economy?”

As a company, Apple is a master at two very distinct things: the first being their ability to make our jaws drop at their price tags, and the second being convincing us to buy their products anyway. With Apple’s newly unveiled iPhone XS being sold at a whopping $1,000, it doesn’t seem like the company … Continue reading “You Don’t Need to Drop $1,000 on a New iPhone”

Established in 1886, there was a time when Sears, Roebuck and Company was one of the largest corporate powers in America. Initially a mail order catalog, Sears branched into everything from children’s toys to entire homes. Sears has established brands such as Craftsman and Kenmore, and introduced such ubiquitous things as the Discover Credit Card. … Continue reading “Sears Declares Bankruptcy: What Led to the Retailer’s Self-Destruction?”