Posted by Richard on November 2, 2017
College is often considered the surest path to a lucrative career. After all, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a worker with a bachelor’s degree typically earns two-thirds more than someone with just a high school diploma. But not all college degrees are created equal. “Increasingly, students want to understand the career and […]
Read More →Posted by Richard on October 10, 2017
Kiplinger’s latest forecast on retail sales and consumer spending: GDP *2.1% pace in ’17, 2.4% in ’18 JOBS *Hiring pace should slow to 175K/month by end ’17 INTEREST RATES *10-year T-notes at 2.4% by end ’17 INFLATION *2.0% in ’18, up from 1.4% in ’17 BUSINESS SPENDING *Rising 3%-4% in ’17, after flat ’16 ENERGY […]
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With online megaretailer Amazon.com now firmly in control of Whole Foods, ways to save money at that grocer are growing exponentially. Amazon purchased Whole Foods for $13.7 billion and, as of August 28 its first day of ownership, slashed prices on an array of items (and promised more were to come). They include organic rotisserie […]
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Now is a good time to review your 401(k) contributions to make sure you’re getting your employer’s full match. Q. I’ve been contributing to my 401(k), and my employer matches a portion of my contributions. Does the $18,000 maximum for contributions include the employer match, or does it apply only to my individual contributions? Is […]
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The emergence of big-box chain stores and the explosion of e-commerce have combined to wreak havoc on the landscape of modern retailing. Storied names such as Sears and Kmart are struggling to survive; others, such as RadioShack and Circuit City, couldn’t. But three retailers, in particular, have not only survived but thrived for decades in […]
Read More →Posted by Richard on September 6, 2017
The labor market is steadily improving, with unemployment at its lowest level in a decade, but some fields continue to experience a downward slide. For example, about 1.7 million manufacturing jobs were lost between January 2007 and January 2017 as some positions have been displaced by advancing technologies and others have moved overseas. And while […]
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Ten years ago, thousands of Blockbuster Video stores occupied buildings like this all over the country, renting DVDs and selling popcorn. Today, all but a handful are closed. The company’s shares once traded for nearly $30. Now Blockbuster is gone, scooped up (and then erased) by the DISH Network in a bankruptcy auction. Obsolescence isn’t […]
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While Donald Trump has yet to appoint a four-legged friend to walk the halls of the White House (making him the first president since William McKinley not to have a dog), his Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, made history this March when he debuted a program allowing dogs in certain government offices. While this […]
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Costly cities are costly for a reason. Be it climate, geography, culture, economic prosperity or all of the above, the most expensive U.S. cities to live in offer amenities and opportunities for which residents are willing to pay a premium to access. It’s simply the price of admission to enjoy the advantages a desirable place […]
Read More →Posted by Richard on August 9, 2017
The U.S. job market is looking good. The unemployment rate is hovering below the 5% mark, as it has been for more than a year. But not every profession is booming. “In general, it’s a very robust labor market with a lot of widespread growth,” says Josh Wright of labor market research firm Economic Modeling […]
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