The string of higher than expected inflation figures in the United States has rattled the markets, and investors have been constantly adjusting their expectations of interest rates. The problem with all these frantic revisions is that they give monetary policy an incisiveness that it doesn't really have- especially at this stage of the battle against…
Annuities are an essential component of the American retirement system, starting with Social Security. In one recent study, the American College of Financial Services gave older Americans a score of 12% out of a possible 100% for their knowledge of annuities, based on their performance on a short quiz. In another recent survey, researchers from the TIAA…
Recently, the company's global CEO, Larry Fink, warned of an impending "retirement crisis" in his annual letter to the firm's shareholders. In an interview with DF, BlackRock's director of investment strategy for Latin America, Axel Christensen, analyzed the effect of this situation on economic growth, inflation and public spending. For Christensen, this is not a…
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, one of President Biden's signature achievements, prescription drugs are set to become substantially more affordable for seniors. For the initial round of negotiations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chose 10 drugs that treat common health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and…
Chris Pettit— 57, a longtime San Antonio probate, estate planning and personal injury lawyer— received a 50- year prison sentence in March after pleading guilty to three counts of wire fraud and money laundering related to the theft of as much as $65 million from his clients. Months before his arrest, Chris Pettit had filed for bankruptcy protection for himself…
How many years can I live outside the United States without losing my Social Security benefits? When can you receive a higher than expected Social Security check? As we all know, many Social Security contributors in the U.S. choose to wait until they reach age 70 to apply for retirement, believing that this will give them access to the highest possible check.
The Federal Reserve is once again in a tough spot, as inflation remains high. Looking at cruises in a Phoenix travel agency, she explains she's "currently planning Spain and then Antarctica in November." Nancy Melton, the manager of Preferred Travel Services in Phoenix, says business is booming.
The U.S. Federal Reserve will conclude its two-day policy meeting today, Wednesday, with no change in interest rates expected. Investors will be watching closely for comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, which could give a clearer clue as to how recent inflation and GDP readings have changed the expectation for interest rate cuts this year.
The Federal Reserve meets for the first time since recent high inflation reports dampened hopes it would cut interest rates three times this year.
The Biden administration wants to make sure Medicaid enrollees don't have to wait too long to see a doctor, but state officials and health insurers that administer the program argue a new plan to speed up appointment wait times is unrealistic.Why it matters: Low-income patients and people with disabilities served by Medicaid historically have faced longer wait times for…
A federal jury on Thursday found a North Carolina insurance agent and two Missouri lawyers guilty on all counts in a $4 million tax evasion scheme that also defrauded an insurance carrier. The jury in Charlotte, said licensed agent and broker David Shane Simmons, of Jefferson, North Carolina, ran an elaborate scheme for several years, beginning in 2011.
For 50 years, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 has provided a safety net that protects older Americans' pensions from corporate and financial predators. Such protections would have been a lifeline for my family in the early 1960 s, when the Philadelphia- based leatherworks company where both my mother and father worked for over 20 years…
Both of the loan officers appeared before Newark's federal court and were released on $200,000 bond each.
WASHINGTON- The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday voted to ban employees from enforcing noncompete agreements, which bar workers from jumping to or starting competing companies for a prescribed period of time. According to the FTC, 30 million people— roughly one in five workers— are now subject to such restrictions. A 2021 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of…
Gilbert mayoral hopeful Shane Krauser withdrew from the race amid election challenges, "Gilbert Goon" associations and a history of fraud.
Peak Investment Fund Management, an investment firm based in Monterrey, has decided to file for bankruptcy, affecting the resources of more than 100 investors throughout Mexico. What is Peak Investment and why did it file for bankruptcy? Peak Investment also offered investors the possibility of participating in a settlement agreement, with a term of 72 hours,…
"Unlike the Democrats, who are KILLING SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE by allowing the INVASION OF THE MIGRANTS, I will NOT, under any circumstance, allow either of these two precious GEMS to be even touched under a Trump Administration. But as regular readers know, Social Security and Medicare are under strain. Since 1995, the trustees of Social Security have warned,…
Here are ways to think about each age and what questions to ask yourself
In my years as an executive coach, I've had the privilege of guiding many successful entrepreneurs and business owners through various stages of their careers. However, one of the most challenging transitions for any business owner is the move towards retirement. This phase, often marked by apprehension and uncertainty, stems not just from the financial…
