On November 27th, consider “shopping small” to support small businesses as you purchase holiday gifts this Small Business Saturday. The World Trade Organization reports that small and medium-sized businesses represent over 90% of the business population, 60% to 70% of employment, and 55% of GDP in developed economies. When you
China’s crackdowns on its technology and education sectors have had repercussions across global markets. The fallout? The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index, which tracks 98 of China’s most prominent firms listed in the U.S., plunged 7% on Monday, June 26th. Added to the previous Friday’s 8.5% drop, puts the two-day
The unemployment rate is the percentage of unemployed workers in the total labor force and indicates the health of the U.S. economy. COVID-19 has significantly impacted unemployment to record numbers not previously seen since the government began tracking the data in 1939. COVID-19 has surpassed The Great Depression in the
With real estate prices recovering to where they were pre-2008 in most of the U.S; many people are buying U.S. vacation homes, and homes abroad for various reasons. The appeal of international vacation homes is at an all-time high as property overseas continues to cost less than near home, even
One of the largest risks to the future of a business is one that is often left unnoticed: What will happen when the ownership changes? At some point, a successful business faces this question and considers liquidation for all the right reasons. The business owner has built an asset that
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total of everything produced in a country, even if it is made by a foreign company or foreign workers within a country’s borders. GDP counts the final value of a product, but not the parts that go into producing it as a way to
Volatility will always be around on Wall Street, and as you invest for the long term, you must learn to tolerate it. Rocky moments, fortunately, are not the norm. Since the end of World War II, there have been dozens of Wall Street shocks. Wall Street has seen 56 pullbacks
There’s a number that is going away soon that has an impact on your life; it’s called LIBOR. LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) is used to determine the interest rates banks charge each other for overnight, one-month, three-month, six-month, and one-year loans. LIBOR is a substantial number because it decides,
Since President Trump announced his intention to impose tariffs on all countries the stock market has been reacting-based on investor concerns in reaction to the media. All indications at the time of this writing are that the tariffs would be applied to all countries, although that remains unknown. This development
One thing that has plagued the financial services industry is ‘trust’ of the industry. Unfortunately, there are many reasons that some people have developed a distrust of financial companies and the individuals that work for them. It may be due to the media, entertainment (movies), or a personal situation that
"*" indicates required fields
