If you asked an average American on the street to list the top five most disliked professions it would be very likely that something along the lines of “Wall Street Investment Banker” would be high on the list. Investment bankers are often perceived as lazy, unoriginal, and greedy. People think they reap huge wages and bonuses from the hard work of other individuals, corporations, and even countries. This perception has only been reinforced since the financial crisis that started in 2007. Continue reading
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Moody’s Downgrades Banks in Necessary Step
Investment banking can be a confusing subject for anyone, especially when it involves credit ratings and downgrades. Moody’s recent credit downgrading of 15 banks can seem like another bit of bad news for the economy but, while this may be true, it was a necessary step to accurately represent the current status of both domestic and foreign markets. Continue reading
The Consumer Psychology Behind Marketing and Selling Approaches
In this economy many companies struggle to find their competitive advantage to stay ahead of their competitors. In order to not only stay profitable companies must have some aspect of their product offering that makes them stand out, and keeps customers coming back. Continue reading
Facebook Flop: Take 2
The past couple weeks have been interesting to say the least for the worlds largest social network. The company Facebook (ticker FB) and its publicly traded exchange NASDAQ have had a bumpy ride of late. The latest initial public offering (IPO) of Facebook and the subsequent mess got me thinking about how other recent “tech giant” IPOs have fared in the past few years. Continue reading
The Facebook Flop
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple months I am sure that you have heard the news of the world’s largest social networking site, Facebook, “going public”. Although you may not know exactly what this means, you probably also noticed that something went terribly wrong with the initial public offering (IPO) of the stock, resulting in Facebook (FB on the NASDAQ exchange) to drop a whopping 16.9% in its first week of trading. In a two part series I will look to examine what exactly took place in this latest tech IPO. Secondly, I will examine how Facebook’s IPO compares to other historically significant IPO’s in the past several years and what the future holds for investors and the company. Continue reading
Cost-Effective Approaches for Summer Ready Yards
With barbecuing season right around the corner many families are getting their homes and yards ready for the long summer ahead. This season not only means cookouts and family get-togethers, but also usually means more eyes than usual gazing over the landscapes that surround these events. Although American households on average spend only about 1% of their annual household income on their yards, that can still be a hefty amount of money that is usually concentrated during this time of year. Continue reading
Children and Money
There are many things that parents are responsible for teaching their children in life. One aspect of life that my parents excelled at showing me the ropes to was money. It’s a good thing they did too because the current education system in the United States is abysmal when it comes to teach young people about money, the importance of saving, and overall financial health. Continue reading
The Buffett Rule
The tax code of the United States is some of the most complicated legal writings in the entire world and because of this tax season is one of the most stressful times for most Americans. It has also recently become the subject of much debate as American politics begin to heat up for the 2012 election season. One issue that Democrats have thrust to the forefront of the election is how eventual Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney pays a lower income tax than many middle-income families. President Obama recently began focusing on a new tax rule dubbed “the Buffett rule” that aims to adjust for this disconnect that allows many millionaires to pay lower income taxes than many middle class families. Continue reading
What LIBOR Means To You
Just about everyone whom has every watched TV, listened to the radio, or read newspapers and magazines has heard of it, but few really understand what it means. It is one of the most important and influential prices in finance for the entire world. Not only that, but nearly everyone is affected by it through mortgages, personal loans, and even pensions. The LIBOR, London inter-bank offered rate, is one of the most essential pieces of the world of finance but recently it appears that more than just traditional calculations are pushing the LIBOR to artificial levels creating far reaching effects all over the globe. Continue reading
Oil In Africa?
OIL! The magical three letter that so much of our life depends on. Oil touches modern Americans in nearly everything they use and do in daily life. Whether it is the oil used in plastics, oil used to fuel their cars and homes, or the oil used to produce and transport nearly all goods and services imaginable, oil has a tangible effect on all of us. When I think of oil, I think of the Middle East as most Americans probably do. That is why a recent discovery of oil in Africa of all places is blog-worthy. With gas prices expected to reach record highs this summer it goes without saying that a discovery of oil is positive news, however, could the recent discovery of oil in Kenya really have any effect on American consumers? Continue reading
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