Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a relatively stagnant 1.8% in 2011, ranking the United States 157th among the world’s countries. At the top of the list was Mongolia, with…
Thirty-eight percent of Americans lack confidence that they will have enough income and assets for a comfortable retirement.¹ This may not be surprising for those in lower income tax brackets,…
One might assume that most serious disabilities result from a sudden, unlucky accident. Surprisingly, 90% of all disability claims are for common health conditions such as cancer and back problems.¹…
Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc along the East Coast in 2012, leaving behind an estimated $50 billion to $60 billion in insured and uninsured economic losses. It’s likely that more than…
Would you be disappointed if your child or grandchild was not able to attend his or her “dream” college solely for financial reasons? If you aspire to help a student…
The Budget Control Act of 2011 mandated $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts, known as the sequester, if Congress failed to negotiate a more targeted deficit-reduction package. The blunt federal…
The Federal Trade Commission received over 1.8 million consumer complaints in 2011 (see graph). More than half of these were for various types of fraud. Despite improved consumer education and…
Despite the uncertainties of the job market, today’s workers stay in a job for an average of only 4.4 years. Job-hopping is even more prevalent among younger workers: about nine…
There’s plenty of guidance available to help you feel confident that it’s time to retire. But it could be just as important to recognize signs that you may not be…
Individual sectors of the U.S. economy often behave differently at various points in the business cycle. Therefore, changes in the direction or speed of economic growth can spur shifts in…