Chocolate bunnies are getting more expensive this year. How could this be so? Blame it on bad weather and the rising demand in Asia that are pushing up prices of cocoa, a vital ingredient in chocolate making. The milk chocolate index (yes this is a real thing), which tracks prices of…
In a recent study from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business it seems that those that are at the poverty level are paying more for everyday items we all need. The study, which analyzed toilet paper purchases among 100,000 U.S. households over the course of seven years is…
Home buying can be a leap of faith for some. If you are looking to become a homeowner you don’t want to end up house poor or stuck in a situation where you owe more than the actual house is worth. Right now, to afford the national median home price…
Home values are increasing and most of the time that should be a huge incentive for people (including homebuilders) to put houses on the market and either upgrade or downgrade and save money. But that’s not happening. Instead, homebuyers are being picky and continue to compete for hard-to-find homes for…
Stocks have gotten a slight lift lately in part from the many hopes that fears over a recession are overdone. That optimism could be a little premature. However, two key indicators are flashing warning signs: income tax withholdings and corporate profits. The withholdings data show taxes taken out of worker paychecks…
The world once again is getting a bit nervous about the health of big banks based in Europe. Not only are bank stocks currently plummeting at what many feel is an alarming pace, investors are now making bets that some banks might even default on their debt should the global economy sink into a…
Retail players are running for the exits, markets around the world are showing the strain and everyone is asking “where’s the bottom?” A lot of focus is on this weeks Federal Reserve meeting, but Janet Yellen is clearly in a tough spot. If she raises rates the markets are likely…
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week. This is suggesting some loss of momentum in the labor market that we saw in late 2015. The decline is amid a sharp economic slowdown and stock market selloff. A big sign of employment weakness was also…
Did you know that your Uber account is about 17 times more valuable to a hacker than your credit card information, according to a report the security company Trend Micro compiled for CNBC. They found that on average stolen Uber credentials sell for an average of at least $3.78 per account…
It’s not joke that no one wants to be audited. Because it is a serious thing knowing how long your tax return can be attacked is important. Traditionally, the primary IRS statute of limitations was three years however, there are many exceptions that give the IRS six years or longer. That’s right…or longer….