Interest rates on new federal student loans change each year based upon results of the May 10-year Treasury auction. The 2017 auction closed last week. Although the Department of Education has yet to officially announce the new rates expectations are: The rate on federal Stafford Loans for undergraduates will likely rise from 3.76% to 4.45%. [...]
As one of the oldest and best-known indexes the DJIA is not only a benchmark for the world’s largest stock market but, also, a barometer of global confidence. This chart details the DJIA’s performance since 1896. It’s interesting to note how the highs and lows have reflected the U.S. economy. Greater still is [...]
We recently completed and are happy to share with you Apollo's 2017 Mid-Year Investment Outlook. It incorporates q1 activity with projections for future economic, tax and political events. It is meant to be a general guideline - not specific advice/recommendations. Specifics (cash flow, tax, estate, etc) dictate how this information may be incorporated into one's [...]
Recently released minutes from the March Fed meeting show a split in the timing and impact of the move. By way of review The Federal Reserve’s balance sheet exploded from $1 billion to $4.5 billion in the wake of the credit crisis. The Obama administration’s largesse exploded annual budget deficits. The financier was the Fed [...]
In response to regulatory pressure and settlement of lawsuits with 32 states the Big Three of credit reporting – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – have decided to omit certain negative items from the credit reports of consumers. Examples include: Tax-lien and civil-judgment data that don’t include a complete list of at least three data points [...]
Lending to consumers has steadily increased since the credit crisis and has continued since the November elections. Lending to companies has stalled since the elections. Yesterday The Fed raised ST interest rates and [...]
How did the DJIA perform in 2016? What were the drivers? How does that compare over the trailing 10 years? Let's have a look...
The IRS has issued the 2017 optional standard mileage rates for calculating the deductible costs of operating an automobile. Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates. Effective Jan 1st the standard rates for a car, van, pickup truck or panel truck [...]
Legislation has been introduced to the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee that among other things would: increase full retirement age at which workers could claim benefits after 12/31/29 raise for workers the “early retirement age” to 69 change how benefits are calculated to increase benefits for lower-income workers while slowing the growth of [...]
With apologies to Bobby Fuller (who popularized a work originally written and recorded by Sonny Curtis) we've co-opted this wonderful song to make a point about the weapons-grade BS that continues to come out of Washington. On Tuesday the Clinton campaign (via communications director Jen Palmieri) said the election is a choice between improving President [...]