Recent market volatility has given rise to all kinds of commentary, by assorted market prognosticators who, encouraged by the media, attempt to attribute some degree of significance to very short-term market swings. Investors would be well advised to retain a focus on longer term objectives. Perhaps the most useful explanation for very short-term market swings, … Continued
That depends on where the oil is. Currently, Brent crude is trading at approximately $80/bbl. U.S. benchmark crude futures, priced at Cushing, OK, are trading about $10/bbl. below Brent, and cash prices in the prolific Permian Basin are even lower. However, the “prize?” goes to Canada, where Western Canada Select crude cash prices are currently … Continued
Net energy metering (NEM) is a special billing arrangement that provides credits for surplus energy to customers with solar photovoltaic systems, at the full retail value of the electricity their system generates. Under NEM, the customer’s electric meter keeps track of how much electricity is consumed by the customer, and how much is excess electricity … Continued
Developing and sustaining a sound, long-term personal financial strategy, in a world full of unexpected events, is difficult enough without incurring unforced errors. Hopefully, most of us recognize that a financially successful retirement plan includes maintaining a consistent approach to spending, saving and investing. Unfortunately, too many of us succumb to unwise consumption behavior that … Continued
German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said that subsidies designed to help Germans buy electric vehicles cannot go on forever. California will hold hearings on offering a $4,500 subsidy for each electric vehicle sold in the state, up from the current $2,500, even as customers from Tesla and GM face losing the loss of bigger federal … Continued
The short answer is: it depends on where you live. According to a recently updated income calculator, developed by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world, a before-tax salary of $37,106 for a three-person household is considered middle class in Jackson, Tennessee, … Continued
Cost-plus pricing is a pricing strategy in which the selling price is determined by adding a specific dollar amount or percentage to a producer’s relevant costs. This pricing protocol is typically used where the provider is a regulated monopoly, such as a public utility, or there is essentially a single-buyer, such as the defense department. … Continued
In order to address a housing affordability issue, in one of the world’s hottest housing markets, New Zealand is restricting non-citizens from buying existing homes. Trade Minister David Parker said, “this government believes that New Zealanders should not be outbid by wealthier foreign buyers.” Sounds like great news for New Zealanders looking to buy a … Continued
The stock market has been doing well, unemployment is at historic lows, inflation is relatively modest and a strong economy augers well for corporate earnings during the balance of this year, and perhaps for 2019. In the midst of all of this good news, wage gains seem to be lagging. Recently published employment data suggests … Continued
Widely reported efforts of the current administration to roll back some of the regulatory activity of the previous administration have given rise to the question; are regulations good, bad or appropriate under certain circumstances? Investors should carefully consider this issue on a case-by-case basis. While overregulation can be stifling, some regulation is often essential. Consider … Continued
Tappable equity is the amount of equity available to homeowners with mortgages that could be accessed through a home equity loan. According to Black Knight’s “Mortgage Monitor” (Black Knight is a leading provider of data across the homeownership life cycle), the March 31, 2018 total tappable equity available to U.S. homeowners increased by $380 billion, … Continued
A recently published report by AlixPartners, a well-recognized financial consulting firm, suggested that auto industry and technological players looking to get into transportation, are spending $255 billion on 200-plus electric models and $61 billion toward autonomous vehicles. While this appears to be a lot of money, the worldwide vehicle industry is so large that $300 … Continued
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