Finance Globe

For those who don’t follow the stock market on a regular basis, I thought I would provide a high level summary and recap. Most investors are relieved that 2018 is over. There were a lot of highs, including the tax-cut optimism, to quite a lot of lows, especially the last few months. From a U.S. stock market perspective, it was the worst performance since 2008 during the financial crises. The S&P 500 fell 6.2% for the...

I would say I read a fintech type article everyday now. Fintech companies have exploded into the mainstream over the last 10+ years. However, many people may not exactly know what ”fintech” is, so I put together a very simple summary. Please feel free to ask any follow up questions in the comments section below.FinTech or financial technology really describes the intersection of financial services and technology. Most of the time it refers to start up...

If you survived the Great Recession of 2008, then you know just how bad it can get. Companies layoff employees. Household income declines while unemployment and bankruptcies rises. The country and consumers experience financial hardship in a grand scale. A recession is happens when the economy declines six months in a row. It’s hard to predict exactly when a recession will hit or what will cause it, but knowing there’s a possibility means you should be...

A home purchase is a huge decision. There is a lot to factor in, and it may end up being the biggest financial purchase you make in your life. Below are a few indications that would let you know you might be ready to buy a home.20% in Savings: Many people/websites have different opinions on this, but I recommend having at least 20% of your home purchase in savings you can use as a down payment....

You have probably seen in the news lately, the discussions of proposed tariffs with many countries including China and Europe. While I will not discuss the political aspects of tariffs, I wanted to share a summary of what exactly a tariff is and how they could impact your wallet.A tariff is bascially a tax that the government places on imported goods. The tariff proceeds go to the government and a tariff is used to protect domestic...

No matter where you turn to on the internet, you see articles and articles on Cryptocurrency. Even friends and family are likely pushing you to “invest” in cryptocurrency. However, given the incredibly fast rise of cryptocurrency, do many people even know what cryptocurrency really is? I decided to try to summarize what cryptocurrency is and offer you some additional high level details.What is Cryptocurrency?A cryptocurrency is a digital / virtual currency designed to work as your...

The new tax bill was signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, December 22, 2017. The tax bill will take affect starting in the 2018 tax year. The final bill is over 500 pages, and while the summary below is not fully exhaustive, below is some highlights of the major changes. It is recommended you speak with a tax expert on how the tax bill will ultimately affect you.Tax Brackets: The bill keeps the seven income...

The job market began to show signs of recovery in December 2010 as the unemployment rate fell to its lowest point in nineteen months. The national unemployment rate fell significantly in December to 9.4%, down from 9.8% in November, the Labor Department’s Bureau of of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated in its latest employment report. Last month’s unemployment rate was a half percent below its reported level in December 2009 when it was 9.9% - just two...

Sales of existing homes jumped in December for the fifth month of sales increases within the past six months, a positive sign that the housing market continues to improve. Sales of existing homes, including single-family, townhomes, condos, and co-ops, increased by a healthy 12.3% in December according to a report released today by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). At December’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.28 million home sales, it was 2.9% lower than the...

Existing home sales in August rose 7.6% after a big correction in July, but are still 19% lower than the sales pace from a year ago, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported on Thursday. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said existing home sales still remain subpar. “The housing market is trying to recover on its own power without the home buyer tax credit. Despite very attractive affordability conditions, a housing market recovery will likely be...