In recent years, the scope of the oil market has changed. OPEC, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, was established in 1960 to unify the petroleum policies of its members. These 14 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, are considered hotbeds for oil. Continue reading
A changing society has changed some of the ways customers and banks interact. For example, early efforts by brick-and-mortar banks to cut costs by promoting online transactions and electronic statements gave way to a new wave of competition from internet-based banks. Continue reading
From the beginning, President Donald Trump’s economic policies have intended to put “America first.” Since the ultimate goal of such policies is to strengthen America’s economic growth, solve for domestic issues and make the nation more secure, it’s worth a review of how well policy changes are working toward those goals Continue reading
According to a telecommunications study of 50 billion telephone calls over an 18-month period, nearly four percent of calls in 2017 were fraudulent. In 2018, that number jumped to 29 percent of all calls. At that pace, the number of fraudulent calls is expected to rise to 44 percent of all calls in 2019. Continue reading
Baby boomers have long been the movers and shakers of the real estate market, but millennials are expected to be the biggest buyers in 2019. Millennials are projected to account for 45 percent of mortgages, compared to 37 percent for Generation X and 17 percent for boomers in the new … Continue reading
Where there is internet, is there more prosperity? Generally speaking, yes. It costs much more to lay fiber to outlying communities than it does in larger metropolitan areas, which may contribute to the growing geographical discrepancy between income, education and even health care. Some places, like Indiana, hope to bring … Continue reading
Can having your mind in the right place improve your health? It can’t hurt. We’re living longer, but we aren’t always prepared for what lies ahead. It’s easy to become disillusioned as new aches and pains crop up or our body doesn’t work like it used to. But just as … Continue reading
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, up to 10 million Americans lost their homes during the last financial crisis. Now, 10 years later, we’re only slightly above 2016’s low of 63 percent home ownership – at about 64 percent as of June 2018.1 While many metropolitan areas … Continue reading
Toward the end of 2018, before the midterms, Congress passed a proliferation of bills, many of which were bipartisan. The following is a roundup of recent legislation designed to provide economic stimulus and additional protections heading into 2019. The America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 directs the U.S. Army Corps … Continue reading
Newton’s laws of motion and gravity are often applied to economics and the stock market. What goes up, must come down. While this generally explains a natural path of the economic cycle, the key question for most investors is: When will it come down? While no one can predict market … Continue reading