Congress has passed a legislation that extends unemployment benefits by 99 weeks to give unemployed people some respite from stagnant hiring in most industries. However, some advocacy groups claim that even such a long period of extended benefits may not be enough time for half the number of unemployed to get jobs. They are pushing policy makers for an extension of unemployment benefits by several more months. [Read more…]
How to Prepare for Getting Laid Off
Most companies had cut down their staff drastically during the economic recession. Some of my friends, and millions of other Americans, learn the hard way that being fired is a nightmare that can come true without warning.
It is even worse when you have not planned for the possibility of being fired and are caught off guard, as losing your job can easily lead to a financial disaster. The good news is that by following some simple tips, you can minimize the negative financial impact of a layoff, and start afresh. [Read more…]
Stocks Show Heartening Rise as Consumer Optimism Grows
As signs of improvement on the employment scene become evident, the optimism in the stock market appears to be growing too. Increased demand in the service industry is contributing to confidence among investors.
A government report, which was released late last week showed how the employment scenario was finally witnessing a change for the better after a long haul of three subdued years. In March, the biggest job gain in the year was recorded. Although more private employers were seen adding to their employee roll as opposed to the government affiliated organizations, optimism has not been dampened by this fact. [Read more…]
Bankruptcies Spike in March
The National Bankruptcy Research Center recently released data that showed 149,268 personal bankruptcies filed in the month of March this year. The American Bankruptcy Institute points out that this figure is the highest ever since the Bankruptcy Code overhaul in 2005. [Read more…]
Americans Spending More as Optimism and Economy Improves
The unemployment problem plaguing the US may be affecting full recovery of the economy, but consumers are definitely more optimistic now as seen by the increased levels of spending in recent times. February’s statistics show that consumer spending steadily increased for the fifth month in a row, which is good news for policy makers, businesses, and the general public. [Read more…]
Unemployment Likely to Play a Big Role in Determining Elections Outcome
As the unemployment rate continues to hover at undesirable levels, analysts are of the opinion that this will play an important role in determining the fate of upcoming elections. The current recorded unemployment rate of 9.7% is appalling, even if the recent recession is taken into account.
Post recession, analysts are still trying to understand why the unemployment levels dropped to these dismal depths even though the predictions made earlier showed slightly better prospects for the jobs market during the worst of the recession. [Read more…]
Unemployment Claims Drop for the Third Time in the Last Month
Although there is still no major dent in the unemployment numbers, there seems to be a slow but steady improvement in the situation. The latest weekly jobless data shows that the number of people claiming unemployment benefits had fallen for the third time in the last one month. [Read more…]
Multi Generational Housing on the Rise
With recession hurting consumer spending and housing remaining unaffordable for families across the country, the trend of buying multi generational housing is on the rise. This kind of housing allows people to share the cost of the house with their parents or adult children. [Read more…]
Investment Lessons from the Financial Crisis
The financial crisis and the painful recession are behind us now. Although the unemployment numbers are still very high, there are many reasons to believe that things will soon start improving on that front too. These have been major events, and it is important to learn from them as an investor.
If you were invested in stocks just before the collapse of the stock market, you would understandably be skeptical right now. Many investors lost their faith in the market and have refrained from investing since then. But you have to put your money in some assets, and as the rebound in the stock market since March 2009 has showed, if you time your investment correctly there are still some great opportunities to earn profits. Here are some lessons that you should take away from the crisis to become a better investor.
Don’t Panic
When the stock market was at its lowest levels in 2009, almost everyone had a pessimistic outlook. More bad news was in store, we were told by the so-called financial experts. But investors who were able to shut out the noise sensed an opportunity and their investments have grown by more than 60% since then. The important lesson is to not go with the hype. Analyze the satiation with a calm mind and try to find opportunities.
Think Long Term
Anyone who tells you that you can make assured quick money in the market either has no idea of what he is talking about or is simply fooling you. In the short term, the market is nothing more than a casino. You’ll win some, you’ll lose some, and then you’ll realize that it was a total waste of time. Keep your investment horizon long term. Treat your investments in good stocks as an asset and not as a bet. You should target modest but assured returns instead of going for risky investments.
Diversify
One of the oldest tenets of investing is still one of the most important. When you invest, you should never concentrate all your risk in a single stock. By creating a diversified portfolio, which also has bonds in it, you spread your risk. So if the price of one of your stocks collapses, you would still be able to make up for that loss with profits from other stocks.
Keep these tips in mind and be smart about your investments. Don’t make investment decisions because they feel right, you need to think them through.
$15 Billion Plan to Stimulate Employment
The House has approved a plan that would spend $15 billion on measures targeted at job creation. The plan would give tax breaks to businesses as an incentive to hiring new employees. Supporters of the plan claimed that it would end up creating 1 million jobs. [Read more…]
