By John Waggoner; USA Today ~ Dec 30, 2013
Q. How do I create a CD ladder?
A. A certificate of deposit ladder is a way to diversify your CD holdings to lock into increasingly higher interest rates. Rates are currently lower than a mole’s basement: The average money market fund yields just 0.01%
By Connie Cass; Associated Press ~ Dec 29, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) — The new year brings the big test of President Barack Obama’s beleaguered health care law: Will it work?
The heart of the law springs to life Wednesday, after nearly four years of political turmoil and three months of enrollment chaos. Patients will begin showing up at hospitals
and pharmacies with insurance coverage bought through the nation’s new health
care marketplaces.
From AT&T; 4-traders ~ Dec 29, 2013
AT&T Inc. announced that its board of directors has approved a 2.2 percent increase in the company’s quarterly dividend to stockholders.
By Steve Brashear; TechnoBloom ~ Dec 29, 2013
AT&T is the second largest 4G LTE network in the country and according to reports, it looks like the company is going to be expanding its coverage to more cities. With Verizon Wireless ending its initial rollout of 4G LTE in the United States,
AT&T can only try and catch up by adding coverage to as many cities as
possible. According to the reports, AT&T has decided to add coverage in
places that are less populated like Colorado and Wisconsin. Even places like
Hawaii are on the list, so AT&T is expanding the network farther each time.
By Robert Powell; MarketWatch ~ Dec 28, 2013
When you’re saving for retirement, it’s fairly easy to measure your progress. You compare your actual return with your expected rate of return and look at the total value of the portfolio. If you aren’t getting your expected rate of return — and if your
portfolio’s projected value falls short of your target — well, your plan is failing.
By Patrick Howley; Politico ~ Dec 27, 2013
Obamacare installs a new tax on people earning income from family businesses and life insurance policies.
A 2010 Obamacare amendment adds a new 0.9 percent Medicare surtax for individuals earning more than $200,000, and families earning more than $250,000; and a 3.8 percent Medicare tax (known officially as the “Net Investment Income Tax”) on all of
their “unearned income.”
By Sean Buckley; Fierce Telecom ~ Dec 27, 2013
AT&T (NYSE: T) has divested 250 million shares of its stake in Mexican telecom conglomerate America Movil (NYSE: AMX) for $282 million, reports Reuters, citing a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
By Brendan Bordelon; The Daily Caller ~ Dec 26, 2013
Washington Examiner reporter Byron York told Fox News on Thursday that a bailout of health insurance companies “absolutely will happen” under Obamacare, claiming a government lifeline is actually “built into the law.”
From Tom Herman; MarketWatch ~ Dec 26, 2013
For many donors eager to nail down tax deductions, contributing to charity can be as simple as writing a check. But tax laws often can be surprisingly tricky. While there are
many tax-smart ways to donate, it can also be easy to make costly mistakes.
Associated Press ~ Dec 25, 2013
The Christmas Eve deadline to enroll via HeatlhCare.gov for health care insurance that starts Jan. 1 has passed.
The federal website received 2 million visits on Monday, and heavy – but not as heavy – traffic on Tuesday. A White House spokeswoman said there was no immediate estimate of visitors or how many succeeded in obtaining insurance before the deadline.