How Long will Rates be Low?

January 26th, 2012 Written by Z

How long can the Federal Reserve continue to keep US interest rates at record lows?

This is the million dollar question.

Potential home buyers are waiting to see if they can wait just a little longer to score a cheaper interest rate. The mortgage industry is loving all the refinances, especially now that some people have refinanced once or even twice at low interest rates compared to previous home loans.

Low Rates Until 2014

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Investing , ,

How to Invest in Stocks with Little Money

January 23rd, 2012 Written by Z

Many people want to start investing but don’t know how. Many more want to start planning, but don’t know how to invest in stocks with little money.

It’s unfortunate that investing requires money to make money. The only way to get started with any kind of investment is to have the cash available to make an investment. Thus, many find that investing in stocks with little money is almost impossible.

The good news is that you can invest in stocks, even without a lot of money!

Where to Start Your Investments

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Big Companies Have to Buy Growth

January 19th, 2012 Written by Z

Investors realize many things about the market but fail to piece them together.

The executives that lead companies are mostly paid for growing the company. The shareholders reward the company with a higher stock price when it grows.

Naturally, companies should want to grow at any time they can to make more money. But it’s hard to grow a company in recession. So companies will have to buy growth.

How Companies Buy Growth

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Student Loan Bubble: Does it Exist?

January 13th, 2012 Written by Z

As the recession lags on for what seems like eternity, the prospect of a student loan bubble is on the top of everyone’s minds.

This is especially the case with so many people unemployed.

If college graduates are leaving school to the same, weak job market, then why would college degrees make any sense?

If students are taking on more student loans but earning less, a student loan bubble might just be the only realistic outcome.

Remember, the Obama Administration did announce a student loan forgiveness program to deflate any bubble before it pops.

Student Loan Bubble: Why It Happened

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Business, Economy , , ,

Federal Tax Brackets for Singles

January 9th, 2012 Written by Z

As tax season begins, Americans should start to discover the different Federal Tax Brackets, how tax brackets work, and what percentage of their income will be taxed in each.

You can think of Federal tax brackets as “benchmarks” for taxation on each dollar of your income. The first few thousand dollars that you earn are untaxed. The next are taxed, but at the lowest rate. This goes on and on and on until a Federal income taxpayer reaches the highest tax bracket.

Federal Tax Brackets by Income

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PayPal Tax Forms – IRS 6050W

January 6th, 2012 Written by Z

2011 will be the first year on record that business owners who use PayPal to process payments will have their own tax forms from PayPal.

The rules as passed require PayPal account owners to file another form to claim their online income on their taxes. This change came as part of the 2011 1099 changes, which require far more tax compliance work for small business owners.

PayPal & IRS Form 6050W

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Stocks, Taxes , ,

How to Invest in Stocks for Beginners

January 1st, 2012 Written by Z

Investing isn’t something that can be learned in a day, week, or even a single year. Finance is a study which many people dedicate four to eight years of their lives studying in college.

But beginners have to start somewhere, and the stock market is a great place to get started in the world of investing. Let’s look at a few methods that beginners can use to buy and sell stock as an investment.

Beginner Stock Investing

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ETF, Investing , ,

How to Start a Pawn Shop

December 26th, 2011 Written by Z

There seems to be a surge in interest surrounding pawn shops. On TV, two popular shows, Hardcore Pawn and the Pawn Stars reality shows expose a new business model to otherwise disinterested audiences.

But how can you start a pawn shop business to tap into the growth? We set out to answer this question.

How Pawn Shops Make Money

 
Pawn shops make money in two ways: Read more…

Business, Stocks , , , ,

Cost of Goods Sold

December 20th, 2011 Written by Z

Cost of Goods Sold is a ratio-level financial indicator. The Cost of Goods Sold is used to determine how much of a company’s revenues are used to cover the basic costs of the products the company sells to customers.

Amazon had a COGS ratio of 77.45% of revenues in 2010. Thus, for every $1 in product Amazon sold to customers, the company had to spend 77.45 cents on the goods. The remaining amount could be used to pay for the operating expenses of the company.

After that item (usually known as SG&A) all amounts left over are pre-tax profits.

Why Cost of Goods Sold Matters

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