July 31st, 2011 Written by Z
You have bills to pay, a mouth (or more than one!) to feed, and you’ve cut every last expense from your budget. At the end of each month, you wonder if it was really your spending that makes you broke, or whether it might just be your income.
You’re not in the minority here; most people find that even after cutting their budget to a manageable amount, they could still afford to make some extra money on the side. We’ll give you a few ways to make money on the side to boost your income.
Three ways to make money on the side: Read more…
Business jobs, make money, side income
July 26th, 2011 Written by Z
It is far too easy for investors to suffer from information paralysis, the state of having too much information to make a decision. There are many different investment ratios. For stocks, there’s the PE ratio, return on equity, the net interest margin, and countless other data points. Read more…
Business, Investing inverse pe ratio, leveraged buyout, valuing stock
July 25th, 2011 Written by Z
We hear plenty about shareholder value. CEOs are tasked to create it, and last week we talked about how activist investors seek to realize it. But what exactly is shareholder value?
Is it just some abstract definition of corporate success?
Is shareholder value just another buzzword for us to digest?
Shareholder Value is a bird in the hand
Read more…
Stocks Investing, shareholder value, Stocks
July 20th, 2011 Written by Z
Over the weekend you may have heard about Carl Icahn’s $10 billion offer for Clorox. A known activist investor, Carl Icahn makes money by purchasing companies and reforming them. In some cases, he might not even buy the whole company, just enough to make his point clear.
Activist investing can be very, very profitable. Often, an activist investor will force the executive board to make a change to increase shareholder value.
&nsbp;
Activists fight for “shareholder value”
Read more…
Investing activist investing, corporate raiders, proxy wars
July 18th, 2011 Written by Z
Much like Mint.com transformed personal finance from boring budgets to beautiful charts and graphs, Bettermint is hoping to make investing exciting again. Using exchange traded funds, the site allows investors to select asset allocation models that fit their retirement and savings goals.
Read more…
Investing asset allocation, Betterment review, etfs, Investing, retirement
July 15th, 2011 Written by KP
The payday loans business, sometimes referred to as bad credit loans, is an obvious counter-cyclical that thrives in difficult economic times. But to say that bad credit loans are thriving simply because the unemployment numbers remain stuck at high levels overlooks some key changes in how the industry works. This suggests the industry may remain robust even after an economic recovery.
Read more…
Investing
July 13th, 2011 Written by Z
A new program from the Obama Administration is hoping to boost the housing market. Mortgage companies that work with the Federal Housing Administration are now required to offer up to 12 months of forebearance for homeowners who cannot pay their mortgage.
Qualifying for the program is as simple as being out of work—unemployed.
The program isn’t entirely new, but an extension of an old framework that allowed for 4 months of protection should homeowners lose their jobs.
Home Affordable Modification Program
Read more…
Stocks EHLP, fha loan, forbearance, HUD mortgages, modification, program, unemployed mortgage help
July 12th, 2011 Written by Z
Asset backed loans are quickly becoming the only way to borrow. While on the personal side there are personal loans on car titles and home equity loans, businesses are also finding that asset backed loans are the way to go. Previously, we discussed how small business credit cards are virtually non-existent.
It is our job as analysts to see how changes in lending trends grow or shrink the prospects for economic recovery. Recently, banks have taken to “riskier loans,” but only in the context that they are backed by hard assets—accounts receivables for businesses and real property for individuals and companies.
Asset Backed Lending
Read more…
Stocks asset backed loans, business credit, personal loans, Real Estate
July 6th, 2011 Written by Z
Just yesterday we posted about how banks run on net interest margin, the difference between their cost of acquiring capital and their net interest earnings on the capital they lend to borrowers. Now that we’ve covered how banks make money, let’s cover why they don’t: banks can’t make loans to small business owners.
In a recent appearance before the Federal Reserve, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, explained his biggest fear to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. In his short speech, Dimon said that he worried new regulations would prevent capital from flowing to the people who need it, stifling any economic recovery.
He’s Right; Businesses Can’t Get Money
Read more…
Business, Economy lending, small business credit cards, small business growth
