Posts by FFG Team
Responsible Investing Options Keep Sprouting
Responsible Investing Options Keep Sprouting Nearly $23 trillion of assets worldwide are managed using responsible investing (RI) strategies, a 25 percent increase since 2014, according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance. New funds focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have also doubled since 2014.1 RI used to suffer under the guise of a…
Read MorePros and Cons of Municipal Bonds
Pros and Cons of Municipal Bonds U.S. stock markets were enjoying an eighth consecutive year of a bull market until volatility toward the end of 2018 erased all of the past year’s gains.1 In times like this, as share prices continue to bounce back and forth on a day-to-day basis, investors close to or in retirement…
Read MoreStability Grows for Emerging Markets
Stability Grows for Emerging Markets Thirty years ago, developed markets were seen as much more stable than smaller, emerging countries. But as political division and uncertainty permeates the West, the differences have faded, and emerging markets (EM) have shed the high-risk perception that accompanied foreign investment. Sound government situations, conservative monetary policy and lower levels…
Read MoreDecreasing Benefits Contribute to Retiree Bankruptcy
Decreasing Benefits Contribute to Retiree Bankruptcy For most of the 20th century, it was common for employers and unions to sponsor health care insurance for retired workers, which helped pay for some or all of Medicare’s cost-sharing requirements and deductibles. However, this trend reversed sharply in the mid-1990s. A survey by the Society for Human Resource…
Read MoreStock Buybacks Explained
Stock Buybacks Explained When the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, the hope was companies would spend their influx of money on expansion and increased jobs and wages. Instead, public companies’ most popular way to spend the excess capital has been to buy back…
Read MoreWhere U.S. Economics Stand Globally
Where U.S. Economics Stand Globally 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…
Read MoreChina’s Growing Economy
China’s Growing Economy General Motors recently announced the pending closure of three U.S. assembly plants and the discontinuation of six cars made at those plants. While large sedans are no longer big sellers in the United States, they remain popular in China, and GM will continue to manufacture them there.1 China is GM’s largest market;…
Read MoreWhy Global Intellectual Property Laws Matter
Why Global Intellectual Property Laws Matter What’s the secret to Col. Sanders’ recipe for fried chicken? Is the reason Coca-Cola tastes different from Pepsi based on a formula locked up in a vault at corporate headquarters? For many companies, their trade secrets – also known as intellectual property (IP) – are a key differentiator and…
Read MoreHealth Care Roundup
Health Care Roundup By now, most of us know to check with our health insurance company to make sure our physician or specialist referral is covered by our health care plan and within the covered network. But what if you’re unconscious or in some other medical emergency? Say, for instance, you need to be airlifted…
Read More2018 Tax News
2018 Tax News The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 reduced federal income tax liability for some, but not all, Americans. Wealthy residents of California, New York and other high-tax states could face a higher tax bill when they file their 2018 return.1 While cutting tax rates on ordinary income, increasing the standard deduction…
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