Jagadeesh Gokhale With annual benefit payments projected to consistently exceed revenues, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program will become insolvent in 2016. Apart from its financial problems, however, the program is structurally unsound: Its rules induce those who could work despite medical impairments to exit the labor force and apply for benefits. SSDI’s application […] Read More → 
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT)’s latest struggles to revive U.S. sales, following a disappointing Commerce Department report earlier this week, add to evidence that the economy isn’t recovering as quickly as expected. The company posted stagnant same-store sales today in its second-quarter earnings report, marking the sixth straight period of no growth. The world’s largest retailer […] Read More → 
Bots and spam bots account for nearly 14 percent of Twitter’s user base, and that’s not a good thing for Twitter, Twitter users and obviously advertisers. Twitter claims to have 271 million active user accounts but over 23 million aren’t real people tweeting about real things. They’re essentially Twitter spam, similar to email spam, as […] Read More → 
U.S. and European Union sanctions against Russia’s Vladimir Putin threaten to shut off some of the world’s largest energy companies from one of the biggest untapped energy troves on the planet. As violence escalates in eastern Ukraine between government and separatist forces, the EU yesterday sought to punish Russia for its involvement by restricting exports […] Read More → 
Mark Zuckerberg is thinking a lot about messaging. If the $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp wasn’t enough proof, the Facebook chief executive officer spent a hefty chunk of today’s earnings call talking about the opportunity in mobile communication. He boasted that 200 million people open the Facebook Messenger app at least once a month. He […] Read More → 
These are good times for Facebook. The social media site reported second quarter earnings of $0.42 per share and revenue of $2.91 billion on Wednesday afternoon. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected $0.32 in earnings per share and revenue of $2.8 billion. The company’s stock is up just under 1% in after hours trading. Reuters’ Stephen […] Read More → 
During last year’s budget negotiation meetings, President Barack Obama told House Speaker John Boehner, “We don’t have a spending problem.” When Boehner responded with “But, Mr. President, we have a very serious spending problem,” Obama replied, “I’m getting tired of hearing you say that.” In one sense, the president is right. What’s being called a […] Read More → 
The cost of living in the U.S. rose more than forecast in May, reflecting broad-based gains that signal inflation will move closer to the Federal Reserve’s goal. The consumer price index increased 0.4 percent, the biggest advance since February 2013, after climbing 0.3 percent the prior month, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. […] Read More → 
Don’t you worry, America: As it turns out, Hillary Clinton is just like the rest of us. Yes, reader, that’s right. Just like you and me, Hillary and Bill Clinton have faced hardships, including being “dead broke” after Bill left the Oval Office. So if you were concerned about another potential Clinton presidency, what with the […] Read More → 
Hagens Berman Announces Class-action Lawsuit against Google SEATTLE – Hagens Berman, a consumer rights law firm, today filed a national class-action lawsuit against Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), claiming the company unlawfully denies payments to thousands of website owners and operators who place ads on their sites sold through Google AdWords. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District […] Read More → 
Back when Peter Lynch was the manager of the Fidelity Magellan mutual fund, he offered mom ‘n pop investors the folksy advice of “invest in what you know.” According to Lynch, successful investing was as simple as going to the mall and buying the stock of the retail chain where the lines are the longest. […] Read More → 
AT&T Inc. (T) plans to buy DirecTV for $48.5 billion, gaining more than 38 million video subscribers at home and in Latin America and stepping up an acquisition-fueled overhaul of the $110 billion U.S. pay-TV industry. AT&T will pay $95 for each share of DirecTV, split between $28.50 in cash and the equivalent of $66.50 […] Read More → 
Sarah Jean Seman College graduates this year face an average student loan debt of more than $30,000 dollars — the highest amount yet recorded. This burden grows larger each year creating a dangerous trajectory for the future of higher education. There is additionally an inverse relationship between the cost of college and the salary of […] Read More → 
U.S. stock investors are finding the value of staying close to home. Even as the U.S. economy barely grew in early 2014, companies with a domestic orientation have on balance delivered better first-quarter sales and profit growth than their globally oriented peers. RBC Capital Markets found that sales growth among companies with a high percentage […] Read More → 
Mac SlavoSHTF Plan Given the state of affairs around the globe it’s no surprise that many people are looking for ways to diversify their wealth into crisis investments. Navigating through the oft manipulated economic and financial numbers can be a daunting task, especially because the world’s geo-political climate is a powder keg that’s primed to […] Read More → 
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) is preparing to sweeten its bid for AstraZeneca Plc (AZN) to more than 63 billion pounds ($106 billion) in an attempt to lure the U.K.’s second-biggest drugmaker to the negotiating table, people with knowledge of the matter said. The offer may value AstraZeneca at more than 50 pounds a share and include […] Read More →