This week’s approval of H.R. 83, the $1.1 trillion ‘Cromnibus’ spending bill that will fund the federal government for 2015, did serious damage to the Dodd-Frank Act.
Language in the bill re-permits trading in swaps and derivatives by FDIC-insured banks—a practice the Dodd-Frank Act eliminated when it was signed back...
Coinciding with the start of the DNC in Philadelphia, stocks kicked off the week on a down note as oil prices slid. The price of a barrel of oil closed at its lowest level since April 25th over worries over a global "over-supply." U.S. crude settled down $1.06, or...
It’s been nearly a month since President Obama made a strong push for fiduciary responsibility on Wall Street, explaining that biased financial advice robs everyday Americans of billions of dollars each year.
Since that time, politicians and financial advisors alike have weighed in on the issue. But on Tuesday, perhaps...
The dollar was up again but oil was down, and so followed the markets today. Consumer confidence continues to rise slowly which fuels the fire of another possible rate hike by the Fed.
Eric Chemi wrote an interesting piece for CNBC today with the headline:
"A Market Adrift, Tied To Nothing,...
The stock market ended the first quarter of 2015 in almost the same position where it began the year. But it sure was a bumpy ride to get back to the starting position.
The Dow took a beating in January—falling almost 4%—before recovering to gain 5.6% in February. This was...
The long debate over conflicts of interest on Wall Street will reach its boiling point this week, when the Department of Labor (DOL) hosts numerous hearings over the proposed fiduciary rule.
All sessions will be conducted at DOL headquarters in Washington, D.C., and will feature numerous participants representing opposing sides...
Up and down, up and down.
If you didn't have the stomach for undulating turns on the stock market then this week might have prompted you to get off of the Wall Street ride. Volatility was the name of the game this week with large up & down swings, but...
Most websites on investing and financial planning can’t wait to tell you about two things—the record highs of the Dow Jones Industrial Average or S&P 500, and the impressive levels of growth expected in our nation’s economy in the coming months.
So why did the United States’ GDP drop in...
One of the cardinal rules mutual fund investors follow is the avoidance of ‘load’ fees—essentially, the sales charge associated with joining a fund. Unfortunately, that leads these investors into perhaps a bigger mistake.
That’s because they’re overlooking two more fees funds assess. One is covered in the prospectus, but the...
U.S. stocks finished down slightly for the second day in a row, after oil prices struggled in early trading.
U.S. crude stockpiles grew by an astounding 7.7 million barrels last week, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API). This was more than expected and contributed to another drop in oil...
