HOT TOPIC: European News Causes Market Mood Swings
In recent weeks, the yields on Italian bonds spiked to more than 7%, suggesting the sovereign debt crisis was spreading to a much larger economy and eluding the European Union’s efforts to contain it. The U.S. stock and bond markets have responded to the headlines coming out of Europe. This article explores the role of political risk in U.S. financial market volatility.
How Interest Rates Can Influence Financial Decisions
The Federal Reserve has relied on its control of short-term interest rates to influence economic activity. Adjusting interest rates might seem to be an overly simple solution for steering the world's most powerful economy, but few mechanisms can influence behavior more effectively than interest rates.
HOT TOPIC: The Federal Estate Tax Is Back and May Be Here to Stay
The estate tax has been reinstated after being allowed to lapse in 2010. The new estate tax provisions are the most generous in decades — but they are temporary. A far more stringent estate tax is slated to take effect after 2012. Fortunately, a properly structured trust may help some families reduce their potential exposure to the estate tax.
Building a Business Versus Building Wealth
The market for small businesses has been less than ideal over the past few years. Thus a business owner's efforts to build a successful business may not always translate to an increase in personal wealth. One way to insulate a business owner's personal financial situation from the fluctuating small-business market is by investing outside the company.
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