A now record-setting run of U.S. economic growth enters its 121st month on Monday, sustained by a decade of low interest rates and massive Federal Reserve intervention that helped put 22 million people back to work. To read the full article in Reuters, click: As U.S. Expansion Notches Record, Recovery May Have Only Just Begun. ...

The financial crisis of 2008 may have started in the U.S. banking sector but it went on to unleash the deepest global recession since the Great Depression. To read the full article in World Economic Forum, click: An Economist Explains What Happens if There is Another Financial Crisis. ...

The Association’s quarterly survey finds that staffing is still a top worry. Finance executives in the United States continue to feel good about growth in their respective industries, despite creeping concerns that the good times could be coming to an end in the near future. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Finance Leaders Feel Good but Ready for a Downturn. ...

Financial advisors face a slew of new regulatory issues in 2018, and when it comes to compliance, they are “better off changing the oil regularly than waiting for the engine to blow up.”  That vivid warning comes from Todd Cipperman, founder of Cipperman Compliance Services, a consulting firm specializing in regulatory compliance.  To find out what to expect next year according to Cipperman, as well as Bao ...

A taxpayer cannot blame tax preparation software for inaccuracies that lead to penalties.  A recent Tax Court case provides a cautionary tale for taxpayers who rely on do-it-yourself tax preparation software to prepare their tax returns.  Craig Smalley provides some insight into this. To read the full article in The Tax Adviser, click: Reliance on Tax Software Does Not Let Taxpayer Off the Hook. ...

Older Americans Upbeat about Retirement, but Savings are Lacking for Some Fifty-nine percent of Americans between the ages of 45 and 65 said they were at least somewhat ready for retirement, according to a survey conducted in the middle of last month.  However, 22% of those surveyed said they had saved less than $100,000, and 27% said they had saved nothing for retirement. To read the full article in USA To ...

Consumer Spending Returns to Growth in U.S. Core U.S. retail sales grew 0.6% in January, reversing a 0.3% decline in December, the Commerce Department said.  Also, a University of Michigan survey found that consumers are generally optimistic and say their purchasing power will benefit from low inflation.  Harriet Torry, The Wall Street Journal, explains. To read the full article in The Wall Street Journal, ...

Economic Concerns Take a Toll on Bank Stocks Investors are selling off bank stocks amid fears that the global economy is slowing and interest rates may stay low for the foreseeable future.  Mike Cherney, Justin Baer, and Aaron Kuriloff, the WSJ, examine that bank leaders, meanwhile, say the sell-off has been overdone and don't anticipate that the U.S. will enter a recession. To read the full article in The ...

Part 1: Find Industry and Location-Specific Data Courts standards require that damages analysis results be within “reasonable certainty”, and objective rather than speculative. And while the terms “reasonable certainty” and “speculative” are more terms of art than science, given these standards, it is of vital importance to analyze all relevant factors to the extent permitted by the best data available. And ...

In a well-supported article by zerohedge.com, the author suggests a “fix” to the current problems with price-to-earnings (P/E) multiples.  Among the questions answered are:  Can P/Es tell us anything about stock valuations during periods of earning recessions?  Is a bear market closer than we think?  If so, when is the best time to buy?  What do today’s inflated valuations mean for long-term returns?  Why a ...

Fed Buying Is Having Profound Implications. Bond Vigilantes Have Been Selling Heavily and May Continue. That Means We Still We Won't See Much of an Impact on Interest Rates. Paul Santos at Seeking Alpha claims you don't need to worry about the bond vigilantes anymore.  I, personally, have always been a big fan, and think they will return.  But hey: This is Mr. Santos' opinion piece, not mine, so I'll let hi ...

The U.S. likely will fall back into recession if scheduled spending cuts take effect and Bush-era tax cuts are allowed to expire this year, the Congressional Budget Office said. If the U.S. falls off this "fiscal cliff," the economy will probably contract 1.3% in the first half of 2013, the CBO said.  CNN Financial Times / Alphaville New York Times NPR Reuters USA Today Wall Street Journal Yahoo! Finance ...