Investing News

Roughly 9.7 million people identify as American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN), either alone or in combination with one or more races, according to the most recent census report from 2020. This represents about 2.9% of the total U.S. population. A number of programs have been created to serve the needs of this part of

Dividends vs. Buybacks: An Overview Many companies reward their shareholders in two ways—by paying dividends or buying back shares. An increasing number of blue chips, or well-established companies, are doing both. Paying dividends and stock buybacks make a potent combination that can significantly boost shareholder returns. But which is better—stock buybacks or dividends? A dividend payment

Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) is a global leader in defense-related products. Formed after a merger of Lockheed Corp. and Martin Marietta in 1995, the company’s largest customer is the U.S. government, which in 2021 represented 71% of net sales. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., the company employs roughly 114,000 workers and generates almost $67 billion in revenue

PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) is one of the largest and most well-known companies in the world. Though famous for its namesake soft drink, PepsiCo has branched out into many other products over its lifespan, leading to diversified revenue streams. How does the global behemoth operate, and which are its key products and markets across the globe in

As of late 2021, American students are on the hook for approximately $1.75 trillion in student loans, according to data compiled by the Education Data Initiative. 43.2 million student borrowers owe an average of $39,351, up significantly from past decades. With that much money on the line, it’s reasonable to be curious about who might

Identifying as nonbinary, genderqueer, agender, or bigender doesn’t disqualify a person from getting life insurance. Still, one must apply as either male or female because despite widening awareness that not everyone identifies as one gender or the other, the underwriting process hasn’t changed to keep pace. Key Takeaways Being nonbinary doesn’t disqualify an applicant from

Most mortgage averages moved only minimally upwards Wednesday, remaining close to lower levels registered the day before. It’s a decline from the start of the week, when the 30-year average reached its highest level in two and half months. Today’s National Mortgage Rate Averages After easing lower Tuesday, 30-year mortgage rates remained mostly steady Wednesday,

Cryptocurrency investing can be a great way to diversify investments but figuring out which cryptocurrency is suitable and which isn’t can be challenging. In order to make an informed investment decision, it is important to know how to analyze cryptocurrencies. Key Takeaways Investing in cryptocurrency requires an understanding of its pros and cons due to its

Semiconductor firms Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reported new U.S. export restrictions would limit sales to China, sending shares of both companies and other semiconductor stocks tumbling on Thursday. While AMD claimed the new rules would not have a material impact on its business, Nvidia expects the change could mean a loss of

Labor unions are associations of workers formed to protect workers’ rights and advance their interests. Unions negotiate with employers through a process known as collective bargaining. The resulting union contract specifies workers’ pay, hours, benefits, and job health and safety policies. Thanks to the efforts of labor unions, workers have achieved higher wages, more reasonable

When real estate agents talk about staging your home, they’re referring to a method of preparing a property for sale on the real estate marketplace. Staging is designed to showcase a home’s best assets, impress buyers, and sell it quickly for the highest possible price. Because not all sellers stage their homes–especially homes in lower

We all know health insurance is something you shouldn’t live without, but what about vision insurance? You can purchase vision insurance as a group benefit through your employer or as an individual policy. But how does the cost compare to the coverage you’ll receive? Key Takeaway Most vision care plans provide discounts on laser eye-correction surgery. Vision

Student loan debt may be the biggest financial issue facing young adults today. Research shows that 55% of the class of 2020 who earned a bachelor’s degree also have student debt, owing an average of $28,400. As tuition and other costs continue to rise, having to borrow money to earn a degree is often unavoidable.

The marijuana industry is made up of companies that either support or are engaged in the research, development, distribution, and sale of medical and recreational marijuana. Cannabis has begun to gain wider acceptance and has been legalized in a growing number of nations, states, and other jurisdictions for recreational, medicinal, and other uses. Some of

Small cap stocks are public companies that have market capitalizations ranging from $300 million to $2 billion. Since the share prices of these companies can be very volatile, some companies in the small cap universe, or in small cap indexes, can have market caps significantly higher than this range at any particular time. Some of

The industrial sector includes companies that produce machinery, equipment, and supplies that are used in construction and manufacturing, as well as those that provide related services. These companies are closely tied to the economy, and their business volume often falls sharply during recessions, though each industrial subsector often performs differently. Well-known companies include Lockheed Martin

At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. labor market’s employment losses topped 14% below pre-recession totals—more than eight points higher than the worst month of the Great Recession. Yet despite the unprecedented spike in unemployment, it would only take 29 months to recover the jobs lost, beating the recoveries of both the dot-com

Buying back or repurchasing shares can be a sensible way for companies to use their extra cash on hand to reward shareholders and earn a better return than bank interest on those funds. However, in many cases, share buybacks are seen as just a ploy to boost reported earnings—since there are fewer shares outstanding for

Amazon (AMZN) is one of the most valuable companies in the world, with a market capitalization exceeding one trillion dollars. One-way AMZN has continued to grow is by introducing new products and acquiring complementary businesses. One such product is Amazon Prime. This membership service gives subscribers certain perks like free two-day shipping of products, access

Borrowers can use personal loans for all kinds of purposes, but can the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treat loans like income and tax them? The answer is no, with one significant exception: Personal loans are not considered income for the borrower unless the loan is forgiven. In other words, you cannot be taxed on loan