Increasingly in the media, there are discussions relating to deflation: are we experiencing deflation, and is deflation worse than inflation? Occasionally, discussions of the economy refer to disinflation. This will be the first in a series of posts exploring price changes and their implications for investing. Read the full article

In January I wrote a post in which I expressed some concern as to whether new Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Schapiro would move the investment industry into a regulatory environment that is more favorable for investors. So far, the signs seem encouraging. Read the full article

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro each testified before different congressional committees today to disclose their recommendations on regulatory reform of US financial markets. Read the full article

Today I received updated figures from First American CoreLogic, which maintains one of the nation’s largest databases on residential property transactions. Their January results confirm a wide disparity in housing price changes across the U.S. over the last year. In general, the news is not good. Read the full article

Researchers over at Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research have analyzed the “interest-free loan” opportunity presented by the loophole in Social Security that I’ve discussed before. Once their findings reach Congress, I’m betting this loophole gets closed. Read the full article

Hewitt Associates, the HR consulting firm, tracks 401(k) investing trends for 1.5 million employees of large (> 5,000 employee) companies. Their January 401(k) plan data show a curious fact: employees put more money into their employers' stock than into any other category. Read the full article

Recently I was listening to an IRS webcast on tax law changes (yes, it’s just as exciting as it sounds!) and something caught my attention. I was already aware that people living in disaster areas are eligible for various kinds of tax relief, but I realized that I’d missed an important fact. You don’t have to live in a disaster area to get a tax break; the Heartland Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008 includes special provisions for educational expenses incurred by students attending college in areas struck by disaster in 2008. This article will be of interest even if you don’t qualify for the expanded disaster relief benefits but are interested in tax benefits available to households with college expenses. Read the full article

For buyers in the most expensive housing markets, the rules concerning “conforming” mortgages have been confusing over the last year or so. Conforming mortgages are eligible to be purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-run companies that together own or guarantee most home mortgages. One benefit of a conforming mortgage is the all-important interest rate: mortgages whose values exceed a specified amount are not conforming and typically carry interest rates that are ¾% or more higher than conforming mortgage rates. Read the full article

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. I’ve learned that it's not unheard-of for a professional tax preparer to advise a married individual to file his or her tax return using the single filer status. No! No! Bad tax preparer! Read the full article

It’s been a while since I’ve had time to review another web log, but I’m ready to add to my list. This one is different, because it’s an aggregation blog. Read the full article

There are a number of differences between stocks and bonds. In addition to those I discussed earlier, the two also differ in terms of the unpleasant things that can go wrong with them. The deal struck between Citigroup and the Treasury recently provides an opportunity to illustrate a few more differences. Read the full article

With short-term Treasuries yielding fractions of a percent, people who need safe investments find they're getting very little for their money. What are the best options for low-risk cash investments right now? Read the full article

Page 1 of 1

Add to Technorati Favorites
Return to The FFS Blog Home Page

And now, to keep my lawyers happy: This site is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing contained here should be construed by anyone as an invitation or solicitation to buy or sell any security. This site does not contain personalized legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. Users of this site should consult with a qualified adviser to obtain advice suited to their personal circumstances. Any links provided here to other web sites are for informational purposes only. We take no responsibility for the accuracy or content of linked sites.

COPYRIGHT THOMAS A. FISHER © 2008 - 2009