Securing a small-business loan has become more difficult in recent years. Here's a look at how companies are coping. More »Where Small Businesses Are Finding Money (Infographic)
In the old days, cash back and no annual fees hardly ever went hand in hand when it came to credit cards. Cardholders basically had a choice to make, neither of which were perfect. Luckily, that’s not the case in 2013. Nowadays, some of the best cash back cards charge no annual fees to cardholders.... More »5 No Annual Fee Credit Cards With Great Cash Back Programs
Biotechnology stocks can lose a lot of money. The thing about biotechnology stocks is that they are risky—very risky. Money can be lost in the stock market at a frenetic speed. Because biotechnology stocks are 100% risk-capital securities, they should only be relegated to the “play money” portion of a stock market portfolio. But a... More »Why Momentum Traders Love These Stocks
What’s all of this fuss about earnings helping to drive up the stock market? The first-quarter earnings season has been OK, but not great. Maybe the market is fine with average results and pleased there have not been major surprises to the downside. First-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at an annualized 2.5%—pretty good considering... More »Market Near Record High, but Where’s the Revenue?
As central banks around the world have taken money printing and easy monetary policy, such as low interest rates, as their key tools to boost economic growth, there are concerns among investors about what happens once they actually stop and bring their monetary policy back towards normalization—raising interest rates and no longer printing money like... More »Stock Market to Crash When Central Banks Stop Printing?
The Marketplace Fairness Act, expected to pass in the Senate on May 6, requires online retailers to charge shoppers their state's sales tax. Is the law a poor political move? More »Why Internet Sales Tax is Bad Public Policy (Opinion)
We all make mistakes, especially with our personal credit when we’re younger. When it comes to your business credit though, some of these same mistakes can hurt you big time and affect the ability of your business to take out new loans or get favorable terms, potentially putting you out of business. From paying bills... More »7 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Business Credit Score
There is a genuine serenity when fly fishing. It is unique. Standing alone in the middle of a river, casting a fly with water gushing around you provides clarity. Now I know why the stock market hasn’t sold off more on mediocre earnings. It’s the cash. The run-up to first-quarter earnings season was pronounced, and... More »Is Current Market Action Just the Calm Before the Storm?
Chinese stocks are continuing to underperform the U.S. market this year, and the Chinese economy appears to be headed for its fourth straight year of underperformance. After recording stellar gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 10.4% in 2010, the Chinese economy has stalled and reversed course, declining in 2011 and 2012. And it looks like... More »China in a Holding Pattern, but There Are Opportunities Inside the Great Wall
Gold bullion has lost almost 15% since the beginning of 2013. While gold’s ceiling may be limitless, its descent isn’t. Like any investment, it can, theoretically, only go to zero. Sadly, some investors are so afraid of losing money that they’ll hold onto a plummeting equity at any cost. If you followed the herd and... More »One Simple Way to Protect Yourself from the Fear of Taking a Loss
The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE/PG) is likely a company that a lot of people have in their stock market portfolios, whether they’re saving for retirement or are actually in retirement now. It remains a great business with solid potential going forward. On the day that Procter & Gamble released its first-quarter earnings results, the... More »Consumer Staples No Longer a Buy in This Market
On Sunday, the Bank of Cyprus announced that it would convert uninsured cash deposits in into equity. The controversial move is one of the conditions from European Union lenders as part of its financial aid for the financially distressed island. Soon after the announcement was made, industry observers called the process a “bail-in” which forced... More »Involuntary Investing: Cyprus Deposits Turned Into Equity
Having a great business idea is just the first step. Getting funding for your new company is the more challenging task that follows up. Often, individuals are discouraged from making their dream a reality because of the limited funding opportunities that are available. It is possible to find investment for a business idea, even if... More »How to Find Investors for Your Business Idea
If corporate earnings are coming in as expected and first-quarter revenues are light, the one thing that is very noticeable is the continuing improvement in balance sheets. Cash and cash equivalents continue to see increases, and shareholders’ equity is going up. The result of all this continues to be corporations becoming highly reticent to invest... More »Is It Time to Jump On or Fall Off the Stock Market Bandwagon?
Consumers appear to be holding back on buying non-essential goods, and this could impact the economic recovery. The durable goods orders contracted a dismal 5.7% in March, according to the United States Census Bureau, representing the largest decline in seven months—a far cry from the 4.3% rise in February and well below the Briefing.com estimate... More »Why Today’s Weak Durable Goods Numbers Foreshadow Low Confidence
Inflation is when the general price level increases. As a result, purchasing power diminishes; simply stated, every dollar buys less than it did before. Central banks around the world, including the Federal Reserve, continuously try to tame inflation so that it doesn’t get out of control, usually targeting for an inflation rate of anywhere from... More »Protect Your Portfolio from the Consequences of Inflation—Without Gold
The fourth-biggest hub in the eurozone, Spain, is facing a severe economic slowdown. According to Spain’s National Statistics Institute in Madrid, the unemployment rate in the country has surpassed the 27% mark, with more than six million people jobless—the highest number since 1976. (Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, April 25, 2013.) Furthermore, the Bank of Spain reported... More »Collapse of the Spanish Economy Has Already Happened
With better numbers from the U.S. housing market, the water heater business is on the upswing. On the stock market, A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE/AOS) is one of the leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heaters and boilers. The company actually started as a small machine shop in 1874 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What I... More »Make Money in Homebuilders Without Building Homes
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