Author: James Flippin
Building wealth in America: The real estate paradox
Ranking Assets When it comes to building wealth in America, 23% of Americans say real estate is the best strategy, according to a survey conducted …
Why marketers care about Gen Z’s obsession with Despicable Me, The Rock & other oddball preferences
What’s Gen Z Watching? For marketers and major film studios, Gen Z has been particularly difficult to get a reading on. However, a new report …
Will streaming really become like cable?
The Finale? A famous business principle is that whatever works gets copied. The success of Netflix (NFLX) exemplifies it. After taking a risk with streaming …
How to protect yourself from scammers this year
Gone Phishin’ Phishing attacks are a cyber criminal’s attempt to steal your information by posing as a familiar organization, such as your employer or a …
Why Microsoft is eyeing ChatGPT for Bing
What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is an AI-powered language chatbot developed by tech research firm OpenAI. Designed to answer user questions, it’s recently surged in popularity …
Updates to the tax code you should really know about
Why Make Changes? The US experienced some of the highest inflation rates in decades in 2022. To account for this inflation, the Internal Revenue Service …
Dollar Stores are thriving in these surprising US communities
A Fistful of Dollar Stores Dollar stores are expanding rapidly, with several discount retail chains opening new locations across the US. Two of the …
Mortgage rates dip even as refinancing demands spike
Sales Keep Sliding In November, existing home sales fell for the 10th straight month. This added to an already record-long streak, with higher mortgage rates …
The hair-raising number of packages snatched by porch pirates
Petty Package Crime Ecommerce has long been a major part of how people buy goods, with this segment totaling nearly 15% of all retail sales …
The old-school way Netflix is trying to stay relevant
Netflix and Spill The Netflix Preview Club (NFLX) is the streaming industry’s reboot of one of Hollywood’s tried-and-true best practices — the focus group. …
You may be ready for the holiday season, but are your finances ready for tax season?
Time To Reevaluate A year is a long time. There’s a good chance, over the course of the past year, at least one major aspect …
A familiar face is back at Disney. That may be good for investors & theme park fanatics
Disney Parks Are Buffering Earlier this month, entertainment goliath Disney (DIS) reported lower-than-expected revenue and profit for the previous quarter. For certain segments, like its …
The average American retiree has this much cash, but is it enough?
Retirement is a financial goal most of us think about. At some point, everyone will be forced to leave the workforce for good. But, how …
How to lower your energy bill without touching your thermostat
Increasing Energy Prices Energy prices are spiking around the world, most notably in Europe. However, many experts believe a similar crisis in the United States may …
Holiday travel will cost you a pretty penny this year
Holiday Season Prices are up, up, and away for both airline tickets and gas, with the latter at an all-time seasonal high. On top of …
More people are hoping apps can buy them love … literally
Dating Costs Rise Match Group (MTCH), the owner of popular dating apps Tinder and Hinge, just reported a 2% increase in paid subscribers across all …
How to give this holiday season, even with inflation
Consumer Sentiment Hits Lows In the face of record inflation and lingering recessionary concerns, people across America are nervous about their financial future. According to …
A judge struck down Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. Now what?
The Ruling Last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled that President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program is unconstitutional. This followed a lawsuit backed …
Are people really buying homes through social media?
Sales Have Stalled With the average national mortgage rate hovering around 7%, the housing market, which was on fire during 2020 and 2021, is finally …
What to do with your retirement during a bear market
Grin and Bear It There’s no sugarcoating what’s going on with the market. Both stocks and bonds are trading in bear market territory, which means …
How to keep inflation from spoiling your holidays
Prepare For A Pricey Holiday The holidays are often the busiest and most hectic time of the year. This year, thanks to record-high inflation, you …
Is it really too early to start holiday shopping?
For some, it may still feel too early to listen to Christmas music, but that doesn’t mean it’s too soon to start shopping for holiday …
Savvy savers spend less on groceries with these tricks
This past year has been difficult for consumers, with inflation driving up the prices of many everyday goods. At the grocery store, the prices of …
IRS boosts max retirement contribution limit. Here’s what to know
Following adjustments made to tax brackets in 2023, the IRS instituted record-breaking increases to the contribution limits for 401(k) and other tax-deferred retirement plans. Starting …
Boo! How to shake off scary prices & enjoy Halloween
Costuming Up Post-COVID With the fall calendar in full swing, we’re rapidly approaching the so-called holiday season, which will be largely free of COVID-based restrictions …
Here’s what Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan could look like
Ahead of the 2020 election, President Joe Biden made student loan forgiveness a focus of his campaign. On Wednesday, his administration moved forward with plans …
How to overcome inflation anxiety & sensibly adjust your financial plan
A survey from Bankrate found 40% of US adults are feeling stressed or negatively affected in terms of their mental health as a result of …
Why crypto’s demise could be exaggerated
The stock market’s recent volatility has been accompanied by a similar path for digital currencies like Bitcoin (BTC), as the Fed’s anticipated rate hikes have …
Why are fake accounts causing Elon Musk to question Twitter’s business model?
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has put his plans to buy Twitter (TWTR) on hold unless the social media company can provide convincing data concerning …
Fewer Americans are refinancing mortgages. Is inflation to blame?
By the Numbers According to the New York Fed, mortgage refinancing hit its peak during the second quarter of 2021, amid a several-year-long boom. Historically low …
