Continue reading When Are We Going to Pay Off the National Debt?

When Are We Going to Pay Off the National Debt? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When the CEO of Walmart says that inflation is coming, we best be on the lookout. As head of America's largest retailer, Bill Simon is in a unique place to see inflation traveling all the way through the supply chain.

Walmart's (WMT) advanced computer systems are the some of the largest and most advanced computer systems in the world -- on par with computers the U.S. military uses. Every product and purchase is tracked to get stores resupplied as quickly as possible, usually just in time. As a retailer, Walmart is going to be keeping track of costs and profit margins very closely. Managers all across the company are carefully watching the reports.

Continue reading Is Inflation Here? Walmart Warns of Rising Prices

Is Inflation Here? Walmart Warns of Rising Prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In a recent letter to the governor of Illinois, Doug Oberhelman, CEO of heavy machinery maker Caterpillar (CAT), outlined his concerns about new state taxes that could force the Illinois-based company to move operations to another state. Reportedly, Wisconsin, Indiana and New Jersey are all courting the company.

With 23,000 Caterpillar employees in Illinois, the stakes are high. Hopefully, Governor Pat Quinn and Oberhelman will be able to work something out.

Continue reading Caterpillar Mulls Relocating: How Do You Move a Bulldozer Company?

Caterpillar Mulls Relocating: How Do You Move a Bulldozer Company? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Movie theaters don't want you to know how many calories are in the popcorn and that's why they are resisting FDA attempts at requiring disclosures. If the FDA required scales in front of the popcorn counters, or that all popcorn be sold with free carrots, I might side with the theaters, but requiring one of those small nutritional information panels on the back of the popcorn bucket -- eaten in a darkened theater -- hardly seems oppressive to me.

I'm all for free choice and I don't want to take away anyone's jumbo popcorn as they go to the movies -- unless, of course, I get to eat some of it.

Continue reading What Movie Theaters Don't Want You to Know About the $6 Popcorn!

What Movie Theaters Don't Want You to Know About the $6 Popcorn! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I was a bit amused to hear Omaha Mayor Suttle unrolled the idea of a toilet paper tax, but I am not so sure he really thought this tissue through. At first glance, the tax of 10 cents per roll to pay for sewer projects seems like a fair user tax; but I think the politicians really should have contemplated this a little more. Is it really fair to women?

While certainly my heart goes out to politicians trying to balance spending all that money without the pesky things called taxes; but I don't think this idea is going to ... float. But I think it is important to give the politician partial credit for productivity; as I imagine they thought up this idea while in the john.

Continue reading A Toilet Paper Tax -- Really?

A Toilet Paper Tax -- Really? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Teams have been preparing their game plans and it's time to see which of the 60 teams will win. No, not the Packers or Steelers -- Go Pack! -- but PepsiCo (PEP), Anheuser-Busch (BUD), General Motors (GM) and all the other companies competing for the best spots in one of TV's most expensive marketing moments, costing an estimated $3 million dollars per 30 second spot.

For those not into football, the ads in the Super Bowl game can be more amusing than the game itself as advertising teams compete for attention, show their best efforts and even get rated by numerous online sites. Last year, Doritos (owned by PepsiCo), and E-Trade (ETFC) did well, and Anheuser-Busch seems to always have a Clydesdale horse in the running.

Continue reading Who Will Win the Super Bowl Ad Game This Year?

Who Will Win the Super Bowl Ad Game This Year? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading No Toy for You! San Francisco Bans Happy Meal Toys

No Toy for You! San Francisco Bans Happy Meal Toys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Doom & Gloom Economy or Rich America?

Doom & Gloom Economy or Rich America? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Could Free-Trade Backlash Cause Another Great Depression?

Could Free-Trade Backlash Cause Another Great Depression? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News

Continue reading Good News: Consumers Control Credit Cards in Tough Times

Good News: Consumers Control Credit Cards in Tough Times originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It seems as if everyone is worried about the economy going into a double-dip recession these days. Worry in and of itself can be very destructive, both to your mental state and to the economy overall. Besides pulling out your hair, causing acid reflux and other health problems, worry can actually become self-fulfilling prophecy and cause the very thing you are most afraid of.

A number of years ago when I read Dale Carnegie's book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, one method he suggested was just to accept the worst case scenario and then move on with life from there.

So accept it: THE ECONOMY IS DOOMED! it's going to be 10 years of economic nightmare!

Now what?

Continue reading The Economy Is Doomed! Now What?

The Economy Is Doomed! Now What? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to recent news reports out of the World Bank, China is now the world's number two economy, passing Japan.

China's fast-growing economy has been moving forward at more than 10% a year for many years and is likely to become the world's largest economic superpower, bypassing America by 2025, or maybe even as soon as 2017 as I pointed out recently.

Continue reading China Surpasses Japan as World's #2 Economy

China Surpasses Japan as World's #2 Economy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Ya'll oughta try some of this here fried chicken; you ain't gonna believe it!" "Xie-Xie!" (pronounced "she-she") That is Chinese for thank you. From the hills of Kentucky, the Colonial Sanders secret recipe has made a splash in China. While it is well known a lot of the stuff you buy at Walmart (WMT) is made in China; what you may not know is that China is crazy for KFC.

You may not think anything of going out for Chinese with your friends and practice eating with chopsticks; when the Chinese go out with their friends to practice eating with a fork; KFC seems to be a popular option.

Continue reading China Is Crazy over KFC

China Is Crazy over KFC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With the unemployment rate hovering near 10%, bad news on the TV and job prospects dwindling, it can be tempting to retreat to a nice beach somewhere until the economy turns around. Some people are actually doing it! Rather than sitting around and moping until the economy recovers, you can go see the world and have the trip of a lifetime.

Out of work and taking a vacation? You probably want some of what I am smoking? Well, listen up!

Continue reading Tired of Looking for Work? See the World Instead!

Tired of Looking for Work? See the World Instead! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the year following Bush's dividend tax cuts, the Dow Jones rose 16%. When the tax cuts expire in a few months, will the market drop?

One method of evaluating stocks is that they are worth the present value of all the future cash flows. This can make dividend stocks particularly attractive to investors because they get paid rent or a dividend for holding a company. If conditions change and those future dividends are no longer expected, a stock can suddenly be worth a lot less. This is a large reason why we see stocks drop suddenly at earnings announcements or when companies revise outlooks.

Continue reading Dividend Stocks to Plunge 16% Due to Tax Increases?

Dividend Stocks to Plunge 16% Due to Tax Increases? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Are you one of the millions of Americans out of work and not able find a good job locally? If you have an adventurous spirit and native English accent, you can teach overseas and it is more doable than you may think.

Maybe you hate your current job and need a change before you go crazy? Maybe you are unemployed tired of beating the street around town and always wanted to see the other cultures. There is an entire world of opportunity out there in teaching English in foreign countries. Teaching experience, a college degree, or 1 month TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification are pluses, but none of them are required and depending on the program you may not even need to know much grammar.

Continue reading Unemployed American? Teach English Overseas!

Unemployed American? Teach English Overseas! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Is it time to dump dividend stocks before the Bush tax cuts expire? In 2001 and 2003 Bush, passed several tax relief bills that will automatically expire at the end of 2010. Obama campaigned against the tax relief packages and many Americans may be facing a huge tax increase as the package expires.

Dividend taxation is of particular concern to investors. Under the relief packages, dividends taxes were cut to 15%, but if the package expires, dividends may be taxed as ordinary income at levels up to 39.6%.

Continue reading Are Dividend Rates About to Drop 29%?

Are Dividend Rates About to Drop 29%? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China is developing fast and, even though it has some issues with human rights, pollution and corruption, people have been speculating that it could be the next global super power.

China has a population of 1.3 billion, which is four times the U.S. population of 308 million. Simple math dictates that if four Chinese people can match one U.S. person in productivity, China will surpass the U.S. in production.

Continue reading Will China Surpass the U.S. as the Economic Superpower in Seven Years?

Will China Surpass the U.S. as the Economic Superpower in Seven Years? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Do High Gold Prices Mean Future Trouble?

Do High Gold Prices Mean Future Trouble? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Americans usually move from a bicycle to a car around the age of 16 when they get a driver's license and money to buy their first car. And as China's middle class grows, so will the desire to move beyond bicycles. Whether it's a scooter, motorcycle or a car -- it is going to use gasoline.

Continue reading What Happens to Oil Prices When 1.3 Billion Chinese Get Rid of Bicycles?

What Happens to Oil Prices When 1.3 Billion Chinese Get Rid of Bicycles? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.