Personal Finance
We soon will learn what Congress and the Trump Administration have in store for Medicaid. But while the state/federal program has become a high-profile target, it is widely misunderstood. And so are the consequences of major Medicaid changes for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families. Yes, Medicaid provides medical insurance for low-income working age people and their children. But Medicaid spends more than half its budget on medical and long-term care for frail, low-income older adults and younger people with disabilities. And about one-quarter of all Medicaid benefits, more than $200 billion, goes to long-term care for about…
In this article I cover the strategy used by Josef Lakonishok and highlight a list of stocks currently passing the AAII Lakonishok screen. Picking up the value torch from Benjamin Graham, Lakonishok focuses on buying out-of-favor companies that are beginning to show signs of awakening. The Lakonishok screening model has had impressive long-term performance, with an average annual gain since 1998 of 13.8%, versus 6.8% for the S&P 500 index over the same period. The Lakonishok Screening Model Value investing consists of buying underappreciated or ignored stocks at attractive prices. Value investors seek stocks that are priced attractively relative to…
The Department of Education, under the Biden Administration, confirmed this week that the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Income Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plans are re-opened for enrollments, with some restrictions due to the ongoing lawsuits. In updated guidance shared this week, the Department of Education confirms: “As of December 16, 2024 borrowers may apply for the following IDR plans: Pay As You Earn (PAYE), SAVE (previously known as REPAYE), Income-Based Repayment (IBR), and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), if borrowers meet any plan specific eligibility requirements.” However, not all features of the plans may be in effect because of the lawsuits.…
The federal student loan system is, in a word, a mess right now. Between ongoing court challenges and the pending change in presidential administrations, several student loan forgiveness and repayment programs are blocked by courts or stuck in administrative limbo. Borrowers can still qualify for student loan forgiveness despite the ongoing turmoil. But whether someone will receive any relief very much depends on the specific program. And untangling which programs are available, and which ones are not, is no easy task. Here’s a breakdown. Student Loan Forgiveness Under The SAVE Plan Is Blocked The SAVE plan was the Biden administration’s…
It may come as a surprise to many people, but insider trading is not specifically defined by any statute. It is understood to describe trading in stocks or securities by people with access to material and confidential non-public information. Following the stock market crash of 1929 Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with the intention of curbing abuses that led to the crash. Clarifying Section 10(b) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted Rule 10b-5 which made it illegal engage in fraud in connection…
Another SECURE Act might be in the works in Congress. Extremely large bipartisan majorities ensured passage of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act in 2019 and the SECURE Act 2.0 in 2022. The two laws made numerous changes to qualified retirement plans, including 401(k)s and IRAs. The main goals of the laws were to make it easier for more people to participate in tax-favored retirement plans, increase contributions for some people, delay required minimum distributions, and allow penalty-free distributions in more situations. Not all the changes were favorable for taxpayers. To offset some of the lost…
Egg prices are on the rise at the most inconvenient time of the year. As holiday bakers push demand for eggs to its annual high, farmers battle the resurgence of a highly contagious and deadly bird flu that’s claimed roughly 5% of the U.S. flock of egg-laying hens in just three months.Since October, multiple outbreaks spanning six states, including Arizona, California, Iowa, Oregon, Utah and Washington, affected nearly 16.7 million egg-laying hens. Because of where the outbreaks occurred — in multiple states whose animal welfare laws require eggs produced or sold there come from cage-free hens — they’ve had an…
A survey of nearly 2,000 American retirees conducted for What The Happiest Retirees Know revealed insights into their habits and behaviors. No topic was off limits, even those often seen as taboo: money, social media, sex, love, faith, and diet. The responses were candid and transformative for anyone willing to use them as a guide for their own retirement. One clear throughline was that a lack of curiosity does not seem to bode well for retirement happiness. An inquisitive, adventurous spirit appears to be the special sauce as long as it’s channeled and catalyzed in a healthy way. This intrepid…
Wall Street’s second-largest exchange now faces a dramatic shift in its push for diverse board leadership representation. Nasdaq’s groundbreaking board diversity rules hit a major roadblock as the U.S. appeals court ruled that it could not impose rules requiring companies listed on the exchange to have women and minority directors on their boards or explain why they do not. The Breakdown You Need To Know: Constitutional drama stayed backstage while statutory grounds stole the spotlight as the Nasdaq rules were challenged by the National Center for Public Policy Research and Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment. Fresh off the Supreme Court’s…
As the Trump administration gears up to take over the White House in January of 2025, many student borrowers are wondering what comes next. Some are especially concerned about Trump’s intentions to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, as well as some of his past remarks about the future of student loan forgiveness. The Biden Administration attempted a lot of reforms to help student loan borrowers, but the results have been mixed. The administration’s never-ending attempts to forgive student loan debt have created constant upheaval, and signature programs like the Saving On a Valuable Education (SAVE) income-driven repayment plan, are…
There’s been growing activity in antitrust. The would-be acquisition of Albertsons, the second-largest U.S. grocery operator, by number one Kroger was knocked asunder by a court. That may become a more unusual action with the replacement of Chair Lina Khan, whose term is over. Donald Trump’s choice of the next FTC chair, current Commissioner Andrew Ferguson, has been talking about investigating online social media platforms “for unfair acts or practices relating to their opaque, unpredictable processes for banning users and censoring content.” But no matter what exactly the new administration decides to do, it’s unlikely to address a growing problem…