DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Investors like dividend stocks for their yields, but the equities' returns have been pretty dismal so far this year. "That's what is putting pressure on these [dividend] stocks, or maybe just keeping them from lifting." IPDP YTD line Dividend Performers ETF (IPDP) performance year to date When it comes to specific stocks, Gilreath likes two under-the-radar plays: Brady Corporation and ABM Industries . Brady, which manufacturers identification and health-care products, has a 1.7% dividend yield. Diversification in light of recession risk When it comes to dividends, investors should look for quality rather than quantity.

Persons: That's, Bond, Andrew Graham, Dave Sheaff Gilreath, Gilreath, Morningstar . Brady, Capital's Graham, Graham, Dow, Laura Mattia, Morningstar, George Gagliardi, You'd, I'm Organizations: Investment, Jackson, Capital, Federal Reserve, Brady Corporation, ABM Industries, Dow Inc, Dow, LyondellBasell, Shell, Coromandel Wealth Management, U.S Locations: San Francisco, Indianapolis, Sarasota , Florida, Lexington , Massachusetts

Andreswd | E+ | Getty ImagesMedicare beneficiaries have until Dec. 7 to change their Medicare health and prescription drug coverage for the coming year through open annual enrollment. Starting in 2024, people who face high prescription drug costs will not have to pay anything out of pocket once they hit the catastrophic phase of their benefits, she noted, thanks to new prescription drug legislation. Notably, Medicare beneficiaries who take insulin currently do not have to pay more than $35 per month for covered prescriptions. There are other reasons why Medicare beneficiaries should pay attention to the annual enrollment period this year. Medicare open enrollment is when beneficiaries can shop around for health plans or prescription drug coverage that better meet their needs.

Persons: Meena Seshamani, Seshamani, Darren Hotton, Hotton, that's, Catherine, There's Organizations: Getty, Center, Medicare, Centers, Services, National Council, Aging, Insurance, State Health Insurance Locations: Catherine Falls, Medicare.gov, ShipHelp.org, Utah

November's rate for new purchases could be higher than the current 4.3% interest on I bonds bought through Oct. 31, leaving some investors wondering about whether to buy more. The variable rate adjusts every six months based on inflation and the Treasury can also change the fixed rate or keep it the same. (The fixed rate stays the same for investors after purchase, and the variable rate adjusts every six months based on the investor's purchase date.) Based on inflation, the variable rate in November will likely increase to 3.94% from 3.38%. But they'd need to purchase new I bonds between Nov. 1 and April 30 to score the increased fixed rate.

Persons: Ken Tumin, David Enna, you'll, DepositAccounts.com Organizations: Getty, U.S . Department of, Treasury Locations: —

Today's "niche" companies and those seen as AI leaders are unlikely to be the biggest winners for long-term investors, said Barry Glassman, a certified financial planner and member of CNBC's Advisor Council. "I've been through this enough to see that the niche players early on may not, in fact, be the long-term plays," Glassman said. Dan Romanoff, senior equity analyst with Morningstar Research Services, echoed that sentiment, saying investors would be hard-pressed to find a good "pure play" AI company in which to invest today. I would ask the question: What company isn't an AI company nowadays? However, it's unclear if such companies will remain among the AI leaders as the technology develops, experts said.

Persons: Jaap Arriens, Barry Glassman, I've, " Glassman, OpenAI, chatbot, Glassman, DocuSign, Dan Romanoff, Romanoff Organizations: Getty, San, Wealth, AOL, Cisco, Morningstar Research Services, Microsoft, Nvidia Locations: San Francisco, Vienna , Virginia, North Bethesda , Maryland

dowell | Moment | Getty ImagesIf you're sitting on profitable assets, there's a lesser-known tax-gain harvesting strategy, which can help rebalance your portfolio or trim future taxes. While tax-loss harvesting can be popular during a stock market downturn, tax-gain harvesting — or strategically selling appreciated brokerage account assets — can also be beneficial, depending on your financial goals, experts say. One of the key opportunities for tax-gain harvesting is for investors who fall into the 0% capital gains bracket, which applies to long-term capital gains, or assets owned for more than one year. The 0% bracket allows you to sell a certain amount of profitable assets without triggering capital gains taxes, which provides a chance to take the proceeds or rebalance your portfolio, according to Brown. While the so-called wash sale rule blocks investors from claiming a tax benefit after selling a losing asset and repurchasing within 30 days, the law doesn't apply when harvesting gains, Collado said.

Persons: dowell, Judy Brown, Brown, Marianela Collado, Collado Organizations: SC, H, D.C, Financial, CPA Locations: Washington, Baltimore, Plantation , Florida

If you're 50 or older, you can funnel extra money into your 401(k), known as "catch-up contributions." But starting in 2024, higher earners can only make 401(k) catch-up contributions to after-tax Roth accounts, which don't provide an upfront tax break but the funds can grow levy-free. Fund pretax catch-up contributions for 2023Guarino urges higher earners to fund pretax catch-up contributions in 2023 while they still can because it provides a bigger tax break. Change provides tax diversificationWhile some higher earners will lose a tax break, the catch-up contribution change is "not necessarily a bad thing," according to Dan Galli, a CFP and owner at Daniel J. Galli & Associates in Norwell, Massachusetts. Preparing for the catch-up contribution change

Persons: Peter Cade, deferrals, Roth, Jim Guarino, Baker Newman Noyes, Guarino, they've, Dan Galli, Daniel J, Galli, John Loyd Organizations: Getty, Galli & Associates Locations: Woburn , Massachusetts, Norwell , Massachusetts, Fort Worth , Texas

Supporters of student debt forgiveness demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2023, in Washington, DC. Student loan forgiveness is federally tax-free through 2025 because of a provision from the American Rescue Plan of 2021, Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 stimulus package. While the Tax Foundation estimated that seven states could tax student loan forgiveness in August 2022, it's still possible to see legislative changes. "No one wants to be the state that's taxing loan forgiveness," Miller added. While public service loan forgiveness has always been tax-free, the current taxation for income-driven repayment plans is only temporary.

Persons: Olivier Douliery, Biden, Ethan Miller, Miller, it's, Becca Craig, Lee Reams Sr Organizations: U.S, Supreme, AFP, Getty, American, Planning, Progress, D.C, Tax Foundation, Strategic Wealth Locations: Washington ,, Washington, Kansas City , Missouri

Jetcityimage | Istock | Getty ImagesAs inflation falls, investors are weighing whether to buy or sell Series I bonds amid other competitive options for cash. "Cooling inflation means that interest rates are likely near the end of their increases," said certified financial planner Ted Haley, president of Advanced Wealth Management in Portland, Oregon. But in the meantime, many investors are waiting for the Federal Reserve's next interest rate decision later this month, which may affect cash yields. While the yearly rate fell to 4.3% in May 2023, the fixed rate portion climbed to 0.9%, making the asset more attractive for long-term investors. Of course, the next fixed rate for I bonds could be higher or lower.

Persons: Ted Haley, Haley, David Enna, Enna, Ken Tumin, DepositAccounts.com Organizations: Istock, Getty, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Advanced Wealth Management, Federal Locations: Portland , Oregon

Only a handful of companies are responsible for most of the index's gains thus far, including the likes of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA ), Meta (NASDAQ: META ) and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA ). The good news is market breadth improved beginning in late May and leadership has expanded to include cyclical sectors and industries. Still, these firms have become so expensive relative to the broader market that some analysts have recently begun downgrading them. More from Personal Finance:As July 4 motorists kick off summer travel, how to save on gasWhat to know about your rights as an air travelerHow travelers are booking vacations amid inflationOne place to start could be cruise companies: Carnival Cruise Line (NYSE: CCL ), Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE: NCLH ) and Royal Caribbean International (NYSE: RCL ). Perhaps no other industry took it on the chin as hard during the pandemic, which halted sailings for months.

Organizations: NASDAQ, Nvidia, Meta, Tesla, Finance, NYSE, Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International

"My belief is that we don't get inflation down to 2% without a recession," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. As the economy fluctuates, experts say there are several key risk areas that consumers may want to keep an eye on. That still leaves about 1.6 open jobs to every available worker, which is "very good," according to Andy Challenger, senior vice president at outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Pricey car loan 'quickly becomes untenable'Auto loan delinquencies are already rising, particularly for borrowers with weaker credit profiles, McBride noted. In 2022, consumers paid $133.1 billion in credit card interest and fees, a 23.1% increase from the estimated $108.1 billion they paid in 2021.

In its continued battle with inflation, the central bank on Wednesday announced another quarter percentage point interest rate increase. The latest rate increase comes after annual inflation eased to 5% in March, down from 6% in February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. When building a bond portfolio, advisors consider so-called duration, which measures a bond's sensitivity to interest rate changes. I don't see us moving much higher from an interest rate perspective, so that should be good for bonds moving forward. But it may take another six months to see the results from the Fed's series of interest rate hikes, he said.

"We've got this window of low taxes here," said certified financial planner Dan Galli, owner at Daniel J. Galli & Associates in Norwell, Massachusetts. Former President Donald Trump's signature tax overhaul temporarily shifted individual income tax brackets by reducing the rates and applicable income levels. "It's a fascinating time to look at how you want to blend or sequence your income in retirement," Galli added. If you're 59½ or older, you can start taking withdrawals from pre-tax retirement plans without incurring a penalty. While you'll still owe regular income taxes, those rates may be lower through 2025, he said.

Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty ImagesIt's been a grueling period for investors amid rising interest rates and lingering recession fears. "Don't get so wrapped up in the markets that you forget about your asset of you — and how you can best protect your money and your legacy," said Braxton, who is also a member of CNBC's Financial Advisor Council. Braxton said it's critical to have estate planning documents, including a will that dictates who will receive your assets upon death, and to keep your beneficiaries updated. While Covid-19 has prompted a rise in estate planning, nearly 66% of American adults still don't have a will, according to a 2023 survey from Caring.com. Braxton said it's also important to have documents for powers of attorney, allowing someone to make financial or health-care decisions on your behalf if you were unable.

In this article ANET Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSompong_tom | Istock | Getty ImagesThe rise of ChatGPT has sparked another national conversation about artificial intelligence. That has poured more fuel on an arms race that has been going on for years in AI. Today, the device is barely functional after the company shut off a host of services last year. The largest cloud service providers, or hyper-scalers, today each have millions of servers in data centers scattered across the country. The company produces network switches for large data centers that enable connectivity between devices in a network.

Avail yourself of balance transfer cardsCards offering 15, 18 and even 21 months with no interest on transferred balances "can be your best friend on the path to getting out of credit card debt," McBride said. watch nowMaking the best use of a balance transfer boils down to making those payments on time and aggressively paying down the balance during the introductory period. Most cards have a one-time balance transfer fee, usually around 3% to 5% of the tab. "The interest rate will depend on your credit, but it may be worth it if the cost of interest and fees are significantly lower than what you're currently paying on your credit cards," Rathner said. Currently, those rates are around 10%, on average, still well below what you may have on your credit card.

Catherine Mcqueen | Moment | Getty ImagesInflation is gradually falling but remains high, meaning consumers' budgets continue to be stressed by fast-rising prices. "The best defense against inflation is being true to knowing your necessities and accepting the fact that [prices have] increased," said Braxton, a member of CNBC's Financial Advisor Council. Inflation is a measure of how quickly the prices consumers pay for goods and services are rising. When inflation is high — and outpacing wage growth — there are two basic financial adjustments for households to make ends meet: increase income or decrease expenses, Braxton said. Hourly earnings fell 0.7% in the past year after accounting for inflation — meaning consumers' dollar is getting stretched a bit further.

☆ Op-ed: The 2022 midterm elections matter less to stock markets than investors think
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Andrew Graham | Founder Of Jackson Square Capital | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on November 02, 2022 in New York City. To be sure, markets and investors care about elections – just not as much as many think. Still, it's interesting that stocks have typically done well in the aftermath of midterm elections. Clarity mattersTo be sure, businesses and investors have policy preferences, with most preferring lower taxes and fewer regulations. Gridlock is goodOne argument for why stock gains could be more than just transitory is that this election is unlikely to produce a unified government.

Leopatrizi | E+ | Getty ImagesAs part of President Joe Biden's historic student loan forgiveness plan, up to 8 million people could get automatic debt relief, according to the White House. Those who will get automatic loan cancellation are those for whom the U.S. Department of Education already has income data on file and can therefore verify eligibility without waiting for an application. Who qualifies for the automatic loan cancellation? Review your recent tax returns to confirm your income fell below those thresholds in 2020 or 2021 (either will work). The Education Department will be considering people's so-called adjusted gross income, or AGI, which may be different than your gross salary.

With ongoing stock market volatility, high inflation and interest rate hikes, many wonder if we're heading for a prolonged economic downturn. "I think we have to be defensive," said certified financial planner Ivory Johnson, founder of Delancey Wealth Management in Washington, D.C. While it's impossible to predict exactly what will happen, financial advisors are preparing clients for whatever may be on the horizon. But Johnson has already warned clients about the possibility of more volatility, pointing to the Fed's rate hikes. There may be 'good opportunities'While Baker doesn't suggest major changes, there may be "good opportunities" — such as real estate — amid relatively high inflation due to yield and appreciation, he said.

Search resuls for: "Andrew Graham"

19 mentions found