The big question in Europe this year is how the British people will vote on June 23. Will they vote to leave the European Union (what’s being called the “Brexit”) or decide to continue to be part of the 28-nation economic alliance? What’s at stake? It’s hard to know, exactly. Great Britain already maintains its […]
What’s going on in Brazil—other than the Zika virus and off-schedule preparations for the Olympic games? You might have read that the leader of South America’s largest country—President Dilma Rousseff—is facing impeachment hearings at a particularly awkward time for the country: right before a million Olympic visitors descend on the country. But what are the […]
It’s always nice to be recognized for your performance at work, especially when it comes in the form of increased financial compensation. You work hard for your money, and having a bit more in the bank is always welcome. At rebel Financial, we know that not everyone wants to let that money just sit in […]
Whether you will soon be applying for Social Security, or are already receiving benefits, here’s what you need to know about what’s changing (and not changing) in 2016. What’s Not Changing No Cost-of-Living Increase: Because inflation was unchanged from the third quarter 2014 to the third quarter 2015, there will be no increase in benefit […]
With the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, two strategies to potentially maximize Social Security benefit payments were eliminated. An Overview Prior to the budget’s passage, married couples had two strategies to help maximize their Social Security benefits: “file-and-suspend” and “restricted applications.”¹ Under file-and-suspend, the higher-earning spouse filed for benefits and then suspended […]
There’s finally an answer to an age-old question: How can you live a longer, more satisfying life? The answer: work past the traditional retirement age of 65. A new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health looked at the risk of dying for different age groups of Americans, and compared it to […]
A term you’re likely to be hearing more of in economic reports is “helicopter money,” which might replace “QE” in our lexicon of Central Bank policy terms. What is it? “Helicopter Money” basically means dropping money out of the sky; the term is shorthand for a government printing money as a way to stimulate the […]
The average investor isn’t stupid. The latest evidence comes from a look at where investors are putting their money, taken by the Morningstar mutual fund data organization. Morningstar found that when they ranked funds by how much they cost their investors, from the top 20% to the bottom 20%, they found that the lowest fee […]
The rule of thumb in financial planning circles is that you shouldn’t spend more than 25% of your income on housing costs. But if you live in certain cities, it might be a tad difficult to follow that rule. Pity New Yorkers, whose rent costs 63.1% of their income. And New York is cheap compared […]
By all accounts, Puerto Rico is a beautiful, sunny place to visit, especially in the Winter. But it’s hard to fathom how this U.S. island territory of 3.5 million people could have racked up $70 billion in public debt—roughly $20,000 per citizen, which happens to be almost exactly the population’s average yearly income. Now that […]
