Blog

Last week Frontier Communications, one of the 20 largest employers in the Rochester area, announced a 5% increase to the annual cash dividend. The dividend increase signals changing times after the company has seen stagnant and even declining dividend payments since 2009. After watching customers le...

A recent Bloomberg article interviewing investment giant Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard has been making the rounds in the investment community. The buzz is the result of comments made by Mr. Bogle stating that he does not, and has no interest in investing outside of the U.S. Mr. Bogle states "I...

Can you believe 2014 is just about over? The holidays are upon us and everyone is wrapped up in shopping and planning family events. The kids will be out of school soon and before we know it we will be counting down the New Year. With only a handful of trading days left to us, I thought I would t...

An article about retirement savings stated that millions of Americans do not have access to an employer 401(k). In fact, many folks simply have a checking and savings account for their money. The good news about that is: you are saving. However, you could be saving more efficiently. Invest your hard...

At the close of business Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) finished the day 42 points away from the 18,000 milestone. Investors responded favorably to Friday's jobs report by pushing the Dow to within 9 points of crossing the 18,000. Friday's closing value, 17,958, is 178% above where...

The biggest news of the capital markets in 2014 is likely to be energy. The price of oil has dropped from ~$106/barrel in late June to a low of ~$64 in December, a decline of approximately 40%. The carnage quickly spread throughout the energy value chain. Since energy is one of the largest and most...

Did you know that in a recent survey more than 90% of companies increased the amount of money allocated for performance-based bonuses for 2015? Instead of salary increases more companies are issuing higher bonuses. This means the responsibility is yours when it comes to ensuring your well-deserved b...

A recent CNN poll found that for the first time since 2007 a majority of Americans think things are going well in our country--albeit a very slim majority; 52 percent of surveyors said things are going well. In line with this statistic, economic sentiments have improved and more Americans believe th...

The old adage "can money buy happiness?" is one we have all heard. Research shows that on a broad level people with higher incomes tend to be happier than those who struggle to live. Yet, more importantly how people spend their money is a much more important question that directly relates to happine...

Whether you have ham on Thanksgiving or Christmas, it has never been more expensive than this year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ham prices are up nearly 14% from a year ago. If families stick with tradition, this year's holiday meal will be significantly more expensive. The increase...