Life after the Mall
Published February 4, 2014 6798 Views
There has been a lot of news lately regarding the Medley Centre, (aka Irondequoit Mall),and the battle between the East Irondequoit school district and developer Scott Congel over unpaid taxes. Some will suggest this has to do with a struggling local economy, but I see something different.
It act...
$4 Million, is it really worth a 30 second commercial?
Published February 3, 2014 7806 Views
So often commercials are considered interruptions to the entertainment we love. They provide a moment to refill your drink, grab another bag of chips, or run to the restroom; but not at the Super Bowl. Last year the Super Bowl was the most watched event in America, and more than 108 million men and...
Strong in Theory, Potentially Flawed
Published January 30, 2014 6081 Views
President Obama unveiled new details on his new retirement savings account idea, the MyRA, during this week's State of the Union address. More than anything else he mentioned, it caught my eye as we do have a serious problem in this country - according to a recent report, almost half of employed Ame...
The Tin Cup Brigade
Published January 28, 2014 6405 Views
When it comes to politics, it's all about influence. Last year New York State lost two House of Representatives members to other states because population remained relatively flat, while other parts of the country grew. In the minds of New York state politicians they see only one thing, loss of powe...
Managing the Transition
Published January 27, 2014 6532 Views
Xerox (XRX) shareholders awoke Friday morning to news of a lackluster quarter. For the quarter ending December 31, total revenues were down 3%. The company's services business was flat while the document technology business declined 6%. As we continue to see Xerox push forward in their transition fr...
Goodbye, and Good Riddance!
Published January 23, 2014 6555 Views
Nearly five months after exiting bankruptcy, Kodak remains a vastly different company than the one that many of us knew in Rochester. The stories have all been told of days gone by for the former photo behemoth - but I came across some good news, if only in a symbolic sense, that I thought was worth...
A Tax-Free Investment, Too Good To Be True?
Published January 22, 2014 7750 Views
Usually in the financial industry, when something seems too good to be true, it is. What if I told you that there is an investment where you won't be forced to pay federal or state taxes on the interest received? Clearly, this has to be too good to be true, but for us New Yorkers, it isn't. For resi...
The College Investment
Published January 21, 2014 6390 Views
Parents have been walking a tight rope this past decade. They know that without a college education, their children's future employment opportunities will be severely limited. On the other hand, taking out tens of thousands of dollars in loans will only saddle their kids with a near lifetime of debt...
That Time of Year...
Published January 17, 2014 6474 Views
My W-2 form arrived in my mailbox this week - the first of many documents that will be arriving in all of our mailboxes over the course of the next few weeks. Yours will arrive too; and when it does, it will serve as a gentle reminder of tax season's rapid approach.
For the 10th year now, Brighton...
Coming soon, your very own Rosie the Robot - by Google?
Published January 14, 2014 6545 Views
Yesterday Google purchased Nest Labs, makers of the 'Nest Learning Thermostat' and 'Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm,' for $3.2 billion. It's a large figure and one that certainly signals an aggressive move by Google to enter the home automation marketplace.
Not only does this give Go...