Better Odds Than 1 of 64
Published March 23, 2010 7340 Views
The first round of the NCAA tournament is complete and as everyone scans over their bracket, some will boast that their pick for champion is still alive while others, myself included, are left to ponder how Kansas (the supposed best team in the country) could lose to Northern Iowa. Next Monday will...
State of the Firm
Published March 22, 2010 6590 Views
Last Friday we held our quarterly State of the Firm meeting, something we have done since mid-2009. The finance and investment industries were in turmoil: Merrill Lynch had collapsed, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, AIG was bailed out by taxpayers - you've heard all of it. I was never worried about...
No Peanuts for British Airways' Flights
Published March 19, 2010 6589 Views
If you are thinking about traveling on British Airways, you might want to hold off for a few days. A three-day strike of cabin crews is set to begin this Saturday. This comes after British Airways CEO Willie Walsh and Unite labor leader Tony Woodley were unable to come to terms on salary. British...
Meet Jodie Borlaug!
Published March 18, 2010 7913 Views
Jodie joins the Brighton Securities team as a financial advisor from a successful start of her career at Waddell & Reed.
A native of Genesee County, Jodie lives in East Bethany, NY and will be based out of our Batavia office where she looks forward to continuing her tradition of helping her client...
What is my filing status on my tax return?
Published March 17, 2010 6475 Views
When you file your tax return it is important you choose the correct filing status as it determines your standard deduction and the amount of tax you will owe on your income.
Here are eight facts about the five filing status options the IRS wants you to know in order to choose the correct filing sta...
Take advantage if time is on your side
Published March 16, 2010 6427 Views
Investors in their 20's and 30's saving for retirement should be concerned with one thing: Share Accumulation. Believe it or not when the market falls it's not necessarily a bad thing for a young investor who is making periodic contributions to either an IRA or 401k.
When the share price of your mu...
New Tax Legislation Will Extend Tax Provision That Expired In 2009
Published March 15, 2010 6732 Views
On March 10, the Senate passed a bill carrying the "American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act" (AWSBRA). The Senate-passed bill will have to be reconciled with the version the House of Representatives passed on December 9, 2009 as the "Tax Extender Act of 2009". Although there are reconcili...
News Bites
Published March 15, 2010 6857 Views
Here are a few items I noticed this morning on the wires:
Contrary Indicators: US consumers apparently fought their way to the mall through snowstorms last month as retail sales rose, surprising analysts. At the same time, measurements of consumer confidence slipped, suggesting that people are sti...
Stocks to Punt
Published March 12, 2010 7149 Views
There has been a lot of news surrounding Sirius XM these past few weeks, as they face a March 15th delisting deadline. Sirius XM has until Monday to satisfy a Nasdaq listing rule that requires a stock to maintain a minimum bid price of $1. Below is a list of 9 other stocks that are on the Nasdaq's l...
Don't Let Them Build My Car
Published March 12, 2010 7190 Views
I have not personally seen any Toyotas zooming out of control, but the malfunctions, whatever their source, will ultimately be found and fixed, and it is unlikely that Toyota will suffer grievous financial harm over the long term. There is a reasonable argument that Toyota's stock is a worthy buy ju...