According to the New York Times, millions of Americans — public school teachers, clergy members, employees of religious institutions or nonprofits, and some charities — are not offered 401(k)’s; instead they typically must rely on what are known as 403(b) plans, many of which are more lightly regulated. Questions: 1. Briefly summarize why public school… Read more »
Posts Tagged: regulations
Don’t Try this At Home!
In a memorable episode of Seinfeld, two characters hatch a plot: instead of returning bottles in New York for a 5-cent refund, they round up a load of containers and run them to Michigan, where the return is double, at 10 cents each. Now Brian Everidge is accused of attempting to “return” more than 10,000… Read more »
Be sure to remember your server!
According to the Washington Post, after a change in tax rules last year, the auto-gratuity added to the bill of large parties at restaurants is on its way out. Questions: 1. What is the new rule that the Internal Revenue Service imposed on restaurants that led to this change? 2. How does this change lead… Read more »
It’s Too Late for I’m Sorry!
Volkswagen shares plunged more than 20 percent on Monday, their biggest one-day fall, after the German carmaker admitted it had rigged emissions tests in the United States, and U.S. authorities said they would widen their probe to other manufacturers. Questions: 1. Briefly explain the emissions data scandal. 2. What was the recent challenge to Volkswagen… Read more »
The Question of Undue Hardship
The bankruptcy case of Janet Roth stirred a debate over the rigidity of the “undue hardship” standard in discharging student loans. This year, President Obama instructed several governmental agencies to review, by Oct. 1, whether the treatment of student loans in bankruptcy should be altered. Questions: 1. How did Ms. Roth prepare for her case?… Read more »
Is the use of videoconferencing one to improve recidivism or profits?
Jails are replacing face-to-face visits with video conferencing screens and are passing the costs on to inmates and their families. In some cases, these costs are up to $1 per minute. Questions: 1. Where do most videoconferencing companies make their money? 2. Who are the industry giants in prison videoconferencing? 3. Explain the last statement… Read more »
Catch 22: Money from Legalized Marijuana
Banks, including state-chartered ones, are reluctant to provide traditional services to legal marijuana businesses in Washington state and Colorado. Since the marijuana businesses are conducted almost entirely in cash, it is exceedingly difficult for these shop owners to open and maintain bank accounts, and ultimately accept credit cards. Questions: 1. Why won’t the banks open… Read more »
Ring-around-the-Rosy
Did you know that you are paying a fraction of a cent every time you open a can of soda (or other canned beverages)? Why? It is because Goldman Sachs and other financial players have maneuvered the price of aluminum. Each day, a fleet of trucks shuffles 1,500-pound bars of aluminum among 27 warehouses in… Read more »
Blogging without a license
Here’s an interesting case to watch. Steve Cooksey eats what he professes to be “a cave man diet.” On his blog, he says that it has lot of meat and greens, but no bread or pasta. He claims that the diet has helped him conquer diabetes. In North Carolina, where he lives, “assessing the nutritional… Read more »