Would you invest in a Bitcoin Fund?

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Bitcoin has been promoted as an alternative crypto-currency that exists outside the realms of governments and central banks. Now Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the twins best known for their part in the history of Facebook, filed a proposal with securities regulators that would allow any investor to trade bitcoins, just as if they were stocks…. Read more »

The Goldilocks Number

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Why does Wall Street like a “Goldilocks number” when it comes to job growth? Job growth in May kept up with the year’s monthly average, with 175,000 new jobs added. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate increased slightly to 7.6 percent. Questions: 1. What is the role of the Federal Reserve regarding the risk Wall Street sees?… Read more »

Massive Estate Planning Mistakes of Celebrities

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[Marilyn Monroe]Consider the mistakes of these five celebrities when you make decisions about your estate or advise others about theirs. As Sheyna Steiner reports, problems in life may compound after death as creditors, heirs and the Internal Revenue Service come calling for their share of an estate. Questions: 1. After reading about these five celebrities,… Read more »

Is it fair that some hospitals are charging 400% above their costs to deliver services?

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According to government data, hospitals charge Medicare wildly differing amounts — sometimes 10 to 20 times what Medicare typically reimburses — for the same procedure. This raises questions about how hospitals determine prices and why they differ so widely. Questions: 1. Discuss the data set and what was included. 2. According to the article, who… Read more »

IPO Fever

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U.S. companies are on track to raise the most money through initial public offerings since before the financial crisis. It appears that this trend is driven by the same thirst for risk among investors that has pushed the stock market to new highs. Questions 1. Based on the information given in this article, what is… Read more »

JPMorgan Chase: Transition from Model Citizen to Problem Child in the Eyes of the Government

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According to The New York Times, government investigators have found that JPMorgan Chase devised “manipulative schemes” that transformed “money-losing power plants into powerful profit centers.” In addition, they allege that one of its most senior executives gave “false and misleading statements” under oath. Questions: 1. Who is Jamie Dimon; who is Blythe Masters? 2. At… Read more »

Trolling for Patent Infringement Cases

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One of the most striking results of a new academic study is that in 2012, litigation by patent monetization entities now represents a majority of the patent litigation filed in the United States. Specifically, patent monetization entities filed 58% of the patent lawsuits in 2012. This is a sharp rise from 2007, when patent monetization… Read more »

The Saga of Derek Jeter and Taxes

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When I saw that Derek Jeter was in the news this week for changing residences from New York to Florida to lower his taxes, it made me wonder about what ever happened to Christian Lopez. Christian, a 23-year-old cellphone salesman from Highland Mills, N.Y, was the fan that caught Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit and returned… Read more »

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

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Even though Dodd-Frank legislation is suppose to keep our financial system safe from another crisis like the one that happened in 2008, a newly released Senate report disproves this. Questions: 1. According to the report detailing the trading fiasco, what are some of the signs that this could happen again? 2. What was the trend… Read more »

Car Rental Cost Cutting

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While the car rental rate might look like a bargain at the beginning, watch out for sticker shock once you get the final bill for your rental car! Be sure to read the fine print in the car rental contract and learn how to avoid the optional services that rental companies offer. Questions: 1. How… Read more »