Smart401k Blog

In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers from the week:

• Junk bond prices have been surging
• BP permanently capped the Macondo well in the Gulf
• The recession was declared to have officially ended in June of 2009

• Hewlett-Packard settled its dispute with former CEO Mark Hurd

(more…)

Football season is upon us. I am a diehard University of Kansas fan. As they say around here, I bleed crimson and blue (KU colors). The beginning of this year’s football season was considered the beginning of a new era. KU hired a new football coach, Turner Gill. And according to local media and fans, this was the best hire and one that would turn the program around and get us back to a bowl game. The experts even predicted KU would go 7-and-5 or 8-and-4 for the season! Why wouldn’t we be excited? So a couple weeks ago the Jayhawks made our debut against North Dakota State, a Division II football program. Everyone was expecting a blow out. Heck I expected a 40-plus-point blowout. Unfortunately NDSU didn’t get the memo, and they beat KU 6-3. The next day the local newspapers, sports talk radio and message boards were flooded with comments from fans and experts how Turner Gill was a bad hire. Within fewer than 24 hours, almost everyone was calling for his head. Following that game, KU had to play top-15-ranked Georgia Tech, a team that had looked unstoppable the week before. Now the predictions were for a 40-plus-point blowout – this time by Georgia Tech. But guess what – KU stepped up our game and won! Everyone was back on the KU bandwagon again, and Turner Gill became the best hire all over again.

(more…)

In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers from the week:

• Hertz raised its bid for rival Dollar Thrifty
• Hewlett-Packard agreed to acquire security company ArcSights for $1.5 billion
• The so-called Basel III banking regulations will significantly boost capital requirements
• The European Union significantly bumped up its forecast for EU growth

(more…)

Recently my girlfriend moved in with me, and it has been quite the transition – all for the positive. You might remember from my previous blogs that my girlfriend, Beth, lived in St. Louis, and weekends were spent visiting each other. Beth’s move to Kansas City has already saved us a lot of money – and not just in travel expenses. We have been teaching each other ways to save money, and with cost-savings being a popular topic these days, I thought I would share a few.

(more…)

In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers from the week:

• Oracle hired former Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd
• HSBC’s chairman stepped down to take the U.K. trade minister post
• President Obama proposed new ways to boost the economy
• Vodafone announced it will sell its China Mobile stake

(more…)

Thinking about your work retirement plan might not be your favorite thing to do – or your top priority. You might even think it’s a little boring. And that’s OK. But on this 401(k) Day 2010, I’d like to suggest a small celebration of the employer-sponsored defined-contribution retirement plan. The what? Let me explain.

(more…)

For most people, a work retirement plan will be the primary investment vehicle used to save for what we all hope will be a long, exciting and fun-filled retirement. With the uncertain future of Social Security, and the rapid decline of pension plans, individuals are more responsible than ever to fund their own retirement. As we approach 401(k) Day, we at Smart401k thought it would be a good time for a refresher on the importance of participating in your company-sponsored retirement plan and the benefits you receive.

(more…)

In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers from the week:

• Intel agreed to buy Infineon’s wireless business for $1.4 billion
• Sanofi-Aventis offered $69 per share to acquire biotech Genzyme
• Japan took measures to combat the rising yen and a sluggish economy
• Steelmaker Posco paid $2.8 billion for a 68% stake in steel and crude trader Daewoo

(more…)