The health of the commercial real estate sector in the United States is an important indicator of the condition of the overall economy. Commercial real estate projects suffered a blow during the Great Recession, with financing drying up and existing projects being forced into bankruptcy or distressed sales. The situation was quite bleak. Recent studies, however, are pointing to a significant turnaround. According the National Association of Realtors Commercial Real Estate Outlook, commercial … [Read more...]
How a “Paying for College Strategy” Helped the Perez Family
The Perez family, an example of a family aspiring for a better life for their kids, has been rewarded for the effort they have made to strategically plan for higher education for their kids. The day their kids were born, they opened a Coverdell savings account, in which they religiously put $50 a month. Seventeen years later, their eldest son has more than $33,000 in savings to cover his college costs. For math lovers, you only have to calculate the future value of $50 per month by seventeen … [Read more...]
Good News From the IRS: Expect Your Refund in 21 Days Next Year
Finance expert Mike Periu on how quickly you can expect a refund from the IRS for this year's taxes. Good News From the IRS. Once in a while we receive good news from the IRS. Since it doesn't happen often, we need to savor it. This time, the IRS announced that for tax year 2011 they processed 90 percent of tax refunds in 21 days or less for the vast majority of filers. Only exceptional cases fell outside of this window. For tax year 2012, they expect to keep the same level of performance. In … [Read more...]
SBICMA: Small Business Investment Legislation About to Expire
Finance expert Mike Periu on SBICMA, a crucial piece of Legislation that could greatly impact access to funds for small business investments. Small Business Investment Legislation About to Expire While everyone is focused on the fiscal cliff, there is a piece of pending legislation that is about to expire which if passed could help small businesses. Earlier this year the House of Representatives passed The Small Business Investment Company Modernization Act of 2012. But the Senate still has … [Read more...]
Setting a Budget for Healthcare Costs During Retirement
Finance expert Mike Periu on how to accurately budget Healthcare Costs During Retirement. Healthcare Costs During Retirement: One of the greatest challenges facing retirees is estimating the amount of money needed to fund healthcare-related costs. According to a recent study by Fidelity Investments, the average couple retiring this year will incur around $240,000 in healthcare expenses during retirement. This cost grows 6 percent annually, meaning that people retiring in 10 years can expect … [Read more...]
Small business finance expert Mike Periu discusses How to Deal with Competing Priorities on finalapproach-ashwin.blogspot.com
How to Deal with Competing Priorities Dealing with competing priorities is an integral part of being an entrepreneur. Every day we face battles where we have to choose between pricing and quality, family time and business progress and between current profits and future success. We all know it’s impossible to please everyone all of the time. But knowing this truth and acting accordingly are two very different things. Some business owners do try to have their cake and eat it too by trying to … [Read more...]
Cómo ser indocumentado afecta tu “Estrategia para Pagar por la Universidad”
Este es un tema bastante sensible, pero no debes desesperarte ni sentir vergüenza. Estos son sentimientos muy comunes entre las personas que atraviesan este problema. Al contrario, siéntete orgulloso de tener la iniciativa y el deseo de superarte y asimilarte a la sociedad productiva de este país. Somos un país de inmigrantes progresistas y somos parte de una cultura mestiza y rica en valores que recompensan el trabajo y la superación. Ser indocumentado implica que no califiques … [Read more...]
¿Cuánto ganan las estrellas de los “reality”?
El fenómeno de los programas reality en Estados Unidos parece no terminar ya que cada vez son más los programas y tal y como lo indican los ratings, el público sigue devorando este género de entretenimiento. A pesar de que este tipo de programas tiene muchos detractores debido al pobre contenido intelectual y malos ejemplos que ofrecen a la sociedad, seguramente conoces a alguien en tu familia o amistades que es adicto a alguno de los tantos programas reality. Ser la estrella de un reality … [Read more...]
3 Questions You Must Ask Before Investing in New Equipment
Evaluating the purchase of new equipment can be a complicated process. There are many stakeholders to consider, vendors are aggressively bombarding you with information and you have limited time to make a decision. It is easy to miss some key questions during the evaluation process which can prove costly later on. Before committing your company to an expensive investment in equipment or systems, make sure you add these questions to your checklist: 1. Have we talked with our employees, … [Read more...]
Small business finance expert Mike Periu discusses Consejos para ahorrar dinero / Robo de identidad on Despierta América
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mike Periu will be talking about: "Consejos para ahorrar dinero / Robo de identidad" :PRContact: Financial expert Mike Periu will appear on Univision's award-winning program Despierta América. Mike is a regular contributor to Despierta América. This time, Mike will be discussing identity theft and giving us tips on how to save money. Please tune in Univision on August 18, 2009. For further information, please contact us directly. :PRAMP: … [Read more...]