Business – Opinion – Yahoo! News
Business – Opinion – Yahoo! News
Jobless MBAs Seek Solace in Support Groups
Gillian Mager was in the midst of updating her MBA job club members on her networking efforts last June when she broke down in tears. Like most in the support group at the University of California at San Diego's Rady School of Management (Rady Full-Time MBA Profile), her job search had extended beyond graduation and she spent her days sending out reams of resumes, often getting no response back. Making matters worse, she learned shortly before the meeting that a promising job opportunity she'd pinned her hopes on had fallen through. Full Story;
Grandkids May Benefit as Gift Tax Lapses
(Bloomberg) — Wealthy individuals who give their fortunes to grandchildren will see taxes on those gifts drop to 35 percent due to the expiration of the estate tax on Jan. 1. Full Story;
Chat Transcript: Notre Dame Admissions
With the next deadline for MBA applications set for Jan. 18, 2009, admissions at Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business (Mendoza Full-Time MBA Profile) recently shared some insights into what the business school is looking for in MBA candidates. At a live chat event, MBA Admissions Director Brian Lohr (BrianLohr) and first-year student Carly DaCosta (NDCarlyDaCosta), who went to West Point and served as an active duty Army officer for five years before business school, answered questions from prospective B-school students. … Full Story;
Even before the current economic downturn, the issue of cost had become the dominant public concern about American higher education. Over the past several decades, tuition has increased at a faster rate than inflation and faster than the growth in family incomes. Too many students graduate with staggering debt, leading many to avoid critical but low-income careers. The cost of attendance has discouraged many students from groups typically underrepresented in higher education from even thinking about going to college. … Full Story;
A year of intense work and three months of grueling anticipation have radically changed my life. Full Story;
Sweeping 2009 reforms take aim at the industry's most abusive practices, including abrupt interest rate changes and late-payment fees. But credit-card companies keep coming up with new ways to charge customers. Full Story;
Alternative Assets for the Masses
Institutional investors have long used private equity and hedge funds to achieve overall returns far higher than those eked out by individuals. In the 10 years ended Dec. 31, 2008, Hedge Fund Research's Fund Weighted Composite Index gained 7% per year, on average, while the Thomson Reuters U.S. Private Equity Performance Index returned an annual average of 17%. That compares with a 13% cumulative loss for the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. Full Story;
Oil, gold, corn, wheat — perhaps the most attractive thing about commodities is they seem so concrete. Investors know that a barrel of oil may be worth more or less at the end of the day, but it will never disappear. In an age when major financial institutions can go bust overnight, that holds a lot of appeal. Full Story;
How Should Investors Play the Dollar?
The defining event for the world's currencies through most of 2009 was the steady and steep decline of the dollar. In 2010 the dollar will be center stage again — only this time it will be a highly volatile greenback that challenges investors. Full Story;
International Real Estate: The Lay of the Land
Dozens of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) invest in global real estate. Here are five smart options for investors looking at property markets around the world Full Story;
Global Real Estate: A Tougher Market
Anyone considering an investment in international real estate today is bound to do so with at least a twinge of regret. After a dismal year, the S&P Global Property Index has more than doubled from its Mar. 9 low, and it seems everyone has already cashed in. Among the 44 mutual funds and half-dozen exchange-traded funds (ETFs) invested globally, “The returns are really gaudy for the year,” says Morningstar (NasdaqGS:MORN – News) analyst John Coumarianos. Full Story;
When the final returns for 2009 are tallied, they'll likely show that investing in risky bonds was a can't-miss proposition this year: Everything from U.S. corporate “junk” bonds to emerging-market government issues rallied. Will the same hold true in 2010? “I wouldn't expect it,” says Chris Diaz, co-manager of the ING Global Bond Fund (NASDAQ:INGBX – News). Full Story;
Emerging Markets: Brazil, China — and Pakistan?
Mark Mobius is a legend among emerging-market investors. For more than 30 years, the 73-year-old fund manager, who oversees $33 billion spread across 35 Franklin Templeton funds, has scouted for investment opportunities in unlikely places. His U.S.-listed Templeton Emerging Markets Fund had a 109% return as of Dec. 14, compared with 73% for the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Hong Kong-based correspondent Frederik Balfour caught up with Mobius by phone as the fund manager was visiting Doha, Qatar — one stop on an itinerary that included Dubai, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Libya. Full Story;
Seek profit from strong economies in emerging markets, where demographics and government policies are driving impressive growth. That's advice barely dented by the recession and financial crisis. But this wisdom comes with caveats: These markets are particularly subject to currency swings, overheating, and unexpected shocks. And it doesn't take a bombshell of Dubai World dimensions. In October, Brazil levied a 2% tax on foreign investments in its financial markets, saying it wanted to prevent currency appreciation. … Full Story;
Before seasoned investors buy or sell, they run through a checklist of considerations. Here's an important one: New regulations. “Every time we look at an investment, we ask ourselves in what way the tentacles of U.S. or foreign government are going to interact with this investment,” says Craig Perry, chairman of Sabretooth Capital Management, a $150 million hedge fund in New York. Full Story;
Sunny, with a Chance of Relapse
At the very least, 2009 created a rare sense of unanimity among economists. With the country in its worst recession since the 1930s, and unemployment at a 26-year high, economists of all stripes agreed: the economy was a disaster. Full Story;
After a long, hard day of conquering the world, Chinese industrialists toast deals with Scotch whisky. This is an opportunity for London-based Diageo , the world's largest distiller. In 2007 it introduced Johnnie Walker Blue Label George V Edition at $600 per crystal decanter. Sales in Asia were so strong that Diageo topped itself this year with The John Walker at a suggested retail price of $3,000. It's “performing very well,” the company says. Full Story;
After I graduated from college and got my first real job, I would hear my co-workers talk about their investment accounts. I was amazed at how much they knew about investing. Many of them talked about reading the Wall Street Journal, watching CNBC, and checking Yahoo! Finance throughout the day. But one thing they all had in common was that they never had a conversation about investing without using the phrase, “My dad says .” I realized they had been taught about investing since they were children. … Full Story;
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