The demise of brick-and-mortar retail may be capturing the news, but despite the Amazon effect, some companies are still thriving. Even as Amazon’s entry into the retail pharmacy business becomes real, CVS Health is not just looking to survive, but to grow. In May 2018, CVS made progress regarding its $69 billion acquisition of Aetna Inc., an American

There are more than 43 million student loan borrowers in the United States, making it one of the largest types of consumer debt—only second to mortgage loans. Student loan borrowers owed a total of $1.728 trillion in student loan debt by the end of the first quarter of 2021. The average balance held per borrower

New York municipal bond mutual funds provide investors with professionally managed exposure to the New York municipal bond market. New York municipal bond funds primarily invest in bonds issued by New York state, local governments, regional governments, and special purpose districts. In turn, these funds are used to support public projects such as schools, highways,

Student loans can sometimes feel like a scam. Actual student loan companies like Navient, which provide student loans, have been embroiled in lawsuits and allegations from states like Washington, as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The worst student loan companies may appear to be scammers, but there are actual student loan forgiveness scams

Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up: An Overview Top-down and bottom-up approaches are methods used to analyze and choose securities. However, the terms also appear in many other areas of business, finance, investing, and economics. While the two schemes are common terms, many investors get them confused or don’t fully understand the differences between the approaches. Each approach

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are a key consideration when constructing any equity or fixed-income portfolio. They can provide added diversification, potentially higher total returns, and/or lower overall risk. In short, their ability to generate dividend income along with capital appreciation makes them an excellent counterbalance to stocks, bonds, and cash. REIT investing involves real

Jumbo vs. Conventional Mortgages: An Overview Jumbo mortgages and conventional mortgages are two types of financing borrowers use to purchase homes. Both loans require homeowners to meet certain eligibility requirements including minimum credit scores, income thresholds, repayment ability, and down payments. Both are also mortgages issued and underwritten by lenders in the private sector, as

Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are a flexible legal and tax entity that allows partners to benefit from economies of scale by working together while also reducing their liability for the actions of other partners. As with any legal entity, it is important that you check the laws in your nation (and your state) before getting

What Is a Split? Mutual funds split the same way individual stocks split, but less often. Like stock splits, mutual fund splits do not result in any change in net value, so they are primarily a marketing device. A split occurs when a mutual fund increases the number of shares outstanding while simultaneously decreasing the price per share

On Feb. 24, 2021, President Biden took a big step toward addressing the green card backlog: he revoked a freeze the former administration had put on several types of visas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move was an extension of his recent proposal to reform the immigration process. It also served to clear the

eBay Inc. (EBAY) began in the mid-1990s as a way for otherwise unconnected buyers and sellers to meet, through the previously unknown method of typing in a URL. According to folklore, founder and current chair Pierre Omidyar created the site to help his girlfriend deal in Pez candy dispensers. The company now officially debunks the

Pharmaceutical companies face infamously high barriers to entry in the United States. Many studies and business textbooks cite the pharmaceuticals and drug sector as examples when describing barriers to entry. Most countries have some barriers to the entry of the legal drug sector due to the research and manufacturing startup costs, but the U.S. Food

For Best Buy Co, Inc. (BBY), China was far from its best experience. The Minnesota-based company, best known for its big-box retail stores that sell consumer electronics products, withdrew from the Chinese market in 2014 by selling off the majority stake in its local partner, Five Star Appliance Co, to a Chinese real estate company. In a statement at that

After a lifetime of working and saving, retirement is the light at the end of the tunnel. Most of us envision it as a time of rest and relaxation when we enjoy the fruits of our labors. We envision a steady source of income without the need to go to work each day. It’s a

For years, Apple (AAPL​) has held onto its rank as the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. As of Sept. 2, 2022, its market capitalization is $2.7 trillion. That’s above the likes of other major technology companies, such as Amazon.com (AMZN) and Google (GOOG). Apple shares are trading at $155 a share. The rise of Apple