English: World GDP growth rate and GDP growth rate of total OECD countries. Data source: World Bank Group and OECD. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

U.S. household debt drops and retails sales grows amidst higher taxes

There is good news for all the retailers in the country since both the sequestration and the tax hikes along with rising fuel prices have failed to stunt the growth in retail sales across the board. As per the latest news update, total retail sales have jumped up by an annual rate of 1.1% in the month of February 2013. In addition, consumers are found to be bold enough to buy increasing number of cars amidst rising taxes.

Photo of Bank of America ATM Machine by Brian Katt, Framingham Rest Stop, Massachusetts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Invest In The Stock Of Bank Of America

Bank of America, as its name suggests, is a multinational corporation offering banking and financial services that is based in America. In terms of assets, Bank of America ranks second as far as bank holding companies are concerned. In the year 2010, Forbes has also listed it as the third largest company globally. This company also offers stocks to the common public for the purpose of investment, it is abbreviated as BAC in case of the New York Stock Exchange. Since this is such a huge company, one of the largest in America, therefore people automatically assume that investing in its stocks is a good idea. While this notion is certainly true, there are other reasons too that makes the investment worthwhile.

Ken'ichirō Mogi, Senior Researcher of the Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.,, talked with Kazuyo Katsuma, Certified Public Accountant, in Kōchi Prefecture on November 29, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Finding a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) to file and prepare your taxes can be a challenge. You can spend hours calling around; trying to find one that can fit you in to their schedule. Fortunately, there is a solution. With the TurboTax CPA Select program, you are instantly connected to a qualified CPA in your area.

How Does it Work?

When you log on to the Turbo Tax site, it automatically registers your exact geographic location. You can change your location to find a CPA in another area, or simply choose one from the list provided.

After you select the CPA that you want to prepare your taxes, you will start the tax filing process. Instead of trekking all the way to their office and taking hours out of your day, you simply upload your documents onto the secure server and share them with your accountant. You can also share your documents via smartphone or fax.

Federal Reserve: 1913-2009 (Photo credit: r0b0r0b)

Stocks Continue to Move Higher

Despite nervousness that the Federal Reserve may stop buying treasurers and that China may take steps to cool its housing sector, the stock market moved higher today continuing the trend that started well before the election of 2012. The recent run-up happened during earning season as profits should some strength and the end of the season led to a short period of pause. But that may now be over.

We need to get this to the Fiscal Cliff! What could go wrong? (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

Kicking Spending Cuts To March 1st But Raising Taxes

When the Fiscal Cliff solution came about at the beginning of the year, the Democrats received a lot of what they wanted in tax increases on the rich but gave nothing in return. The cuts were delayed until the end of February, which has now arrived. The cuts are about to happen in a $85 billion reduction in new spending for 2013 which is good for our budget trouble and slightly negative for growth. But growth was slowing already for a number of reasons related to natural disasters, tax increases, and business regulation. Now the country hopes to either live through the sequester or modify the sequester to make smarter cuts than just the generic across the board cuts required.

Food, Inc. on Facebook (Photo credit: Jory™)

Facebook Inc. Pays No Taxes in 2012

In their most recent filing, Facebook Inc. reported not paying any taxes on their 2012 income of $1.1 billion. There are a number of reasons that a company would not pay taxes on such a sizable amount of income and this case it appears that loses from prior years and the granting of stock options to employees are the main reasons. The company lost money during earlier pre-IPO years when it was growing and only beginning to monetize its services. In addition the company gave stock grants to employees to a large degree which is common in the technology industry. These stock options are considered business costs and are therefore deductible.

English: Michael Dell speaking at Oracle OpenWorld, San Francisco 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dell Buyout Has Challenges

Michael Dell has clinched a Dell buyout deal and must turn a business losing ground in personal computers into one that will provide higher-margin cloud-computing services and tools. Dell needs to bundle highly profitable products like data storage and networking with the computer servers it currently has on the market.

Dell,47,will have greater freedom in personnel management and strategic growth without answering to shareholders. Michael Dell and the Silver Lake Management are taking the Round Rock, Texas-based company private in a buyout transaction valued at $24.4 billion with Dell regaining majority control of the company and remaining the chairman and CEO.

Image via CrunchBase

Dell's Debt-Laden Leveraged Buyout

Whispers from the Street: Dells Wastes Million in Buyout Plan

Many people are at a loss to explain Dell's (DELL) leveraged buyout and how exactly the math will add up in the $24.4 billion takeover bid which is the largest this side of the financial crisis.

Very few people or even analysts seem worried that the consortium group organized by founder Michael Dell, Silver Lake Partners, and Microsoft(MSFT) will not happen, even though there are concerns that a mere $13.65 per share cash payout gives only a little payment to Dell's shareholders.

Those who are shaking their heads back and forth are trying to make some sense of the numbers and are stunned after hearing that the three large rating agencies (Standard & Poors, Fitch Ratings, and Moody's) stand ready to downgrade Dell's stock to junk.

This post brought to you by Personal Capital. All opinions are 100% mine.

Money Management On Mobile Devices

Any person that currently owns an iPad should always be on the lookout for mobile applications that would help them to alter the way that they are handling important tasks on a daily basis. Life can be very difficult if you do not have the right tools available to turn to. However, I have been able to use Personal Capital to help me deal with many issues related to my finances. One of the reasons why I decided to purchase an iPad would be the fact that I am always on the road. I needed a device that would be easy to pick up while also providing all of the functions I already enjoyed on my iPhone.

Google Chrome (Photo credit: thms.nl)

Investing In Google

Posting a blog about a "little accounting", the chief accountant and treasurer, of Google, Vice President, Brent Callinicos, reminded analysts that because of Google's sale of Motorola's set top box business, it has been described as a terminated operation. When it comes to investing in Google it seems that all of the analysts are not taking this into account.