The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates for the first time in four years. Fed members told us back in the summer a rate cut was a near certainty for its September meeting. Most financial experts and many of the betting…
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Influential people who have positive attitudes can help others around them think more positively. The opposite is also true. Negative people eventually wear down other teammates to the point people don't want to be around them. The frequent complainer can…
A limited-time use of educational assistance programs is scheduled to expire soon. IRS recently provided details about this fringe benefit. As explained in IR-2024-227, an employer may make payments of up to $5,250 per year toward an employee’s student loans…
Not everyone likes Keurig K-Cup coffee. The quick-brew may be in millions of offices and company kitchens worldwide, but its detractors argue it's not "real" coffee! The debate over taste and quality may be unsettled. What's not in question any…
The outcome of the presidential race and which party will control the House and Senate is too close to call. But a handful of economic ideas touted by Donald Trump and Kamala Harris stand a good chance of becoming reality…
The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) hoped to finalize a greenhouse gas reporting rule that it first made a priority in early 2021. Consistent pressure by investors and Supreme Court rulings prevented it from becoming a reality. SEC chairman Gary…
Federal rulemakers are requiring more transparency and detail in companies' audits. Turns out all that extra detail is exactly what investors want. Ninety-three percent of investors want to analyze critical asset matters (CAMs) before potentially investing, according to a survey…
The feds are making an example of companies that don't keep records of electronic communications. Even the numbers-crunchers aren't immune to making sloppy -- and costly -- mistakes. The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) doled out $49 million in fines…
If yours is like most companies, you've got at least one staffer managing cash application of payments. And if your cash application relies on manual processes, it can feel like a full-time job. A recent National Association of Credit Management…
There's no one-size-fits-all rulebook for leading people. But there are two indispensable traits that successful leaders must exhibit: credibility, and communication skills. Skimp on one of those two areas and people will doubt your abilities. Close to 10% of companies…
Some of the biggest companies are ending their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives -- and doing so quickly. Brown-Forman, maker of Jack Daniel's whiskey, is ending its “quantitative workforce and supplier diversity ambitions ... [and its] participation in the…
Accounting firms face tougher fiduciary duties as the result of three new federal rules. The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) approved guidelines written by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the commission's Sarbanes-Oxley compliance arm. Employees of accounting firms…
