Research: Missing Product Information Doesn’t Bother Consumers as Much as It Should

Consider the following situations: A surgeon creates an online profile of her qualifications and experience for potential patients, but she does not include her patient mortality rates. After one of her patients dies on the operating table, a lawyer for the patient’s family discovers that the surgeon deliberately withheld the mortality data. You are eating […]

Here’s What Mindfulness Is (and Isn’t) Good For

Executive Summary While mindfulness doesn’t necessarily work the way the hype proclaims, there are some things that a good mindfulness practice can really help with: focus, stress response, working memory, and corporate citizenship. By better understanding when mindfulness is the right approach — and how it works — HR and training programs can better enhance both leader performance and employee well-being. […]

How Businesses Are Reducing Their Energy Costs and Building Resilience – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM SIEMENS

Business leaders have significant concerns about energy. A Harvard Business Review Analytic Services report, sponsored by Siemens in conjunction with a national series of seminars focused on energy innovation, found that approximately 90 percent of executives feel significant pressure to reduce their energy spend, and more than 80 percent said fluctuating energy prices are a […]

8 Best Buffett Stocks for Retirement

USA International Trade Association Let’s cut to the chase when it comes to picking stocks for a retirement portfolio. There’s nothing wrong with sorting through individual names for desirable attributes such as reliable dividends, low volatility and secure business models. But it’s quicker, easier and perhaps wiser for retirees to first narrow down the field. […]

The 7 Best Stocks for Your Golden Years

As the semiconductor sector as a whole moves toward its highest levels since the dot-com bubble, Intel Corporation (INTC) seems almost forgotten. And there are some reasons for concern. Competition is increasing. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) has become a legitimate rival in desktop and laptop computers with its new Ryzen line. With PC sales […]

Flu shots during pregnancy

Is your head already spinning from all of the confusing information about the safety of routine vaccinations? Well, news of the latest findings regarding the flu vaccine during pregnancy certainly won’t help things. A group of researchers recently reported an association between a pregnant woman getting the flu vaccine and having a miscarriage. The authors […]

5 Ways to Help Employees Keep Up with Digital Transformation

Executive Summary The consumer products landscape is in the midst of a significant digital shake up. Success of these new ideas and approaches depends on the abilities, skills, and mindset of the company’s workforce. Work with leading consumer products companies around the world shows that there are clear practices and investments that drive a greater […]

The Solution to the Active vs. Passive Investment Management Debate Isn't Either/Or

Retirement savers can put the good points of both systems to work with “core-satellite investing.” In every great debate, there’s a middle ground, and often it’s home to a good compromise. SEE ALSO: The 7 Most Common 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid Unfortunately, when the believers on either side are positive they’re right, that midway point […]

The Skinny on Fat Investing Costs

Do you know how much you’re paying to invest your money? Several factors are pushing prices down for consumers, so savvy retirement savers have options. Getty Images By Andy Burdsall, Investment Adviser | Riverbend Financial GroupSeptember 2017Contact Me Recently, a new client joined my practice and her investing costs dropped by almost 70%. She was […]

Hurricanes Likely Affecting Sales

Kiplinger’s latest forecast on retail sales and consumer spending iStockphoto By David Payne, Staff EconomistSeptember 27, 2017 Overall sales tumbled in August as sales of autos, building materials, clothing and electronics declined. Hurricane Harvey can partially be blamed, just as Irma is likely hitting September sales. But expect a rebound in the final quarter of […]

5 Stocks to Sell Now

Symbol: TSLA Share price: $345.25 Market capitalization: $57.7 billion 52-week range: $178.19 – $389.61 Year-to-date return: 61.6% Estimated 2017 earnings: – $7.46 Estimated 2018 earnings: – $0.78 Price-earnings ratio: Not meaningful Tesla has had plenty to celebrate this year. In July, the company finally launched its first mass-market sedan, the Model 3, to rave reviews, […]

Traits of Scam Victims: Industriousness, Curiosity, Geniality

Industriousness Knowing you’re a diligent worker, scammers send out most malware-containing emails and mobile scams early in the business day, when you’re busiest or most distracted. The flow spikes right around lunchtime. Advice: Slow down. “Think before clicking on a link — especially during high activity times such as the upcoming holidays,” suggests Gary Davis […]

Thinking About a “Work from Anywhere” Arrangement? Ask These Questions First

Executive Summary Becoming location-independent and traveling the world is more possible than ever. With the internet and a laptop, scores of professions that were once desk-bound — consulting, writing, researching, designing, and more — are now free to conduct business from around the globe. But is the lifestyle right for you? Before making the decision, […]

Managing the Perks and Pitfalls of Proactive People

Executive Summary Companies need proactive employees. They are essential for suggesting, developing, and sustaining innovative new projects and for helping companies stay competitive. But organizations must make sure that proactive employees know the types of risks to take and those to avoid. On the one hand, top managers need to provide autonomy so that middle […]

Too Much Charisma Can Make Leaders Look Less Effective

Executive Summary Conventional wisdom suggests that the most charismatic leaders are also the best leaders. But research shows that, while at least a moderate level of charisma is important, too much may hinder a leader’s effectiveness. Three studies — involving 800 business leaders globally and around 7,500 of their superiors, peers, and subordinates — suggests that […]

How to Regain the Lost Art of Reflection

Executive Summary Executives spend too much time on information processing, reaction, and execution, and not enough on slow, deliberative, reflective thinking. But some CEOs have managed to resist these tendencies. Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg read extensively, safeguard time for personal development projects, and constantly seek new stimulus and perspectives. Leaders such as […]

As European Banks Retreat from the World Stage, China Is Stepping Up

Executive Summary It has been 10 years since the global financial crisis, and the fall-out continues in the industry that was at its epicentre: banking. There has been a truly dramatic retrenchment from foreign markets, making banking a rare case of an industry becoming less, rather than more, global. But as European banks retreat, China […]

The True Cost of Gray Divorce

Typically, the longer you’ve been together, the more assets you’ve acquired, and the more expensive the process. I’ve seen couples spend $200,000 in legal fees. And you have less time to recover financially from divorce the closer you are to retirement. Source: Kiplinger The True Cost of Gray Divorce

Equifax and Why It’s So Hard to Sue a Company for Losing Your Personal Information

Executive Summary The Equifax breach is different from previous breaches. It isn’t the largest or the most embarrassing, but it involves personal data that people didn’t directly give to Equifax, which makes the nature of the breach unique. The company is facing a number of lawsuits, and Congress is demanding answers. But U.S. citizens may find […]

The Grocery Industry Confronts a New Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking

Executive Summary The food and grocery industry feels threatened by Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, but it faces a bigger but quieter threat: the long-term decline of people’s interest in cooking. Instead of ignoring this behavioral shift, food companies should become more proactive by exiting categories that have no future, focusing on super-premium products, and using […]

Leaky gut: What is it, and what does it mean for you?

Before the medical community had better understanding of the mechanisms that cause disease, doctors believed certain ailments could originate from imbalances in the stomach. This was called hypochondriasis. (In Ancient Greek, hypochondrium refers to the upper part of the abdomen, the region between the breastbone and the navel.) This concept was rejected as science evolved […]

50 Ways to Save on Health Care

Some facilities charge hundreds of dollars more for x-rays and tests than competing providers. “I’ve seen people get charged $500 for an x-ray that should be about $30. It happens all the time,” says Jeffrey Rice, CEO of Healthcare Bluebook, which compares prices using a nationwide database of medical payments. Independent radiology centers often charge […]

Loans Offered by SBA for Hurricane Victims

There are a number of types of relief available from the agency: physical business loans to repair or replace disaster-damaged property; economic injury loans to help small businesses meet ordinary and necessary financial obligations; and home business loans to repair or replace disaster-damage real estate and personal property. Loans for physical businesses and economic injury […]

Men (back) at work

My father was ecstatic when he retired from the US Postal Service after 30 years. But it didn’t take long before he began to miss the packlike male bonding he took for granted: group lunches, team projects, water cooler banter. When they were gone, it left a big hole in his life. “Men acquire friends […]

FBI Negotiation Tips for Navigating High-Pressure Situations – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM HBX

Your success at the negotiation table requires a blend of different techniques. Chris Voss, former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI, spent his career navigating high-pressure situations. While most individuals will never be bargaining to save a human life like Voss did, each of us negotiates daily with colleagues, vendors, friends, and family members. […]

Why does hair turn gray?

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling If you look at photos of President Obama taken before he ran for president and since he left office, you’ll notice a distinct difference: where there used to be only dark brown hair, there is now far more gray than brown. It seems that the stress of running a country […]

Is There An Echo In Here? What You Need To Consider About Privacy Protection

An “Echo Dot” device, left, and an “Echo” device stand on display during the U.K. launch event for the Amazon.com Inc. Echo voice-controlled home assistant speaker in London, U.K., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016. The Seattle-based company today announced that its Echo product line will be available in the U.K. and Germany starting in the […]

IRS Extends Tax Relief to Hurricane Irma Victims

The announcement applies to Floridians in Alachua, Baker, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Union and […]

Financial Impact of Florida Keys Shutting Down

The storm and subsequent closings are, of course, a massive blow to the area’s $2.7 billion tourism industry; the island chain is typically abuzz with visitors snorkeling, fishing and dolphin-spotting. Hotels are reimbursing visitors who’ve already paid for rooms, according to Ashley Serrate, a representative from the Keys’ Tourism Development Council. The businesses here have […]

Scam Alert: Anti-Aging Snake Oil, Lawsuits, Wrinkles – AARP Bulletin

But even if Harry’s Supreme Formula HGH and Youthful Vigor HGH actually contained human growth hormone, consider this bit of knowledge: When taken in pill form—and not injected—real HGH is degraded by enzymes in the intestines before it can reach the bloodstream, rendering it useless, says Marc R. Blackman, M.D., of the National Center for […]

Cruise Lines Re-Routes Ships West After Hurricane Irma

Some lines have been diverting ships to deliver relief supplies to the most-devastated areas. Meanwhile, the big lines, such as Carnival, Disney and Norwegian, are “rejiggering their schedules,” says Chris Gray Faust, senior editor at CruiseCritic.com. One alternative to sailing the eastern Caribbean is to move upcoming sailings westward. While hugely popular cruise destinations in those eastern […]