Episode 7 of Trading Perspectives

September 24, 2018, by Lindsey Owens Krausen

Brexit: The Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union In episode 7, John and Sam talk about Brexit, short for British Exit. In order for the UK to leave the EU it had to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which gives the two sides two years to agree on the terms of the split. British Prime Minister, Theresa May, triggered this process on March 29, 2017, meaning the UK is scheduled...

Righteous Common Cents for September 21, 2018

September 21, 2018, by John Norris

Way back in 2000, and I can’t believe it has been 18 years, the movie ‘Meet the Parents’ hit the screens. I thought it was a real laugh riot at the time, and still think certain scenes are hilarious. If you have seen the movie, you may remember the following exchange between Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro. If you haven’t, it is a conversation in the car between a young man (Greg) trying to impress...

Episode 6 of Trading Perspectives

September 17, 2018, by Lindsey Owens Krausen

Today's workforce generally puts a lot of value on social and environmental efforts of their employer. In episode 6 of Trading Perspectives, John and Sam talk about the social responsibility of companies like Nike and Starbucks and whether or not companies have a responsibility to put benefits to society over those of the company. On the flip side, are corporate social efforts driven by a strategic marketing plan to increase sales and revenue? Listen here: http://tradingperspectives.libsyn.com/ We are now...

Common Cents (or lack thereof) for September 14, 2018

September 14, 2018, by John Norris

Some years ago, before smartphones and the ubiquity of social media, I wrote a pretty thorough complaint to the corporate headquarters of a large national restaurant chain. In it, I gave a detailed description of my impression of three separate units, and included: the time of my visits, the locations, the respective store numbers, my real name, an email address, and my telephone number. A representative of the company, not the franchisee, called me about...

Episode 5 of Trading Perspectives Podcast

September 10, 2018, by Lindsey Owens Krausen

Episode 5 of Trading Perspectives is now live! The average age of US citizens is rising. In episode 5 of Trading Perspectives, Baby Boomer John Norris and co-host Sam Clement, Gen Z, discuss generational changes in the American workforce. In 1950 the economy had at its disposal 8.1 people of working age for each person of retirement age. By 2030 that ratio is expected to have shrunk to just over 5.0. In 1950 the average age of the American worker was...

Estate Planning Checklist

September 10, 2018, by John Norris

You might be surprised by the number of successful people who don’t have an updated will. I recently spoke with someone whose most recent one dated from when their now 40-year old child was in diapers. Obviously, a lot has changed in their financial picture over the last four decades. I will be blunt: drawing up a will and devising an estate plan isn’t a lot of fun, and not just because a lawyer is...

Common Cents for September 7, 2018

September 7, 2018, by John Norris

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Employment Situation report for August 2018. The sum of its parts was pretty mediocre. Yes, the economy supposedly created 201K net new jobs during the month, but the BLS revised the previous two months down by 50K. What’s more, the Household Survey, from which ‘we’ calculate the Unemployment Rate, was sort of a disaster. The Labor Force Participation and Employment to Population ratios both fell...

Episode 4 of Trading Perspectives Podcast

September 3, 2018, by Lindsey Owens Krausen

Episode 4 of Trading Perspectives is now live! This week we will be following up on the questions and comments from our listeners about sin taxes. In episode 4 John and Sam dive even deeper into the sugary products discussed last week and just how much money they actually cost on an annual basis. Sam provides statistics surrounding the amount of money the government spends on healthcare in relation to the sugary foods we consume...

Common Cents on August 31, 2018

August 31, 2018, by John Norris

I absolutely loathe the capital gains tax. It is one of the worst tax laws ‘we’ have, as it inhibits the free flow of capital throughout the financial system. Period, and end of discussion. You can make whatever impassioned argument you want in favor of it; you can produce complicated spreadsheets purporting to show the financial efficacy of the capital gains tax all you want, and I will not waver in my distaste for it....

American Banker names Oakworth Capital Bank the Best Bank to Work For in the Nation

August 28, 2018, by Lindsey Owens Krausen

Oakworth Capital Bank has been named to American Banker’s 2018 Best Banks to Work For, ranking first nationally. The ranking, which began in 2013, is a project of American Banker and Best Companies Group to recognize and honor the best banks to work for in the nation. This is Oakworth’s second consecutive year to make the list. “We are honored to be recognized by the American Banker in this prestigious ranking”, said CEO Scott Reed. ...