Archive for June, 2008 Page 2 of 6
June 23, 2008 8:11PM
By Alexis Glick
This morning on The Opening Bell, I talked to two gentlemen who have completely different points of view on whether or not you should pay off your mortgage before you retire. It was any excellent debate and a very important topic for any one of the millions of baby boomers who face this decision. Mom and Dad, if you’re reading or watching this — take notes! 
Brad Levin of Legacy Wealth Partners was “for” keeping your mortgage into retirement. Craig Carnick of Carnick & Company was “against” keeping your mortgage into retirement. They both make great points. Whether you are about to retire or not, they give some sound advice on the benefits and detriments to having a mortgage. Take a look.
June 20, 2008 4:28PM
By Alexis Glick
Just when you thought it wasn’t possible, it happens again. Meet the Jared Fogel (of Subway fame) of McDonald’s. Chris Coleson decided in a life changing or should I say defining moment that he needed to take control of his life and lose weight.
So how did he decide to do it? By eating only at McDonald’s. Is it possible? Yes it is. He chose healthy at McDonald’s and lost 86 pounds since December. It’s an inspiring story. Will McDonald’s make him the next Jared Fogel of Subway fame? No, but the good news is he’s in shape and speaking out about a cause near and dear to his heart.
June 20, 2008 3:51PM
By Alexis Glick
Have you ever wondered who is the greatest athlete in the world? We hear about the best basketball, baseball or golf players but what about the best overall athlete. The Wall Street Journal spent almost six months researching the very best.
They brought together five sports scientists and exercise psychologists and reviewed a list of 79 male athletes. They measured them based on individual performance, power, coordination, reflexes, stamina, speed, etc…
The top 10 list was revealed this morning and Reed Albergotti the man behind the article for the Wall Street Journal came on Money for Breakfast to tell us who made the top 10.
Take a look. There are some BIG surprises!
June 20, 2008 3:47PM
By Alexis Glick
Think the planting of corn crops can’t get any worse? Hold on to your hats. A lot depends on the ability to replant those crops particularly in places like Iowa, which are now starting to see water levels recede. The question now is how successful those corn crops will be, the level of risk or contamination and what the future holds for everything from feed prices, ethanol prices and finally the prices you pay for the food you purchase at the supermarket every day.
First up, take a look at an interview I did this morning with Craig Floss, CEO of the Iowa Corn Association, the state that grows the most corn in the union. He says hold on just one second, most of the crops will be fine and the talk of toxic soil is a falacy. In part two, I talked to Steve Meyer, the president of Paragon Economics who says there is an “unprecedented” corn and soybean shortage and that it isn’t going to get any better. He points to the release of the USDA Acreage Report due out on June 30 for some further insight into what’s ahead. Take a look.
June 20, 2008 9:00AM
By Alexis Glick
In the wake of the devastation in the Midwest due to flooding, we thought we would take a look at the percentage of homeowners who are insured for an incident like this, and what those uninsured can do. Unfortunately, given all of the natural disasters this year –whether they be wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes or flooding — it’s going to be a difficult year for homeowners and most likely insurers.
Insurers. If you don’t know them or haven’t traded them, they can be confusing. Often, they rally aggressively during a catastrophe because of the belief that with increased claims they can raise their premiums. This economy is different, though. Many have financial investments on their books, subprime-related, that have hurt them. Many have to look for or guarantee that they have purchased enough reinsurance and many of them are at risk if the government doesn’t step in to help the victims.
I interviewed Sandy praeger, president of the National Association of Insurance Commisioners and Charles Payne in part one of my interview. We discussed the risks to homeowners and the changes in the industry that will likely happen as a result of all of these catastrophic events. In part two, I interviewed Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing at Allstate about how they reach out to their customers, arrive on the scene and use opportunities like this to redeliver their message and commitment to helping the consumer. Remember, “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” Take a look.
June 19, 2008 12:42PM
By Alexis Glick
This week’s Market Maven on The Opening Bell was Bob Doll of Blackrock, the global chief investment adviser and vice chairman.
As always, he makes such great points about the U.S. economy, global economy and where the U.S. stock market is headed.
Take a look.
June 18, 2008 9:13PM
By Alexis Glick
- Women own 48% of all businesses in the United States. That’s approximately 9.1 million businesses.
- Women business owners contribute more than $3.6 trillion to the marketplace each year.
- Women account for more than 70% of consumer spending.
- Women influence almost 85% of the purchasing decisions in this country.
- 55% of women provide half or more of their household’s income.
Staggering statistics wouldn’t you agree? As you may recall, I wrote a blog about a month ago about a woman named Nell Merlino. I spoke at a luncheon here in New York City for WCBS radio about women in the workforce. Nell appeared on the panel with me. I had never met her before, yet I had heard so much about her. She created “Take Your Daughter’s to Work Day” among other things. Nell is the co-founder and CEO of Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and the Make Mine a Million Dollar Business. She inspired me so much that I begged her to come on the show. Nell’s organization, founded in 1999, helps women develop small businesses, create economic independence through funding, mentoring and other programs. Her organization teaches women how to address the many challenges associated with starting and running a small business.
This morning she joined me on Money for Breakfast to discuss women’s economic independence and why the gap between women’s compensation and men’s compensation is so high. For every dollar a man earns, a woman earns 77 cents. Eighty percent of all women in the workforce earn less than $25,000 dollars a year and yet look at those stastics at the top of the page. Why such a big discrepancy? What is Nell doing about it? Take a look.
