Hollywood AI

AI has caused one of my sons who decided to hold off on law school and joined the military to get trained at someone else’s expenses on the current trends.  He expects to see AI up front and see how it will replace him and others once he is fully trained.  He already...

US Electricity

The evolving landscape of U.S. electricity is marked by three interconnected trends poised to shape its future over the next few years, influencing both consumers and infrastructure. First, consumers face persistently escalating electric bills, with recent data...

AI and the grid

Data center electricity demand, largely driven by the AI boom, is expected to rise 22% in 2025 and could nearly triple by 2030, straining electric grids and raising serious concerns about reliability and pricing for consumers and utilities alike. Utilities face a...

Layoff’s

Major layoffs were announced in 2025 include: UPS – 48,000 positions Nestle – 16,0000 positions Amazon – 14,000 positions Bosch – 13,000 positions Dell – 12,000 positions Accenture – 11,000 positions Nissan – 11,000 positions Intel – 10,000 positions Microsoft –...

How many people own Bitcoin?

Estimates suggest that on the order of 100 million people worldwide own some amount of Bitcoin as of 2025, but the exact number is uncertain. Different analyses generally place Bitcoin ownership at a bit over 1% of the global population. Global ownership estimates...

How much Bitcoin should I own?

Most mainstream guidance is to keep Bitcoin (and all crypto) as a small slice of your net worth, usually in the 1%–5% range, and only more if you deeply understand the risk and can tolerate large drawdowns. How much you personally “should” own depends on your total...

Factors behind small business marketing anxiety

Economic worry drives much of the angst—81% of the SMBs surveyed are concerned that the current economy could negatively impact their businesses. Key insights from the data Economic anxiety dominates. A striking 81% of SMBs worry that current economic conditions could...

Social Media

Small business owners say they need the most help with social media marketing. Main area of needed help Surveyed small business owners report that social media marketing is the marketing activity where they most often feel underprepared and in need of support. This is...

Marketing Hurdles

Small businesses, far from needing motivation to market their companies, primarily struggle with a fundamental lack of clarity and direction regarding what actually needs to be done. They unequivocally understand the imperative to attract new customers and recognize...

IRS no longer takes checks

As of October 1, 2025, the IRS and all federal agencies generally no longer accept or issue paper checks, with limited exceptions available for those who cannot use electronic payments. This change is mandated by a presidential executive order to increase efficiency,...

POPULARITY

I have written in the past that S-Corps are the most popular corporate entity. Now thanks to the U of I Tax School pulling the numbers together to back it up, they account for over two-thirds of all corporations filing federal tax returns. Moreover, the number of S...

30 Years of Cook County Property Tax Increases

Illinois residents pay the highest property taxes in the nation. Illinois Policy Institute research shows Cook County property tax bills have risen 78% since 2007, despite median property values rising just 7.3%. The treasurer reported last year’s collections were...

Financial Foundation

Early career workers need to set up a financial foundation.  This will assist them on the path to financial security.  Like retirement, the idea is to start early and maintain throughout their careers. Currently 56% of workers early in their careers do not have 3 to 6...

Women’s Financial Well Being

I was surprised to find in this day and age that yes, women are still paid less than men, although the gap has narrowed over time. In 2024, women working full-time, year-round earned about 81 to 85 cents for every dollar men earned, a figure that can be even lower for...

Financially Fragile

ADP was sharing that many workers are financially fragile. 27% of workers do not have any emergency savings.  Over time the question was asked if your furnace broke down would you be able to replace it.  The question now is a hot water heater.  People don’t have the...

Money

I know it is truly surprising that workers are stressed about money.  The costs of existing in Illinois are constantly increasing.  I personally am thrilled that my property taxes went up 30% with no increase in services or any other benefit that a money grab out of...

Why businesses fail

I found this little tidbit on the internet, it seems to cover ground always covered with only some insite. Whether a business fails in it’s first year or tenth year, it is typically due to more than one reason. Understanding the specific causes behind small business...

Running a business

At one of my networking events, I was talking to someone who described their business as owning a job and not a business or a career. They were discussing what will be the survival rate of the business, meaning what is the survival rate of industry rivals. Finally,...

Difficulties with Small Businesses

I was reading an article that highlighted the following as issues concerning their financial stability.  Lack of Funds Nothing can hold a business back like money problems. This is even more true for small businesses. While most larger companies have enough cash flow...

The Future of College

It looks like there may be changes in store for college degrees in the future.  Attendance has fallen off, mostly due to the ever-increasing tuition costs and the likelihood of not finding a position that comes close to repaying student loans let alone a lifestyle. ...

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