Locator: 51127ARCHIVES.
Samsung: profit jumps 1,800% as AI chip sales soar.
- you can howl at the wind, but AI is here to sta
Micron started construction on a $9.3 billion expansion to its factory in Hiroshima, Japan.
Saudi Arabia considers expansion of oil pipeline to Red Sea.
Hunch: Mideast crude oil exports has leveled off; unlikely to increase; WTI will stay in a trading range near where it is now: $65 to $75 for the near future. IRGC not going to give up the strait. Thinking otherwise is fantasy. So, three outcomes:
- Hezbollah is not going away;
- Iran's nuclear program will continue -- will play hide-and-seek with IEA inspectors;
- IRGC will monetize / maintain control of the strait.
SpaceX is now in the NASDAQ-100. Brace for volatility.
Trump Accounts: way too complicated; particularly for the measly return for upper middle class and the elite. I wrote that before I saw this, link here:
Experts interviewed by Yahoo Finance were not convinced that Trump Accounts offered a clear advantage over similar options, like a traditional or Roth IRA or a 529 education savings plan.
529s, for example, allow earnings to accumulate and are not subject to federal and state taxes when used for qualified education expenses.
Zach Teutsch, a managing partner at Values Added Financial, said that a family would have to be "shockingly sure" that their child would not attend college to opt for a Trump Account instead of a 529 plan.
"The giving kids money aspect is generally good," Teutsch said. "The account structure seems ill-considered."
Traditional IRAs offer an up-front tax deduction, while Roth IRAs are funded with after-tax money, but the dollars are withdrawn tax-free in retirement.
Trump Accounts tax the money when it goes in and when it comes out. Additionally, IRAs — both types — offer a greater variety of investment options and higher contribution limits.
What's also confusing about Trump Accounts is that they allow for both after-tax contributions, like individual gifts from family members or parents, as well as pre-tax contributions, like those from employers.
In general, experts say that Trump Accounts have significant drawbacks compared to other options.
"It's not very attractive," said Ann Reilley, CEO of Alpha Financial Advisors. "It just seems like they're complicating things for no reason."
