Finance

A 401(k) plan is a popular way to save for retirement, but each employer determines what they offer with their own plans. Different 401(k) plans may have different fees, corresponding contribution limits, and investment options. To determine if your 401(k) is competitive, you can compare its terms and offers with other 401(k) terms. You can…

What are transaction costs? Transaction costs are the expenses incurred when buying or selling a good or service. Transaction costs represent the labor required to bring a good or service to market, giving rise to entire industries dedicated to facilitating trade. From a financial perspective, transaction costs include broker fees commissions and spreads, which are…

Berkshire Hathaway earnings results Metric Beat/Miss/Match Reported value Analyst prediction Earnings per share ($) To lack (29,754) (4,079) Revenue ($B) To lack 9.3 57.5 Operating profit ($B) To beat 9.3 6.9 Source: Forecasts based on the consensus of analysts from visible alpha Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) Financial Results: Analysis Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (BRK.A, BRK.B) announced results…

What is a firewall? A firewall is a legal barrier preventing the transfer of inside information and the performance of financial transactions between commercial and investment banks. The restrictions imposed on collaborations between banks and brokerage firms within the framework of the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933 acted as a form of firewall. One of the…

When it comes to choosing investments for your 401(k), the number of options available can be overwhelming. There are, however, a number of relatively simple investment strategies you can use to get the most out of your 401(k). One strategy is to invest in a target date fundwhich will automatically optimize your wallet for retirement…

What is a Beneficial Owner A beneficial owner is a person or entity that receives the benefit of ownership. As the true owner, the asset is under the name of the person or entity, and they are entitled to any benefit from it. The true owner can sometimes be difficult to determine if there are…

What is the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB)? The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is a private organization non-governmental organization that creates accounting reporting standards, or generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)for state and local governments in the United States. Key points to remember: The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is a private, nongovernmental organization that…

What is Spot Delivery Month? In the commodity futures markets, the spot delivery month is the earliest possible month in which the commodity underlying the futures contract will be deliverable. It is also known as month near or month ahead. The opposite of the spot delivery month is the month backwhich refers to the last…

What is a block grant? A block grant is an annual sum of money given by the federal government to a state or local government organization to help fund a specific project or program. These became official in the United States from 1966. This form of federal assistance is often associated with support for social…