This article was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/finance/2013/04/12/tax-day-cometh/. For many Americans, April 15 — Tax Day — is their least favorite day of the year. In 2009, Americans paid $866 billion in taxes to the federal government. The top 1% of earners — those making more than $343,927 — paid 36.7% of […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/finance/2013/04/08/where-do-uninsured-americans-live/. Providing affordable health care has been a hot-button political issue for decades. Many Americans could not afford costs for regular checkups and other preventive health options because they didn’t have health insurance. The lack of insurance became increasingly critical as uninsured patients jammed […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/04/01/where-are-america-baseball-fans/. Play ball! A sure sign of spring is Opening Day in the major leagues. Baseball fans couldn’t be happier that the 2013 Major League Baseball season kicked off yesterday as the Texas Rangers took on the Houston Astros. Baseball, America’s Favorite Pastime, is beloved […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/03/25/cruisers-keep-cruising/. Spring Break is upon us and summer is just around the corner, so many Americans are planning vacations — and many will book cruises. In 2011, an estimated 10.5 million Americans took cruises, according to Cruise Lines International Association. This was over half of […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/03/18/mapping-march-madness/. The brackets are out, so March Madness has officially begun. Hoops mania is spreading rapidly as basketball fans are traveling to games, filling out their brackets and buying snacks for watching the games on TV. The Men’s NCAA basketball tournament tips off Tuesday night, but […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/finance/2013/03/08/mapping-how-housing-is-on-the-mend/. Buried beneath headlines the past few months about the “fiscal cliff” and sequestration was at least one nugget of positive information for the U.S. economy: Foreclosure starts declined in the fourth quarter of 2012. Home mortgage foreclosure rates have been a key indicator in […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/03/03/how-popula-is-catholicism-in-the-us/. The College of Cardinals is gathering, and conclave will be convened soon to elect the 266th bishop of Rome. With 1.2 billion members, the Catholic Church is one of the world’s largest religious groups. In the U.S., there are 74 million Catholics, 23.9% of […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/finance/2013/02/25/which-states-will-the-military-sequestration-affect-the-most/. Sequestration is a front-and-center issue for everyone these days. While many people may not know exactly what the term means, they know to be worried on March 1 if no agreement is in place and $109 billion in annual spending cuts go into effect […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/02/18/the-demographic-evolution-of-u-s-households/. The composition of the American household is changing. People often focus on the growing, diverse populations of Hispanics, blacks and Asians as well as an increase in the multiracial and ethnic populations. However, household size and makeup is also changing. Husband, wife, 2.5 […]
This blog was originally posted at: http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/02/14/who-buys-all-the-flowers-and-jewelry-on-valentines-day/. Hopefully, the “hearts and flowers” of Valentine’s Day will spread to the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C. After all, Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest holiday observances in the U.S. and presents a chance for politicians to mark the day with gifts […]
