In an about face from its previous position that put a blanket prohibition on the IRS’s ability to accept some information from whistleblowers that were currently employed by a taxpayer, the IRS has now adopted a position that it should consider the facts and circumstances of each case before deciding how it can utilize this [...]
Investments Have Boosted Economy, Saved and Created Jobs Along with boosting the economy and preserving jobs, seven provisions of the federal economic recovery act are also keeping about 189,000 Pennsylvanians from falling into poverty this year, according to a new study from the Washington, DC-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The American Recovery and [...]
Word of Mouth Most Effective Form of Promotion Friends rank as the largest influencing factor in the purchase decisions of video games, according to a study released by global integrated communications agency Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California, and Harris Interactive. Industry trade groups say the [...]
Red Cross offers online giving catalog to help families make charitable gifts in the name of others In spite of the economic downturn, Americans are entering this holiday season willing to support charities in two ways, with 62 percent planning to dig deep into their own wallets to support charities and nearly 40 percent talking [...]
A new report released today by Bread for the World Institute warns that unless the triple threats of hunger, unemployment, and climate change are addressed, any economic recovery will only lead to another bubble. “To blunt the surge of hunger, unemployment, and the long-term effects of climate change, we need a just and sustainable economic [...]
Nearly 87 percent of travelers who looked into the availability of vacation rentals in the past plan to stay in one in 2010 – Demand for vacation rentals in New Orleans is up by more than 300 percent in third quarter of the year – About 60 percent of vacation rental owners report bookings in [...]
Recommends Congress Cap Payday Lender Interest Rates at 36 Percent As Congress debates financial regulatory reform and the Obama Administration advocates for greater consumer financial protection, a new study finds a need for Congressional action on fringe banking practices used heavily by financially vulnerable families. The study released today details the toll on communities with [...]
New Study Released During National Save for Retirement Week Documents How Lack of Federal Recognition for Same-Sex Couples Reduces Their Retirement Income and Survivor Benefits A new study released details the inequalities faced by same-sex couples in employer-sponsored retirement plans. Without legal recognition of their relationships under federal law, the report concludes, lesbians and gay [...]
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Announce $120 Million in New Agriculture Grants Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on Thursday will urge governments, donors, researchers, farmer groups, environmentalists, and others to set aside old divisions and join forces to help millions of the world’s poorest farming families boost their yields [...]
A new report released today demonstrates that Hispanic Americans face greater challenges in obtaining a secure retirement than the average population. The paper, prepared by the Hispanic Institute think-tank and the Americans for Secure Retirement (ASR) coalition, finds that the unique challenges include a general lack of retirement preparation, less access to employer-sponsored retirement plans, [...]