State Bank Commissioner Candace Franks Predicts Ownership Trends in '20
by Arkansas Business Staff – 1 week ago
Candace Franks, the Arkansas state bank commissioner, says total assets under supervision have almost doubled since 2012.
Trends & Analysis
US Home Sales Soared 3.6% in December
5 days ago
U.S. home sales climbed 3.6% in December, but a record-low inventory of houses on the market has caused prices to surge as affordability is worsening.
New Year, New Marketing Trends (Kent Middleton Commentary)
5 days ago
From personalize email to augmented reality, a look at the latest marketing trends and whether they're worth a business' time and money.
Sports Bets Scoring in the U.S.
This map from the American Gaming Association shows the states where sports betting is now legal, where sports betting has been approved but is not yet operational, and where bills have been prefiled or introduced to legalize sports betting and are under consideration. read more >
More Than Mystery Shopping (Barry Goldberg On Leadership)
It is always surprising to me how some of the most common processes in a business can be like a flashing neon sign about major issues in the organization's culture, structure and execution that are unrecognized and unaddressed. read more >
Do You Feel SECURE? (Johnny Brown Commentary)
The financial industry is adjusting to a new federal law that is not yet widely known by retirement plan investors and sponsors but could have serious implications for their retirement plans. read more >
Long-Term US Mortgage Rates Slump to 3-Month Lows
U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell this week to their lowest level in three months, deepening the incentive for prospective homebuyers although they face eroded affordability as prices continue to climb. read more >
Deferral Period Shorter for Non-Spouse Beneficiaries of Retirement Accounts (Dan Young Commentary)
The recently enacted Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 limits the deferral period for most non-spouse designated beneficiaries to 10 years. read more >
Future Shock (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
BlackRock won't be betting on climate change denialists — or on companies that refuse to plan for a future economy that is different from the one we're all accustomed to. read more >
The Right Conversations in 2020 (Jim Karrh On Marketing)
Now that you have set your 2020 growth plans for the business, it's time to set to work achieving them. read more >
Central Arkansas Finance Sector Sees Growth
The finance sector in central Arkansas is going strong, a phenomenon noted by Metroplan in its latest “Metro Trends: Economic Review & Outlook.” read more >
Rising Energy Costs Lift US Consumer Prices 0.2% in December
Rising energy costs drove U.S. consumer prices higher in December, and American workers' earnings couldn't keep up. read more >
Health Care Spending & Outcomes
The United States spends more on health care than any other developed country, yet many of its health outcomes are considerably worse. read more >
I'll Have The Usual (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Everyone has been in a situation in which we felt we had no options, and that is never a good feeling. But being overwhelmed or paralyzed by too many choices is even more familiar and almost as miserable. read more >
How Does It Know? (Craig Douglass On Consumers)
Consumer Reports published the day after Christmas their list version titled, “The Most Influential Products of the Past Decade.” As they describe it, it's their editors' picks for the products and services that defined the 2010s. Here is our abridged and commented-on inventory. read more >
US Job Gains Slowed in December to 145K; Unemployment Holds at 3.5%
U.S. employers downshifted their hiring in December, adding 145,000 jobs as consumer spending appeared to aid gains in the retail and hospitality sectors. read more >
Survey: US Companies Added 202K Jobs in December
U.S. companies added 202,000 jobs in December, led by robust hiring in construction, trade, transportation and utilities, according to a private survey. read more >
US Trade Deficit Falls 8.2% to $43.1B in November
The U.S. trade deficit fell in November to the lowest level in more than three years as U.S. exports rose while imports declined, putting the country on track to see the first annual decline in the trade deficit in six years. read more >
Pace of US Services Growth Quickened in December
U.S. services companies grew more quickly in December than the previous month, a sign that the economy's steady expansion should continue. read more >
Arkansas Revenue Boosted by Sales, Corporate Tax Collections
Arkansas' finance office says higher than expected sales and corporate income tax collections in December helped keep the state's revenue above forecast for the current fiscal year. read more >
US Manufacturing Activity Falls to Lowest Level in Decade
U.S. manufacturing activity fell to the lowest level in more than a decade, as the sector was hurt by weakening demand and last year's global economic slowdown. read more >
In the Workplace 2020: Employment Law Basics for Start-Ups
Start-ups can run into a number of employment issues as their workforce grows. read more >
US Long-Term Mortgage Rates Ease
U.S. long-term mortgage rates declined slightly this week, remaining close to the historically low levels where they have hovered for the past two months. read more >
Survey Suggests Economy Growing in 9 Midwest, Plains States
A new monthly survey of business supply managers suggests the economy is growing slowly in nine Midwest and Plains states as the U.S. trade war with China continues, according to a report released Thursday. read more >
In the Workplace 2020: Succession Planning: Avoiding Pitfalls
Succession planning necessitates talking to current key employees about their retirement plans. Planning how you will approach these conversations can help you avoid claims of age bias. Remember, there is no mandatory retirement age (with very few exceptions). read more >
In the Workplace 2020: Talking Politics: How to Avoid Toxic Work Environment
Over the last several years, political discourse has headed south, and this is increasingly causing problems in the workplace — from co-workers not wanting to work with each other to loud and disruptive arguments and even fistfights. read more >
In the Workplace 2020: Medical Marijuana's Slow Rollout Continues
At the end of 2019, the Arkansas medical marijuana program continues its slow rollout. read more >
In the Workplace 2020: New Federal Overtime Rules Effective Jan. 1
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that its new overtime rules, which go into effect Jan. 1, will make an additional 1.3 million American workers eligible for overtime wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act. read more >
Backward And Forward (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
I realized a long time ago that the things we remember most vividly from childhood are the things that we “always” did — the traditions that are reinforced and become expected — rather than one-off events, no matter how spectacular. read more >
Christmas by the Numbers
Facts and figures which are present behind the economy of the holiday season. read more >
State Unemployment Rises to 3.6% in November
Arkansas' unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in November, up from 3.5 percent in October, the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services reported Friday. read more >
Facebook Dominates With 2.45 Billion Users
As of third-quarter 2019, Facebook, the biggest social network worldwide, had 2.45 billion monthly active users. Active users are those who have logged in to Facebook during the last 30 days. read more >
Shoulda Known Better (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Marijuana is one of the few growth industries we have right now. Of course, I'm referring to the new industry of legal marijuana. Weed has been a profitable enterprise for the most risk-tolerant entrepreneurs for decades. read more >
Editors' Picks
