Top Executives Get Tax Help

A recent survey has revealed that top executives in select companies are getting tax help to cover for perks. This upsets some people, but Jim Sluzewski, a Federated spokesman, says this program has been around for years. I do not think this is a huge problem, mostly because businesses need to keep these top executives to keep business running, but it is certainly one worth noting. Other workers might need it more, especially the lower-paid ones. I say if this has to happen, then let all the workers have the benefits.

"This smacks of Leona Helmsley-like treatment, that only little people pay taxes," McGurn told the paper, adding that the companies "are removing taxes from the list of inevitable life experiences, leaving only death."

The Hottest Stocks of the year

S&P just released their top 500 stocks of the year. The majority of these stocks are related to energy, and the majority of the 10 remaining stocks are related to healthcare. Listing all of the top stocks of the year would be a waste of time, so I will list the Top 5:

1. Express Scripts-ESRX (up 130%)
2. Apple Computer-AAPL (up 121%)
3. Corning-GLW (up 70%)
4. Office Depot-ODP (up 69%)
5. McKesson-MCK (up 63%)

"Here's an example of oil's power as a market mover: To find the best performing S&P 500 stocks for 2005, we had to dig deep just to find 10 that aren't somehow tied to energy."

Google predicted to fall

David Kirkpatrick, the senior editor for money.cnn.com, has predicted a downfall by Google, one of the most popular and most commonly used search items on the internet, in 2006. One of the reasons that he thinks this is because of the rise of Yahoo search. Yahoo recently purchased a new tool for searching the internet, called del.icio.us. It can find all sorts of new information, and can find dates for people, form groups, and allows members to share music picks.

"what goes up must come down--especially in technology, the most volatile industry the world has ever seen. Yes, I love Google, but my first prediction is that a year from now we won't think that the search company is the invincible behemoth that we do now."