The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) released its summary of business travel statistics for 2014 this week, and the news is good. Business travel reached record levels, with about 484.4 million trips made creating some $292.2 billion in spending. The summary, which takes the past trends and projects them into the future, predicts that 2015… Continue Reading
The new position of chief risk officer created by the US Treasury Department will be filled by Kenneth Phelan. Phelan, who is 55 years old, has held similar roles for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and at Fannie Mae soon after the last US financial crisis. The newly created Office of Risk Management,… Continue Reading
Fear of oil supply disruptions as a result of Libyan violence sent the price of US crude oil up by more than one dollar on Monday in Asian trade. In a reverse of the steady fall in oil prices of late, US crude just barely touched $55.74, up $1.01 on Monday after closing down $1.11… Continue Reading
Despite being mostly out of the debilitating recession of recent years and also being the strongest economy in the world, the United States still can’t seem to get its act together when it comes to making life easier and more productive for businessmen and entrepreneurs. At least that is what Forbes Magazine’s list of Ten… Continue Reading
The continuing decline in the price of oil is bringing the value of the Canadian dollar down with it, as a barrel of oil plummeted to below $60 last week. The price of oil has not been this low since 2009, while the loonie has not reached this price in 5 and a half years.… Continue Reading
Since May this year the price of gasoline has been taking a nosedive. During the interim seven months the average price of a gallon of gas as gone down by one dollar. According to the Lundberg survey released on Sunday, gasoline is at the lowest price it has been in four years. Regular-grade gasoline is… Continue Reading
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation as issued a confidential warning those cyber-hackers could be targeting US businesses with malicious malware that could obliterate data and make it virtually impossible to recover. The five-page warning comes on the heels of confirmation that the FBI is indeed looking into last week’s break-in to the computer network… Continue Reading
Students, aspiring businessmen and professionals can look forward to more lenient visa requirements from the US State Department as a result of immigration reform introduced by President Obama. Behind the reform: the desire to stem the brain drain of talented, productive individuals who are getting their educations in the US and returning to their home… Continue Reading
September inventory and sales figures are helping renew optimism in the economic recovery after August figures fed fears that the economy was entering another slump. August’s bad news was found in the miniscule 0.1 percent rise in business inventories. August’s tiny rise was the smallest in over a year. August sales also fueled skepticism with… Continue Reading
Last week’s midterm elections not only favored Republicans in overwhelming numbers, but also said yes to the continuing trend to liberalize marijuana laws. Two additional states joined Colorado and Washington in permitting recreational use of cannabis, along with an overwhelming vote in favor in Washington DC. As more states come aboard the weed wagon, it… Continue Reading