The market for selling small businesses improved slightly last year, but buyers typically still had the upper hand.
To spur borrowing and boost the economy, the Federal Reserve cut the federal funds target rate to near zero at the end of 2008. More recently, the Fed disclosed that it is unlikely to raise rates until late 2014.
Interest rates have been exceptionally low for three years now — and are expected to remain so through the end of 2014, according to the Federal Reserve.1 Meanwhile, market volatility has been high. These are challenging times for risk-averse investors who want to improve their returns.
It used to be common for employers to encourage (or require) departing employees to withdraw their money from the company’s retirement plan.1 Like most employee benefits, an employer-sponsored retirement plan like the Blackbaud 401K in Charleston SC is typically an expense for the employer.
