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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was originally created to encourage market competition and to protect consumers by breaking up monopolies and monitoring mergers and acquisition activity.
It has now branched out into more areas in the pursuit of consumer protection and fair markets. The FTC is now comprised of three bureaus: Consumer Protection, Competition, and Economics. They protect consumers from fraudulent business activity and monopolistic business practices.
They fulfill their mission through advocacy, investigation, and litigation. They are responsible for the National Do Not Call Registry, which levies heavy fines against companies which violate it by making solicitous calls to consumers who have opted-out.
They investigate consumer reports of fraud and bad business practices. When mergers and acquisitions are proposed, they FTC will make sure it won’t hinder competition in the marketplace.
One field in which they have been particularly active in monitoring and unwinding merger activity is in the healthcare industry where large hospital systems have driven prices up for consumers after acquiring their local clinics and hospitals. They perform this function within the jurisdiction of certain industries and markets but not others.
The SEC is also concerned with business practices, but only with regards to the securities the issue and the related reporting requirements. The FTC focuses on general business practices, but they can sometimes overlap with the SEC.
The Black Swan Theory serves as a reminder to investors that unpredictable events can radically change the markets
Currently, you have to be 62 years or older to start receiving Social Security benefits, and this includes spouses
As of 2016, if you are under 50 years old, you are allowed to contribute $5,500 a year to your Roth IRA
SEP IRA investment choices are determined by the financial institution at which your SEP IRA is established
Whether or not a life insurance policy would be a wise addition depends on the options available in your annuity
Universal Life Insurance is a permanent cash value insurance that has a term-insurance component and a savings component
The Lehman Aggregate Bond Index is a broad bond index, widely considered the best total bond market index to track...
An Account Hold is similar to the term Account Freeze, as both imply that transactions have been suspended for an account
RMDs are withdrawals that are mandatory for an individual to take from an IRA or 401(k) after the person has reached 70 ½
It is possible to participate in bitcoin mining indirectly, by partially funding a remote mining operation