The persistence of super-low Treasury bond interest rates has led to a new oddity in the Treasury bond market. Monday’s Treasury auction of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) resulted in investors paying a price that results in a negative yield for the bonds. Read the full article

One of the provisions of the health care bill was a change in the rules that apply to flexible savings accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs) and other health savings plans. After December 31st of this year, the cost of over-the-counter drug purchases will no longer qualify for reimbursement from these plans. After the end of 2010, only insulin and prescription purchases will be reimbursable. There's a small exemption provided for plans that use debit cards; these purchases remain qualified through January 15, 2011. The IRS is providing further information on changes in the reimbursement rules for over-the-counter medicines and drugs at its web site. Read the full article

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston reported that economic activity in the First District is generally on the upswing versus last year. Read the full article

Looking for cities leading the way in job creation and economic growth? The Milken Institutes's report "Best-Performing Cities 2010" identifies the leading areas in a ranking of 379 metros, divided into large (>200,000) and small (< 200,000) population metropolitan areas. Texas came out far ahead among the states this year, with Lone Star State cities filling 11 of the top 25 slots among large-population areas. Read the full article

In a move calculated to undercut competitors, the Vanguard family of funds has announced a reduction in the minimum investment required to gain access to its "Admiral" class of mutual fund shares. Read the full article

As expected, the Social Security Administration announced today that there will be no increase in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits in 2011 for the 59 million retirees and others receiving monthly benefits. No cost-of-living-increase (COLA) can be given because there has been no increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' cost-of-living index from the third quarter of 2008 (the last year a COLA was made), to the third quarter of 2010. Under current law, the absence of a COLA also means that there can be no increase in the maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax. Read the full article

As the cost of nursing home care approaches $400/day in some parts of the country, more attention is being given to the concept of insuring against the need to pay for long-term care. Some employers offer long-term care (LTC) insurance as an employee benefit. A recent premium hike by the nation’s second-largest provider of LTC insurance has raised a lot of eyebrows. Read the full article

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