National News

Jobless claims increase, mark highest total since August

In the week ending January 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 965,000, an increase of 181,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 3,000 from 787,000 to 784,000. The… more

Coping with COVID: Kan., Mo. below average in states administering first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

A national map tracking shares of the U.S. population that have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine reveals the Midwest is mixed when it comes to individual states’ progress. One map from Fortune shows that on a… more

Insurance Insights with Claude Thau

Self-insuring your long-term care (LTC) risk makes a lot of sense.  At any point in your life, you want to maximize your assets.  To help maximize your assets, you want to minimize expenses.  Insurance premiums are an expense, so it… more

KC Fed Reserve Bank President says inflation could rise quickly

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Kansas recognized as national leader in wind energy production

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly today announced that the state of Kansas has once again been recognized as a national leader in wind energy, with Business Facilities Magazine noting high rankings for Kansas and awarding an Honorable Mention to the Grain… more

Affordability concerns ahead for housing market in 2021

Apartment prices may be steady now, but rent is expected to rise within the latter half of 2021. Dense urban areas should continue to struggle with weaker rental prices and drops in average rents, according to John Loper, an associate… more

Soaring home values add more U.S. cities to million-dollar list

The typical value of a home in the United States is a little more than a quarter-million dollars ($263,351 in November 2020, to be exact). But in 312 cities and towns nationwide, the typical home is worth a cool million or… more

New report reveals top industries with remote work

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home is more necessary and desirable than ever. With that in mind, FlexJobs has announced the top 100 companies to watch for remote work in the coming year. “Remote” means the openings must offer… more

Creative Planning sells employee benefits division

A sell of its employee benefits division has taken a load off  Overland Park-based Creative Planning, however the company quickly turned and acquired all of Creative Planning Property & Casualty LLC. The employee benefits division sold to USI Insurance Services for… more

Coping with COVID: Mo. hospitalizations tally above U.S. average, Kan. below national average

Only five states are considered to have reached dangerous levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations per 1 million. The COVID Tracking Project updated by The Atlantic shows four levels that indicated where each state lies in terms of COVID-19 hospitalizations ranging from… more