After decades of touting its anytime, anywhere remote workforce, IBM is starting to bring workers back into the office.

About 40 percent of IBM’s 380,000 employees work in non-traditional settings, although the company has offered no information as to how many will be affected by the May announcement.

The tech giant gave affected remote workers 30 days to move back into the office setting or leave the company.

Although the 105-year-old company has experienced 20 quarters of falling revenue, a company spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the move was not a cost-cutting measure.

IBM is not the only company abandoning the popular remote work models. Yahoo, in 2013, called telecommuters back to the office as have Bank of America and Aetna. Corporate leaders have argued that putting workers in the same space increases work speed and sparks innovation.

One University of Texas professor who studies telecommuting says companies thought they would reap large savings in office and real estate costs. Jennifer Glass, who also advises companies on remote-work strategies, says these savings have not largely materialized.

IBM spokespeople say the vast majority of remote workers have elected to join a regional office. When Yahoo made the same move, however, it set off a furor.

Small business confidence continues at all-time high
Small business owners continue to be very optimistic about future economic growth, according to a recent industry survey.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released its February Small Business Optimism Index in March. The reading was at its highest in 43 years.

The NFIB noted that evidence on the economy is mixed.

The New York Federal Reserve puts first quarter growth at 3.1 percent while the Atlanta Federal Reserve is looking for 1.8 percent. Both have access to the same data.
However, the gulf between liberals and conservatives is large. The University of Michigan/Reuters poll in February illustrated this, with the Expectations Index at 55 among Democrats, 120 for Republicans and 89 for Independents. The Democrats expect the worst, the Republicans the best. Spontaneous positive references to economic policy were made by a record 28 percent of consumers, 26 percent made negative references. Reality will resolve the gap.

Small businesses are optimistic that there will be a new health care law, tax reform, and relief from regulations.
It is clear from our data that optimism skyrocketed after the election because small business owners anticipated a change in policy, said NFIB President and CEO Juanita Duggan. “The sustainability of this surge and whether it will lead to actual economic growth depends on Washington’s ability to deliver on the agenda that small business voted for in November. If the health care and tax policy discussions continue without action, optimism will fade,” Duggan said.

The index fell in February, but still is considered very high. The NFIB noted that the slight decline follows the largest month-over-month increase in the survey’s history in December and another uptick in January.
Despite a small decrease, nearly half of owners expect better business conditions in the coming months.

The elephant in the room remains to be whether the Trump administration will be able to deliver on the many policies small business owners are counting on. The health care legislation stalled in March. Tax reform may not be dealt with until the end of the year. It remains to be seen what major regulations will be dismantled.

Balloon Mortgages Q&A

Question:
Home sales are brisk in my area and I have decided to buy a home even though I will only be in this location for a few years. My lender recommends a balloon mortgage. I have heard bad things about these loans, but the deal seems good. What do you think?

Answer:
A typical 7-year balloon mortgage can seem very good and, if you will absolutely be selling before the 7-year term is up, it might be good for you. But, it is a risk.
First, let’s talk about the benefits of a balloon mortgage.

Balloon mortgages usually have a much lower interest rate than a conventional mortgage. The overall cost of the loan will be lower and the payments will be lower. That makes it attractive. The assumption is that a buyer makes payments for a set period of time, five to seven years, for example. Then at the end of the period, the entire balance is due. The buyer then refinances at the end of the term or sells. In your case, you want to sell so this is probably why the lender recommended this type of loan.

The reason balloons are risky is that people never know what is going to happen in the future.

Buyers may think they can easily refinance at the end of the term. But this might not be possible. The buyer may lose a job or become an unqualified buyer because of bad credit. Then it might be impossible to refinance.

In the current market, property values are going up. But, if property values go down, you could be stuck with a home that is not worth the balloon payment. No lender will finance under those conditions. In your case, you might not be able to sell at the necessary price.

Finally, interest rates could be much higher in seven years. For someone who wants to refinance, this could make payments dramatically higher.

Some balloon mortgages have a reset option that will automatically recalculate the mortgage at the current interest rates. This might be good protection for most people.
If you know you will sell, a balloon mortgage might be acceptable.