In 2023, a federal grand jury charged a former Apple employee, Weibao Wang, with stealing trade secrets related to Apple’s self-driving car initiative. According to prosecutors, Wang accessed confidential materials shortly before leaving Apple to join a Chinese company working on similar technologies. He reportedly fled to China soon after authorities searched his home, where they uncovered misappropriated Apple data. While directors may not learn of such misconduct until it becomes public, investors will often hold those at the top responsible, including members of the board. This dynamic was illustrated by the crisis that later unfolded at Germany’s Volkswagen Group, one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world.
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Most dividend stocks pay you four times each year. The best ones will try to raise their payments annually. That lower frequency makes a monthly dividend payer that has raised its payment 137 times over the past three decades really stand out.
This outlier is Realty Income(O -0.74%). Known as The Monthly Dividend Company®, this real estate investment trust (REIT) is a great stock to buy before the end of November. Here’s why.
Image source: Getty Images.
Timing matters for the next dividend payment
Realty Income recently declared its latest monthly dividend payment. The REIT will pay $0.274 per share on Dec. 15th. That’s up 0.9% from the prior month’s level. It marked the company’s 137th raise since its 1994 listing on the NYSE, while extending its quarterly growth streak to 117 straight quarters. That’s over 32 consecutive years of dividend growth.
To receive that next payment, you need to be a shareholder of record as of Nov. 30. If you wait until Dec. 1 to buy shares, you wouldn’t receive your first monthly dividend payment until the new year.
O – Realty Income
$58.82-$0.44 (-0.74%)
NYSE · As of 4:00 PM ET 11/13/26
A great value proposition right now
Getting in just to receive the next dividend payment isn’t the only reason to buy the stock soon. Realty Income currently trades at a very compelling valuation. Its stock price was recently around $60 per share, more than 10% below its 52-week high. At that price, Realty Income’s dividend yields 5.5% at its new dividend payment rate. That’s a compelling yield in today’s market.
The REIT currently expects to generate about $4.45 per share of adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) this year, easily covering its dividend ($3.288 per share). At its current share price, Realty Income trades at just 13.5x earnings. That’s very inexpensive for a high-quality REIT.
One reason Realty Income’s stock price has fallen is due to the recent uptick in interest rates. The 10-year Treasury is over 5% right now, up from around 4% before the war with Iran began earlier this year. The war has driven a resurgence in inflation, prompting the Federal Reserve to raise rates again.
The Fed’s next meeting is in early December. After pausing at its last meeting, the Fed will likely hike rates again next month, potentially by 50 basis points. That could signal to the market that it’s serious about bringing inflation down to its 2% target quickly, potentially sparking a relief rally in more rate-sensitive stocks, such as REITs.
The REIT’s long-term outlook remains healthy
While there are certainly short-term reasons to buy Realty Income stock sooner rather than later, it’s always important to keep the long-term view in mind. The REIT believes it’s at the intersection of two massive secular growth drivers. There is a nearly $50 trillion investment need to supply the aging global population with retirement income. Meanwhile, $15 trillion in real estate currently sits on companies’ balance sheets across the U.S. and Europe. These drivers are providing Realty Income with new opportunities to invest in income-generating real estate.
Realty Income’s recently formed investment management platform allows institutional investors to invest alongside the REIT to help their clients achieve their financial goals. For example, it recently formed a joint venture with Apollo, which is investing $1 billion of insurance capital into a portfolio of U.S. retail properties. The stable cash flows from these properties fit well with the needs of insurance capital, such as annuities, for long-duration, consistent, and contractually secured cash flows.
The company’s private capital management platform should accelerate AFFO per share growth by enabling the REIT to make additional investments. That faster growth rate could support higher dividend payments and a higher valuation multiple in the future, boosting its total return potential.
A great investment right now
Realty Income is currently trading at an attractive valuation. Add in its upcoming dividend payment, and it’s a great buy before the end of this month. The REIT has a long growth runway, putting it in a strong position to continue increasing its monthly dividend. Its combination of income, growth, and valuation could enable it to deliver strong total returns for investors in the years to come.
Where to invest $1,000 right now
When our analyst team has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor’s total average return is 823%* — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% for the S&P 500.
They just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now, available when you join Stock Advisor.
Businesses only have to send a Form 1099-NEC to contractors they pay $2,000 or more in 2026, up from $600.
Most Form 1099-MISC payments also moved to $2,000, but royalties stay at $10 and attorney gross proceeds stay at $600.
Income under $2,000 is still taxable, and self-employment tax still starts at $400 of net earnings.
The 1099 threshold for freelance and contract work has increased from $600 to $2,000. However, the IRS says payments made before 2026 must keep the old $600 threshold. Payments made in 2026 can use the new $2,000 threshold.
The change hits hardest for people earning side hustle income from several small clients.
The higher threshold comes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025. That same law rewrote federal student loan borrowing and repayment.
According to the IRS, the $2,000 threshold for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC “may be adjusted for inflation beginning in calendar year 2027.”
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Why It Matters
Fewer tax forms will land in mailboxes next January, but the tax bill stays the same. A client that pays you $1,500 for design work in 2026 no longer has to send you a Form 1099-NEC. However, you still owe tax on that money.
The IRS states it plainly in its FAQs: “All income, no matter the amount, is taxable unless the tax law says it isn’t.” Our breakdown of self-employment tax shows how that money gets taxed.
The missing form creates a recordkeeping problem for freelancers. A 1099-NEC used to act as a built-in reminder of what each client paid. Now you’ll need your own invoices, bank deposits and payment app records to add up your income. Writers, tutors, photographers and gig workers who optimize their side hustle taxes already track this. Everyone else should start before year-end.
Personal payments were never part of these rules. The IRS 1099 page says no return is required when the payer “is not engaged in a trade or business.” A parent who pays a college student to tutor a child didn’t need to send a 1099 before 2026 and doesn’t need to now. The student still reports that income, just like the other ways to make money in college.
What Changed On Each Form 1099?
Most Form 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC payments now use a $2,000 threshold for payments made in 2026. The IRS instructions list several exceptions that did not change. Royalties still trigger a 1099-MISC at $10, and gross proceeds paid to an attorney still trigger one at $600. Direct sales of consumer products for resale keep their $5,000 threshold.
The Form 1099-K rules for payment apps such as PayPal and Venmo did not change in 2026. The same law reinstated the older 1099-K threshold, so payment apps only file when a payee receives more than $20,000 across more than 200 transactions. Payments taken by credit or debit card have no threshold at all.
Students running a small online resale business should still keep records, since profit from side hustles for college students is taxable.
What Does This Mean For Your 2026 Tax Return?
You still report every dollar of freelance income, with or without a 1099. Self-employment tax applies once your net earnings reach $400, at a 15.3% rate for Social Security and Medicare, according to the IRS self-employment tax page. You calculate it on Schedule SE, which we walk through here.
Here’s a worked example. A college student earns $1,800 building websites for two local businesses in 2026. Neither business has to send a 1099-NEC. If that $1,800 is all profit, the student owes about $254 in self-employment tax. That figure comes from applying the 15.3% rate to 92.35% of net earnings. That bill comes before any federal income tax, and the student reports the income on Schedule C either way.
Tax software can handle this without a 1099 in hand, since you can enter business income as a total. Our rankings of the best tax software compare which programs handle freelance income.
What Should Small Businesses Paying Contractors Do?
Businesses only need to file a Form 1099-NEC for contractors paid $2,000 or more during 2026. The IRS instructions say the form is due by January 31, and that date falls on a Sunday in 2027. That pushes the deadline to Monday, February 1, 2027.
A business with 10 or more information returns must file them electronically, according to the IRS 1099 filing page. Our tax center tracks other filing deadlines for the 2027 season.
Collecting a Form W-9 before the first payment still makes sense. A contractor paid $1,200 by October can easily cross $2,000 by December. The IRS instructions say the threshold for backup withholding also rose to $2,000. A small business that hires freelancers for one-off projects will file fewer forms, but it still needs a taxpayer ID number on file for anyone who might cross the line.
How This Connects
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act touched almost every part of The College Investor’s coverage, from student loans to college savings to taxes. Our look at the winners and losers in the Big Beautiful Bill covered the education changes.
The 1099 change is one of the few that cuts paperwork for young workers and side hustlers, though their tax bill stays the same.
What’s Next
Forms for 2026 payments arrive in early 2027, and they will look thinner for many freelancers. The IRS will publish the inflation-adjusted threshold for 2027 payments in Publication 1099. Freelancers who expect to owe should check the IRS estimated tax rules before the January 15, 2027 payment date. When filing season opens, tax software built for students can handle Schedule C income.
Editor: Colin Graves
The post IRS Raises The 1099 Threshold To $2,000 For 2026: What Freelancers Need To Know appeared first on The College Investor.
The agreement between 43 states and Acima Digital consists of $43 million in consumer restitution and $130 million in debt forgiveness, according to a filing.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways
The business model matters almost as much as the entrepreneur.
Favor leverage, recurring revenue and systems.
Generalist offers (agencies, broad courses, generic stores) are getting commoditized. Specialize, sell outcomes and build for repeat customers.
Ask of any opportunity: Can this eventually work without me?
Search “best businesses to start” and you’ll see the same ideas on repeat: dropshipping, influencing, a generic marketing agency, something on Amazon. Technically, they can all still work. But “can work” and “where I’d put my time and money today” are two very different things.
After nearly a decade in ecommerce and online business, I’ve learned that the business model matters almost as much as the entrepreneur. A great operator can fight through a difficult model, but why choose one that demands enormous time, has razor-thin margins or depends on constantly finding your next customer?
Heading into 2027, I’m drawn to three things: leverage, recurring revenue and systems. Here are five businesses I’d think twice about starting from scratch, and what I’d consider instead.
A few years ago, the playbook was simple: land a few local clients at $1,000 or $2,000 a month, outsource the work and scale. But everyone got the memo. Generalist agencies now compete with freelancers, offshore teams, in-house hires and increasingly capable AI tools.
What I’d start instead: A specialized AI automation business
Solve one expensive problem for one type of business. Help dental practices follow up with leads who never scheduled. Build AI customer-service workflows for ecommerce brands. Automate reminders and customer reactivation for home-service companies.
The opportunity isn’t selling AI; businesses can access that themselves. It’s knowing what to automate and connecting it to a real outcome. “Social media management” is a vague line item, while recovering thousands of dollars in lost leads is easy to understand. Sell the outcome, not the technology.
2. I wouldn’t start: A traditional DIY Amazon side hustle
The idea that you can open a Seller Central account, list a few products after work and enjoy effortless income is increasingly disconnected from reality. Sourcing, pricing, Buy Box competition, inventory, customer service and account health all demand attention. For someone who wants to become an operator, that’s fine. But many professionals want ecommerce exposure without creating a second full-time job.
What I’d consider instead: Owning without operating
For people with more capital than time, a professionally managed ecommerce storefront may be worth a look. The owner funds and owns the store, while an experienced team handles day-to-day operations for a fee or a share of profits, much like a property owner hiring a property manager. These investors aren’t looking for something else to do. They’re looking for something else to own.
It isn’t risk-free. Marketplaces shift, sales fluctuate and projected income is never guaranteed income, so vet who actually operates the store and how profits are calculated before you commit.
3. I wouldn’t start: A generic dropshipping store
The pitch is irresistible: no inventory, your supplier ships the order and you pocket the difference. But acquiring the customer is the hard part. A store selling products that hundreds of other websites also sell has little competitive advantage, and you’re often dependent on paid advertising and on finding products before competitors pile in.
What I’d start instead: A niche brand with repeat-purchase potential
Think beauty, pet products, specialty foods, personal care or hobby consumables. The category matters less than the economics. Ask yourself: If I spend $40 acquiring this customer today, can they be worth $200 to me over the next two years?
An ad stops producing the moment you turn it off. A loyal customer base, an email list and a recognizable brand can become more valuable every year.
4. I wouldn’t start: A broad online course
Expertise used to be nearly enough: record six hours of video, build a landing page, charge $997. Today, information is abundant, including through AI, and people are reluctant to pay premium prices for it. Information isn’t scarce anymore; real results are.
What I’d build instead: A niche digital product ecosystem
Build several specific products that solve narrow problems, such as a template, calculator, workflow, database, paid community or small software tool, and create content for the audience they serve. Someone who knows Airbnb could skip the “$997 Masterclass” and offer a profitability calculator, a cleaning-checklist system, guest-message templates and a paid newsletter on market changes. That ecosystem is much harder to replace with a single AI prompt.
5. I wouldn’t start: A business that depends entirely on your personal brand
Personal brands are powerful, but they can become cages. If revenue disappears when you stop posting or showing your face online, you’ve created income, not necessarily an independent business. You might love posting three videos a day at 25. Will you still want to at 35?
What I’d build instead: A business that can eventually operate without me
This is the filter I’d apply to almost any opportunity: Can this eventually work without me? It doesn’t need to be hands-off on day one, but there should be a path from founder-dependent to system-dependent. Can someone else handle customer service? Can sales become repeatable? Can procedures be documented? Can customers keep buying while you’re on vacation?
If every important function leads back to you, that’s not freedom. It’s self-employment with a nicer title.
The real opportunity is leverage
The business I’m watching in 2027 isn’t really an idea. It’s leverage. AI gives one employee leverage. Software gives a small company leverage. Recurring revenue gives customer acquisition leverage. A management team gives an owner leverage. Capital gives an investor leverage. And systems give entrepreneurs perhaps the most valuable form of all: time.
So instead of asking, “What’s the hottest business to start?” ask: What can I build or own today that becomes less dependent on my time as it grows? If you have little capital but plenty of time, an AI automation service may fit. If you understand products and branding, consider a niche consumer brand. If you have expertise but don’t want to become an influencer, digital products can turn it into an asset. And if you have capital but little spare time, a professionally managed business may deserve a closer look.
The best business isn’t always the one that makes the most money today. It may be the one that eventually stops needing you to make every dollar. After all, your time is precious.
Key Takeaways
The business model matters almost as much as the entrepreneur.
Favor leverage, recurring revenue and systems.
Generalist offers (agencies, broad courses, generic stores) are getting commoditized. Specialize, sell outcomes and build for repeat customers.
Ask of any opportunity: Can this eventually work without me?
Search “best businesses to start” and you’ll see the same ideas on repeat: dropshipping, influencing, a generic marketing agency, something on Amazon. Technically, they can all still work. But “can work” and “where I’d put my time and money today” are two very different things.
After nearly a decade in ecommerce and online business, I’ve learned that the business model matters almost as much as the entrepreneur. A great operator can fight through a difficult model, but why choose one that demands enormous time, has razor-thin margins or depends on constantly finding your next customer?
Heading into 2027, I’m drawn to three things: leverage, recurring revenue and systems. Here are five businesses I’d think twice about starting from scratch, and what I’d consider instead.
The Chase Aeroplan Card is offering 100,000 points. Bonus is broken down as follows:
Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Plus, up to 20,000 more bonus points by earning 50% more bonus points (1.5X) per $1 spent on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point in the first 2 months from account opening
Card Details
Annual fee of $95
Pay Yourself Back On Travel Purchases (1.25¢ Per Point)
Card earns at the following rates:
3x grocery and dining including delivery services and with air Canada directly.
1x on all other purchases.
500 point bonus every 2k spend up to 1500 a month.
Aeroplan 25k status for the remainder of this year and next after that 15k spend per year to maintain the status.
Free 1st checked bag up to 8 companions on air Canada.
Travel certificates don’t expire as long as your account is opening
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Fee Credit (up to $100 every four years)
Receive access to preferred pricing on flight rewards.
Our Verdict
This offer is very bad compared to previous offers such as 85,000 points after $4,000 in spend. There is also frequently a 100,000 offer that requires $20,000 in total spend. We won’t add this to our list of the best credit card bonuses.
In a few months, the Federal Reserve will be able to count six years that inflation has been above its 2% target, and central bankers’ own forecasts put “mission accomplished” sometime in 2029.
That means the Fed could fall short on the price-stability portion of its dual mandate for eight straight years—or as long as Operation Iraqi Freedom lasted.
Despite the obvious differences with the bloody Iraq war, the Fed’s inflation fight is also driven by events in the Middle East, this time in Iran.
Inflation was trending lower at the start of the year, as the initial spike from President Donald Trump’s tariffs last year was wearing off. Then crude prices soared after Iran closed off the Strait of Hormuz and attacked regional energy infrastructure in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes.
While oil exports have rebounded with the help of U.S. military protection, supplies of refined products like gasoline and diesel remain tight, inflicting more pain at the pump for consumers.
At the same time, GDP growth is running hot as the AI hyperscalers pour hundreds of billions of dollars a year into the economy, adding more pressure on prices.
This past week’s consumer price index for October came in hotter than expected and showed that inflation is spreading beyond energy categories into more goods and services, alarming Fed officials.
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee called the data “borderline disturbing,” and fellow policymakers have indicated more rate hikes are needed, possibly even a jumbo-sized increase of 50 basis points.
Meanwhile, the Iran war shows no signs of ending soon. Trump has backed down from repeated threats to restart major combat operations, but has also shot down negotiations, saying the U.S. doesn’t need a peace deal with Iran.
“We’re just keeping it the status quo,” Trump told reporters on Monday.
With the Iran conflict dragging on indefinitely, the Fed may have to readjust its inflation outlook again and get more aggressive on rates.
In September, the Fed’s summary of economic projections put down 2029 as the year when inflation is expected to fall back to 2%, pushing it back from a 2028 forecast made in June, as energy prices stayed high.
To be sure, there have been several shocks outside the Fed’s control since inflation first exceeded 2% back in early 2021. The pandemic saw supply-chain snarls and massive fiscal stimulus. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sent oil and gas prices soaring. Then came Trump’s trade war last year and his Iran war this year.
But the Fed has also provided monetary stimulus, and Chairman Kevin Warsh has argued that high inflation is a “choice,” suggesting shocks are no excuse. And the longer inflation stays above target, other central bankers have said they are less willing to be patient about rate hikes and “look through” short-term spikes.
Their fear is that an extended period of high prices will eventually cause consumers to lift their long-term inflation expectations and change currency spending patterns that fuel even more inflation.
That’s why the Fed has sounded more hawkish lately as policymakers look to ensure inflation expectations remain anchored and prevent consumers from believing there’s more tolerance for higher prices.
“I believe that the central bank has definitely got work to do to continue to reestablish its credibility,” Goolsbee told CNBC on Friday. “We’ve been above 2% for almost six years, and while it sometimes we were making progress, lately we’re not making any progress, and if anything, it’s going the wrong way.”
On Tuesday, Fed Governor Christopher Waller offered a similar message, saying a 50-basis-point rate hike should be considered at the Fed’s December meeting if October core consumer prices rose by 0.3% or more. In fact, they did rise 0.3% from the prior month.
“Hiking only 25 basis points would put our credibility at risk, a risk I am not eager to take,” he explained.
Also on Tuesday, Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan said in separate remarks that it “may be possible to move more rapidly” than what September’s quarter-point hike and October’s hold have implied. She warned the current 3.75%-4.00% policy rate is too low and adds to inflationary pressures.
Diane Swonk, chief economist and managing director at KPMG, noted Fed hawks are coalescing as inflation has been too hot for too long—and moving higher.
“Fed is losing its inflation fighting credibility,” she posted on LinkedIn this week. “Consumers who rely mostly on wages, not their stock portfolios, are paying the price.”
Wondering what happens if you invest $200,000 in the best Fidelity index funds? In this video, we break down a diversified portfolio using top Fidelity funds like FXAIX, FSKAX, FSPGX, FTIHX, and FNILX, exploring long-term growth, compound returns, diversification, and retirement investing strategies. Whether you’re building wealth, planning for retirement, or looking for the best passive investing approach, this analysis shows how a simple Fidelity portfolio could perform over time.
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