The U.S. tax reform pushed by the Trump Administration has prompted many corporations to announce bonuses and wage hikes for their employees. Starbucks is one of the latest to boost its compensation and benefits package in light of the recent changes in U.S. tax law. Ron Crawford, VP of Benefits at Starbucks, was with us to discuss the company's investment in benefits.
Starbucks said the U.S. tax reform accelerated its latest investment in paid leave and wages. Had there not been tax reform, Crawford said Starbucks still would have made investments in compensation, but the timing and the extent of it may have been different. The offerings will total more than $250 million for more than 150,000 workers.
Digital apps and emerging technologies are driving more coffee runs to Starbucks, says Crawford. He believes digitization has brought more customers to its stores and boosted interactions between customers and employees. Starbucks is pumping in $7 billion of capital to build and renovate stores, manufacturing plants and technology platforms in the U.S. over the next five years.
Veronica Willis, investment strategy analyst with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, joined Cheddar News to discuss Wednesday's trading session following better-than-expected retail sales and what's on tap for the markets this year.
The median retirement savings account balance for Americans aged 65 and over was just $88,000 due to medical expenses, according to a report. Pratik Patel, head of Family Wealth Strategies with BMO Family Office, joined Cheddar News to discuss what's needed to save for a comfortable retirement.
