For another look at the information, check out the BLS' interactive graphs.

  

While the growth wasn't as substantial in March (103k) as it was in February (313k), the outlook is still positive. After all, it was the 90th consecutive month of growth! Plus, as recently stated in The New York Times, the report wasn't a drastic surprise. "February's job growth was probably inflated by a surge in hiring in construction and the retail sector that reflected unseasonably warm weather in much of the country. Both sectors slumped in March as winter storms blew through the eastern United States."

Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC)  Industry 

Facebook is once again in the spotlight, but not for its new features or advertising opportunities. Instead, it's at the heart of a scandal. According to a recent Washington Post article, " political research firm Cambridge Analytica gained access to 87 million Facebook users' data during the 2016 election season."  According to a Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower, the data mining was done in an attempt to build complete psychological profiles on US voters.  The company utilized a quiz app to not only garner its users' results, but also to scrape any "public" data it could access via its users' Facebook connections. With only 270,000 app users, the vast majority of this information was taken without user permission. 

Mark Zuckerberg,  Facebook founder and chief executive, has since acknowledged  that social media has become a shockingly effective tool for spreading propaganda  and undermining public trust. He also conceded that most of its 2.2 billion users have most likely had their public profile information scraped for at best, monetary, and at worst, malicious purposes at some point. As discussed in a recent article in The Verge, data mining, while often viewed as an underhanded tactic, is a common practice, especially in the marketing industry. The growing concerns are that

In fact, as mentioned in a recent TIME publication, another questionable data collection practice came to light around this time as well. Facebook acknowledged that it has been collecting call and text history of users who use Messenger of Facebook Lite on Android phones for years. As soon as users agreed to import contacts into the apps, the harvesting of data began. While users could opt-out initially or disable the continuous tracking at a later date, it wasn't obvious to many individuals that they were agreeing to provide Facebook with such extensive access to their personal information.

In the wake of these scandals, Zuckerberg was called to testify before Congressional Committees last month.  Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, was quoted in a recent New York Times article, stating that "with all of the data exchanged over Facebook and other platforms, users deserve to know how their information is shared and secured."  Furthermore, the Federal Trade Commission is currently conducting a non-public investigation into Facebook's privacy practices. 

No, at least not in the broad sense. As the Washington Post publication pointed out, "c ongress held its first hearing on what we consider 'cybersecurity' in 1966, when it examined privacy concerns about newly created government databases of citizens' IRS, Social Security and census information." As shown to the right, the number of hearings has increased over the years, especially in the late 90's. Unfortunately, despite the government's early awareness of the potential risk, it didn't receive the attention needed to keep up with the technology.

What Can You do to Reduce Your Risk?

Short of going off the grid, it's unlikely to eliminate risk. While disabling all apps and deleting all social media accounts is a viable option, it isn't one that many individuals would consider. After all, how would anyone remember birthdays, show off vacation photos or know who was in a relationship if it wasn't "Facebook official"?

The key to realistically reducing risk, without disconnecting from the world, is being prudent and using common sense. For example, read privacy policies, check privacy settings routinely, understand what is public, know what is shared/connected and refrain from oversharing. 

Take advantage of the tax breaks and 401(k) match your retirement account provides.

Fully Fund Your Account

A 401(k) plan provides tax breaks, employer contributions, an opportunity for automatic saving and the potential for investment growth. But you also need to avoid 401(k) fees and penalties in order to make the most of your account. Here's how to maximize the value of your 401(k) account in 2018.

Qualify For Tax Breaks

You can defer paying income tax on up to $18500 that you save in a 401(k) plan in 2018, $500 more than in 2017. A worker in the 25 percent tax bracket who saves this amount can reduce his tax bill by $4625. Income tax won't be due on this money until it is withdrawn from the account. Workers who earn less than $31500 in 2018 (63000 for couples) might accidentally qualify for the savers credit, which is worth between 10 and 50 percent of 401(k) contributions up to $2000 for individuals and $4000 for couples.

Make Catch Up Contributions

Employees 50 and older are eligible to save an additional $6000 in a 401(k) plan for 2018, for a total 401(k) contribution of $24,500. A 55-year old employee in the 25 percent tax bracket who maxes out his 401(k) plan could reduce his current tax bill by $6125.

Reset Your Automatic Contributions

The 401(k) contributions limit increased by $500 in 2018, which means workers are eligible to contribute about $41 more per month. Those who want to max out their 401(k) in 2018 need to save about $1,542 per month, or $771 per twice monthly paycheck. Workers age 50 and older can defer paying tax on as much as $2,041 per month.

Get a 401(k) Match

If you can't max out your 401(k), aim to save at least enough to get a 401(k) match. A 401(k) match of 50 cents for every dollar you contribute, up to a particular percentage of pay, is a 50 percent return on your investment. A dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match doubles your money. However, you need to be vested in the 401(k) plan in order to keep your employer's contributions, which might require several years on the job.

Consider a ROTH 401(k)

Traditional 401(k) plans allow you to defer paying income tax on your retirement savings, but some employers additionally provide an after-tax ROTH 401(k) option. You don't have to pay income tax on the investment gains in a ROTH 401(k) account, and withdrawals are typically tax free. A 401(k) match might be provided for ROTH 401(k) contributions, but it will be deposited in a traditional 401(k) so you will have pre and post-tax accounts to draw from in retirement.

The aforementioned content was sourced from U.S. News.

Imagine this scenario: you're cruising down the highway when suddenly - BOOM - your tire blows out! Panic ensues. Your vehicle starts to slow down, but how do you get to the side of the road safely? Better yet, how do you prevent it from happening in the first place? 

How to Prevent a Blowout

During a Tire Blowout