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☆ Hattan Alsaif: ‘When I fight, I can feel my soul alive,’ says Saudi Arabia’s groundbreaking MMA star
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Alsaif is acutely aware of her status as a trailblazer for female MMA fighters in Saudi Arabia and takes such a responsibility seriously. I feel I’m alive when I train, when I fight, in the gym – I can feel my soul alive. “When I breathe after the rounds, when I feel sick, when I feel tired, when I feel courage, when I feel scared, those moments, every part of that, it makes me feel alive. It’s something that means a lot to me.”Alsaif (right) competed in Muay Thai prior to MMA. Sadaa, coach of Saudi Arabia’s Muay Thai national team, has been central to Alsaif’s success, though his influence extends far beyond a sporting sphere.

Persons: Hattan, Saudi Arabia –, – Alsaif, “, ” Alsaif, I’m, “ It’s, Egypt’s Nada Faheem, Alsaif, ”, it’s, Abdullah Al, Feras Sadaa, Sadaa, Claressa Shields, Kelsey De Santis, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Professional Fighters League, wasn’t, Professional, League, Thailand –, Combat Games, Saudi Games, International Federation of Muaythai, Muay Thai, Al, SRJ Sports Investments Company, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Thai, Thailand, East, North Africa, MENA

I was slow to diversify my income and seek out new opportunities for passive income. At first, I didn't take the time to brainstorm or research ways to bring more passive income streams into my business. When starting a new business, especially as a solopreneur, build passive income streams into your plans. Paying business expenses with my personal fundsWhile I do keep a close eye on my personal finances, that hasn't been the case with my business finances. In the past, I wouldn't have seen that charge for months, because I wasn't closely looking at my business expenses.

Persons: —, hasn't, I've, It's Organizations: Service

☆ Planet Fitness is ditching the $10 membership it has had for 26 years, and hiking basic prices by 50%
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Planet Fitness is hiking the price of its Classic Card membership plan by 50% to $15 a month. AdvertisementPlanet Fitness is hiking the price of its basic membership plan by 50% after holding it at $10 a month for 26 years. Benson said that Planet Fitness had started testing $12.99 and $15 price points in the fall. AdvertisementAround the time that the new Classic Card price is introduced, Planet Fitness will start testing new prices for the Black Card, Benson said. As part of the Classic Card price change, Planet Fitness plans to focus more heavily on its "price for life" policy, Benson said.

Persons: —, Craig Benson, Thomas Fitzgerald, Benson, Fitzgerald, Chris Rondeau Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Black Card, Black

☆ You just heard your college-bound child is getting less aid than you hoped. Now what?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —The good news is your child got into college and is preparing to enroll this fall. The bad news is that you’ve just learned the aid package your child’s school is offering is much smaller than you’d hoped. Over four years of college, students can take out a total of up to $27,000. “That’s cash-flow friendly while your child is in college,” Walker said. Also, Bogardus suggests checking to see if your state offers a tuition aid plan or subsidized loan rates for educational expenses.

Persons: you’ve, sobering, ”, Beth Walker, “, ” Walker, they’ve, Joseph Bogardus, it’s, Bogardus, Skip, Walker, you’ll Organizations: New, New York CNN, College Board, Center for College Planning Solutions, College, ”, Stafford, PLUS Locations: New York, New England, Stafford

Average 30-year mortgage rates dropped this week and have been hovering in the upper 6% range, according to Zillow data. As inflation slows and the Federal Reserve is able to start lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should go down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Go Down (-0.18%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.11%, 18 basis points lower than last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates Fall (-0.28%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 6.99%, 28 basis points lower than last week.

Persons: you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve Bank, Federal Reserve, Investors, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Op-ed: My kids have credit cards and yours should, too
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Winnie Sun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Now, my three kids — ages 15, 12 and 10 — have had credit cards since before they entered kindergarten. Adding your child as an authorized user on your credit cards can be a smart way to set them up for financial success. I keep my kids' credit cards safe and have shown my teen how to store his cards in his phone's Apple Pay. We pull my younger kids' credit cards out at least once a year to help pay for their expenses such as school PTA donations, tutoring costs and teachers' gifts. I even have them take their credit card to school to buy some items at the school book fair.

Organizations: Visa, Chase, Citi, American Express

☆ U.S. Judge Backs U.K. Request to Extradite ‘Irish Heiress’ Who Swindled Producer
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Isabella Kwai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Her elaborate schemes, among them posing as the heiress to an Irish fortune, swindled people out of huge sums and left Marianne Smyth with two felony convictions. Ms. Smyth became known as the “Irish heiress” after one of her former victims, Johnathan Walton, started a podcast in 2021 about his experience. The two became close friends after meeting in 2013, and Mr. Walton, a reality television producer, said that Ms. Smyth had claimed to be from a prominent Irish family. But she was facing money problems, she told him, and was battling relatives in Ireland over an inheritance worth tens of millions of dollars. Sympathetic, Mr. Walton lent her money and the use of his credit card, an amount that totaled more than $63,000.

Persons: Marianne Smyth, Smyth, ”, Johnathan Walton, Walton Organizations: U.S . Marshals Service Locations: American, Northern Ireland, U.S, Maine, Irish, Ireland

☆ The credit-card industry's Hail Mary push to keep charging you bigger late fees
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Hoping to say goodbye to high credit-card late fees? A judge could side last minute with credit-card companies trying to stop a new cap on fees. AdvertisementCredit-card companies aren't giving up their late fees that easily. In March, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that the federal government had made a new rule capping credit-card late fees. Despite an election-year push by President Joe Biden to cut down on so-called "junk fees," credit-card companies won't go quietly, she wrote.

Persons: —, they've, wouldn't, Emily Stewart, Joe Biden, Stewart, Matt Schulz Organizations: Service, Consumer Financial, Bureau, CNBC, US Chamber of Commerce Locations: Texas

☆ I'm a Brit living in the US. I dread Mother's Day because my mom lives over 3,000 miles away.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jane Ridley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

My 93-year-old mom lives over 3,000 miles from me across the Atlantic. I envy families who are together on Mother's Day and can make their moms feel special in person. AdvertisementIn the run-up to Mother's Day this year, my inbox has been flooded with holiday specials. Every time I receive a new email with Mother's Day in the subject line, I can't help but feel sad. Related storiesMy husband suggested we go out for Mother's Day brunch a few years ago.

Persons: —, she's Organizations: Service, Mother's, Hallmark, Business Locations: England, New York, Portland , Oregon, British

☆ Planet Fitness will raise its $10 membership plan for the first time in 26 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The Planet Fitness $10-a-month membership plan is a powerful marketing tool and a central part of its strategy. Planet Fitness will raise the price of its “classic” membership from $10 a month to $15 for new members beginning in the summer. “It’s a ‘get you off the couch’ price,” Planet Fitness’ former CEO told CNN in 2022. Planet Fitness blared out the $10 gym plan, which includes annual fees and free training, in commercials. “We’ve seen in every industry people move in price,” Planet Fitness interim CEO Craig Benson said.

Persons: Sharon Zackfia, William Blair, “ We’ve, Craig Benson, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Fitness, Black Card Locations: New York, United States, Square

☆ Gen Z is bringing back digital cameras and the post-night-out photo dump
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Digital cameras are regaining popularity among Gen Z, who seek authentic, unfiltered experiences. Profits from digital cameras are projected to grow by $1.4 billion between now and 2028. But things may have come full circle because digital cameras are back for Gen Z. AdvertisementLike Facebook albums but coolerDespite plummeting between 2018 and 2021, profits from digital cameras in the electronics industry since then have been steadily increasing. Business Insider's Amanda Krause named digital cameras one of the "quiet status symbols" you will likely see everywhere in 2024.

Persons: Gen Z, Zoomers, —, Amanda Krause, Gen Zers, Khurram, Hermione Whitehead, Whitehead, Kellie Whitehead, Hermione's, Kellie, Sharmin, Z's, It's, Greg Morrison Organizations: Service, Facebook, Gen, Revenue, Olympus, Bryant University, MXML, Zoomers Locations: Germany

☆ Changes are coming to the S&P 500 and Wall Street speculates these stocks could be added
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

These stocks could be poised to join the S & P 500 when the broad index undergoes its quarterly rebalance next month, according to some Wall Street analysts. Keefe Bruyette & Woods also views a financial services stock as a likely addition to the S & P 500, citing the sector's underweight position. There's a "mid to high probability" that Erie resettles in the S & P 500. The S & P 500 isn't the only index poised for potential changes. Gandhi sees a strong likelihood that Ryan Specialty Holdings joins the S & P Midcap 400, while New York Community Bancorp could drop down to the S & P SmallCap 600 .

Persons: Ramsey El, Bancorporation, Assal, Keefe, Woods, Shreyank Gandhi, Gandhi, Dell Organizations: Barclays, Micro Computer, Whirlpool, Software, Services, KKR, Apollo Global Management, Erie resettles, Specialty Holdings, New, New York Community Bancorp, Axis Capital Holdings, BOK Locations: Erie, New York

☆ US regulators are looking at potential ‘bait and switch’ schemes with airline-affiliated credit card reward points
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —If you use a points-and-rewards credit card offered by an airline in partnership with a big bank, how much are the points you’ve accrued worth in dollars? The terms and conditions of such card programs can be confusing and in some instances they can be changed at any time. “For many families looking to finance a trip or a vacation, those [credit card] benefits are really valuable. “[But] our review of all the fine print suggests that credit card companies and airlines have the power to quickly and dramatically devalue those points by making it more challenging to redeem them. Such a drop in revenue, banks argue, could jeopardize the availability of rewards programs.

Persons: you’re, It’s, ”, Rohit Chopra, Chopra, Transportation Peter Buttigieg, Rob Nichols, ” Nichols, Nichols, Jaret, Seiberg, Biden, Trump Organizations: New, New York CNN, Department of Transportation, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Transportation, American Bankers Association, Cowen Washington Research Group Locations: New York, CFPB, U.S

☆ Chinese Magnate in Straw Donor Scheme Agrees to Leave U.S. in Plea Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Karen Zraick | Bianca Pallaro | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Chinese entertainment magnate who pleaded guilty to making more than $10,000 in illegal political campaign donations to three candidates, agreed in federal court on Thursday to give up his green card and leave the United States. Hui Qin, 55, had been in jail in Brooklyn since his arrest in October. One of the candidates was Mayor Eric Adams, according to two people familiar with the case, though none of the campaigns knew the donations were illegal, prosecutors said. In March, Mr. Qin pleaded guilty to charges of making campaign contributions in the names of others, immigration fraud and producing false identification. His company collapsed, he was the target of lawsuits and his wife, Emma Liu, left him, Mr. Mazurek said.

Persons: Hui Qin, Eric Adams, Qin, Henry Mazurek, Joan M, ”, Emma Liu, Mazurek Organizations: Mr Locations: United States, Brooklyn, Long, China

☆ A can of paint. Stolen license plates. Odd messages. How the FBI charged a Florida man with kidnapping his wife in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Faith Karimi | Al Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But the FBI said this week they’ve arrested the mystery man who entered her Madrid apartment building that night: her estranged husband. Knezevich’s attorney, Kenneth Padowitz, told CNN in February that his client is innocent and “has never been to Spain.” Padowitz declined to comment Wednesday after Knezevich’s arrest. She was planning a trip to Barcelona with her friends on February 5, her brother told CNN, making her sudden lack of contact more concerning. Spanish firefighters entered her apartment for a welfare check and she was nowhere to be found, court documents said. And they were written with the help of another Colombian woman Knezevich had met on a dating app months earlier, court documents said.

Persons: Ana Maria Knezevich, Henao, they’ve, David Knezevich, he’d, Kenneth Padowitz, “, ” Padowitz, Knezevich, ” Henao, Padowitz, Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, Manu Fernandez, James Marshall, they’re, ” Marshall, ”, Sanna Rameau, ” Rameau, she’d, — Knezevich, Knezevich’s, CNN’s Pau Mosquera, Denise Royal, Carlos Suarez Organizations: CNN, FBI, Miami International Airport, EOX Technology Solutions Inc, Peugeot, AP FBI Locations: Madrid, Spain, Florida, Barcelona, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Serbia, Spanish, Turkey, Belgrade, Salamanca, Colombia, Colombian, Bogota

☆ 40-year-old paid off $20,000 in credit card debt—her No. 1 piece of advice
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

After paying down around $20,000 in credit card debt, Shonnita Leslie cut up her cards to avoid sinking that deep into debt again. 1 piece of advice is to seek out a reputable credit counseling agency that specializes in debt management like she did. In order to clear her credit card debt, Leslie partnered with a financial wellness and debt counseling service. With that plan in place, Leslie was able to eliminate her credit card debt in six years. If you're feeling overwhelmed by credit card debt, you have other options as well.

Persons: Shonnita Leslie, Leslie, Ted Rossman Organizations: CNBC

☆ Dine and dash: A couple admitted to running out on more than $1,400 in restaurant bills over 10 months
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A UK couple confessed to multiple 'dine and dash' offenses, accruing over $1,400 in unpaid bills. 'Dine and dash' offenses are on the increase in the UK, a police official said. AdvertisementA couple from the UK admitted to committing several "dine and dash" offenses, running up unpaid bills worth more than $1,400, according to multiple reports. Bernard McDonagh, 41, and his 39-year-old wife Ann, of Port Talbot, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to failing to pay restaurant bills, the BBC reported. Between August last year and April, the couple ran up vast bills at four restaurants, as well as a Chinese takeout.

Persons: —, Bernard McDonagh, Ann, Ciao, Bella Ciao, Shirley Xue, Donna Jones, MailOnline Organizations: Service, BBC, Fortune, Golden Fortune, Telegraph Locations: Port Talbot, Swansea

☆ Planet Fitness is raising prices even as it warns customers are growing cost-conscious
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Brandon Gomez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Planet Fitness said it's hiking its base-level membership prices for new customers for the first time since 1998, even as the gym operator warns that customers are growing increasingly cost-conscious. Current members will continue to pay $10 per month "for the duration of their membership," Planet Fitness said Thursday alongside its quarterly earnings report. Planet Fitness also said it will start testing higher prices for its top-tier membership, known as the Black Card, this summer. Life Time members tend to be older, more affluent gymgoers, whereas Planet Fitness appeals to a younger, more budget-conscious consumer. The Street is bullish on a company turnaround from Planet Fitness' incoming CEO, Colleen Keating, who assumes the role on June 10.

Persons: Tom Fitzgerald, Craig Benson, Benson, Piper Sandler, Korinne Wolfmeyer, Colleen Keating Organizations: Time Holdings, White, Fitness

☆ Tyler Boebert still hasn't gotten a lawyer for his theft case: 'I've gotten a lot closer on working things out'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tyler Boebert, son of GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, says he still doesn't have a lawyer for his criminal case. AdvertisementGOP Rep. Lauren Boebert's teenage son, Tyler Boebert, appears to have dragged his feet in getting a lawyer to represent him in his criminal case. Police say Tyler Boebert was spotted in a Colorado store where a stolen credit card was used. I wish you'd turned in that application a little sooner," Neiley told Tyler Boebert. Rep. Lauren Boebert.

Persons: Tyler Boebert, Lauren Boebert, —, Lauren Boebert's, I've, John Neiley, you'd, Neiley, Boebert, wouldn't, Elizabeth Frantz, Tyler Organizations: GOP, Service, Courthouse, Judicial, Police, Rifle Police Department, The Washington, Getty, Colorado congresswoman Locations: Colorado, Colorado's Garfield, Garfield, , Colorado, Rifle , Colorado

☆ CFPB rule to save Americans $10 billion a year in late fees faces possible last-minute freeze
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulation that promised to save Americans billions of dollars in late fees on credit cards faces a last-ditch effort to stave off its implementation. Led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the card industry in March sued the CFPB in federal court to prevent the new rule from taking effect. That could hold up the regulation, which would slash what most banks can charge in late fees to $8 per incident, just days before it was to take effect on Tuesday. The credit card regulation is part of President Joe Biden's broader election-year war against what he deems junk fees. Big card issuers have steadily raised the cost of late fees since 2010, profiting off users with low credit scores who rack up $138 in fees annually per card on average, according to CFPB Director Rohit Chopra.

Persons: Tobin Marcus, Joe Biden's, Rohit Chopra Organizations: Financial, Bureau, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, D.C, Northern District of, Wolfe Research Locations: Texas, Washington, Northern District, Northern District of Texas

☆ There's too much pressure for what Mother's Day should be. I let my family celebrate me however they want.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Rebecca Hastings | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mother's Day used to stress me because I'd always end up disappointed. AdvertisementWhen I looked at this month's calendar, one day stood out: Mother's Day. Related storiesSo, instead of trying to manage Mother's Day, I chose to let my family celebrate me however they wanted to. Instead of planning the day or silently seething when things don't go my way, I let my family decide what to do. Letting go of pressure and disappointment to enjoy my family is more important than the idea of what Mother's Day should be.

Persons: I'd, —, Mother's Organizations: Service

☆ I worked remotely from a cruise ship for almost a month and it was hard but I'm doing it again
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jamie Killin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tony Fernandes, CEO of UEGroup, managed his company from a cruise ship for 21 days. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tony Fernandes, a 60-year-old founder and CEO of UEGroup based in San Francisco, about his experience working remotely on a cruise ship. In November, I embarked on a trip where I spent several weeks leading my company from a cruise ship with my wife. Expect very slow internet serviceOne thing I didn't realize prior to the trip was that the cruise ship had only one satellite connection shared by thousands of people. If you live or work on a cruise ship and would like to share your story, please email mlogan@businessinsider.com.

Persons: Tony Fernandes, Fernandes, —, It's, We're, You've Organizations: Service Locations: San Francisco, Europe, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Portugal, California

That's because, taken together, the two primary Social Security funds are set to only be able to pay out full benefits through 2035; the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, one of the main funds comprising Social Security, will start getting depleted in 2033. AdvertisementIn other words, the moment that today's older Gen Xers are ready to retire, their Social Security benefits could start to shrink. Gen Xers — born from 1965 to 1980 — have been deemed the country's "neglected middle child" by the Pew Research Center. And among the different generations, Gen Xers were the most likely to report that they were feeling financially insecure. That could set the stage for the new crop of Gen X retirees to arrive in an already-precarious retirement economy.

Persons: —, Gen X, Xers, Gen Xers —, YouGov —, Gen Xers, X, Gen Zers, Gen, Michele Raneri, aren't, Xer Organizations: Service, Gen, Social Security, Insurance Trust Fund, Business, Security, Pew Research Center, of Congress, Millennials, TransUnion, Survey, Alliance, Lifetime, Income

☆ ‘I will return to the US in an urn’: She moved to Portugal with her husband two years ago, and this American woman says she’s never coming back
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

‘Aha’ momentCynthia Wilson and her husband Craig Bjork relocated from the US to Marinha Grande, situated in the Leiria District of Portugal, just over two years ago. Community spiritThe couple celebrate Wilson's first birthday in Portugal with friends. “My Portuguese friends taught me that you have to first recognize their humanity,” says Wilson. There’s no place for that.”Wilson has warmly embraced the Portuguese way of life, particularly the focus on food, which has long been a big part of her life. Doing something odd.”Wilson and Bjork say that they’ve had “zero problems” since relocating to Portugal and couldn’t be happier.

Persons: CNN — They’d, Cynthia Wilson, Craig Bjork, Wilson, –, I’ve, ” Wilson, ”, Bjork, “, it’s, Wilson's, ’, Cynthia Wilson “ Retirement’s, that’s, I’m, hasn’t, ” “, ‘, they’ve, Dulce Silva, Sérgio Carvalho, grandly, Rainha Joia, Maria da Silva, Cynthia Wilson Wilson, “ There’s, couldn’t Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Facebook Locations: Portugal, Europe, Seattle, Estonia, Marinha, Leiria District, Lisbon, Kansas, Wichita , Kansas, Marinha Grande, Porto, Algarve, San Francisco, Manhattan, Florabela, America, “

☆ Whoops! I just (accidentally) screwed Jeff Bezos out of $130.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I wanted to subscribe to The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, for $12 every 4 weeks. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . And I definitely wasn't trying to get one over on The Washington Post. But that's just what happened: I tried to pay the Post, owned by the second-richest man in the world, $156 a year. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, —, Jeff Bezos's Organizations: Washington Post, Service, The Washington, Verizon, Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, Business

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