DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Plan to buy a home in the next year or two? Here are 5 steps to take now to get your finances ready
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Mortgage lenders will consider lots of different metrics and circumstances when assessing your creditworthiness. Check your credit reports and credit scoresTwo other factors lenders will consider are your credit history and credit score. Kill the credit card debtA key way to improve your credit score is to reduce your credit card debt. “The minute they pull your credit score, it is going to [reflect] what is on my credit card that day,” MBA’s Seiler said. “Because there are many variables that affect an individual consumer’s credit score, we can’t say a specific number of months,” FICO’s Zeibert said.

Persons: ”, Avi Adler, Sara Zuckerman, Margaret Poe, Poe, you’ll, Eddie Seiler, Joe Zeibert, You’re, ” Adler, MBA’s Seiler, ” FICO’s Zeibert, “, ” Seiler, Zuckerman, Adler, ” Zuckerman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Long & Foster, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Mortgage, Association Locations: New York, annualcreditreport.com, TransUnion

☆ Fashion icon Iris Apfel dies at 102
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Apfel died on Friday at the age of 102, according to a post on her verified Instagram page. “I go at it full, I’m very passionate about what I do,” Apfel told CNN in an interview in 2018. Jemal Countess/WireImage/Getty Images“(Styling the White House) was a relatively easy job actually, because everything had to be as close as humanly possible to the way it was,” Apfel told the Guardian in 2015. The exhibition, “Rara Avis (Rare Bird),” was the first time the museum had paid tribute to a living woman who was not a fashion designer. Apfel front row at New York Fashion Week with model Karolina Kurkova in 2016.

Persons: Iris Apfel, Apfel, Stu Loeser, “, ” Apfel, Iris, Samuel, Carl Apfel, ”, Estée Lauder, Greta Garbo, Jemal, WireImage, Jackie Kennedy, Harold Koda, Koda, “ Rara, Karolina Kurkova, Michael Stewart, Kate Spade, Kloss, Joan Smalls, Chrissy Teigen, Bella, Gigi Hadid, … Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Guardian, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Met, “ Rara Avis, New York, MAC Cosmetics, Home Shopping, Vogue Italia, IMG Locations: Palm Beach , Florida, Queens , New York

"I'm thinking about marketing myself as a TikTok Shop creator," Jayy told BI in July. Outside its in-house team, TikTok also deputizes official third-party TikTok Shop agency partners to work with creators and merchants on e-commerce strategies. And the company offers advice to all affiliate creators on its website via its TikTok Shop Academy. Someone who is not popular or famous going on TikTok Shop and offering products, or someone who is very popular and famous now getting products?" "I think the shortest path to more volume through TikTok Shop is really that second group."

Persons: D'Amelio, TikTok, Remy Beaumont, it's, Joy Mangano, Beaumont, playbook, Rick Watson, Sharon Jayy, Jayy, Watson Organizations: Business, Shop, Z Media, intel, Training, RMW Commerce Consulting, TikTok Shop, Shop Academy Locations: London, China, Douyin, TikTok's Culver

☆ TikTok is pissing everyone off right now. Here's how its brute-force tactics could pay off — or backfire.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Dan Whateley | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The move was an about-face for the president, whose administration had spent years calling it a national security risk. AdvertisementIt’s been deep in a public spat over music licensing with one of its most important partners, Universal Music Group. Some users have said it’s ruining the app by promoting shopping over the funny skits and dancing videos that first made TikTok popular. For leaders at ByteDance, who often have the final say over product decisions at TikTok, copying ideas from Douyin to TikTok is part of their playbook.

Persons: —, TikTok, Joe Biden, Biden, Brandon, TikTok isn’t, it's, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, UMG, ” TikTok, it’s, TikTok's, ByteDance, It’s, Meghana, Pissing, ” Michael Huppe, Katie Notopoulos, ” Dhar Organizations: Service, White, Business, Universal Music Group, Music, Black, Facebook, Google, Big Tech, ”, YouTube, Shopping Network Locations: TikTok, Washington, Meghana Dhar, China, ByteDance

The city's annual series of parades began more than a week ago and will close out on Tuesday — Mardi Gras — a final day of revelry before Lent. Aside from recycling, there's a small but growing movement to find something else for parade riders to lob. Grounds Krewe, Davis's nonprofit, is now marketing more than two dozen types of nonplastic, sustainable items for parade riders to pitch. "These efforts will help green Mardi Gras," said Christy Leavitt, of the group Oceana, in an email. Enck, who visited New Orleans last year and attended Mardi Gras celebrations, hopes parade organizers will adopt the biodegradable alternatives.

Persons: —, it's, ”, Judith Enck, Enck, Brett Davis, headbands, ” Davis, Christy Leavitt, Jennifer McDermott Organizations: ORLEANS, Environmental Protection Agency, Beyond, New Orleans & Co, Oceana, New, Mardi, Associated Locations: New Orleans, revelry, Lake Pontchartrain, Mexico, Mardi, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ Why are real estate commissions 6%? – and why that’s about to change
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Many thought the internet would eventually kill the 6% real estate commission. Even as the ranks of stockbrokers and travel agents have dropped in recent years as commissions petered out, the number of real estate agents has grown and their typical commissions are bigger than ever as home prices have risen. That is largely because of the power of the National Association of Realtors, an influential lobbying group that represents 1.5 million real estate agents. How real estate commissions workHome sellers are usually on the hook for their real estate agent’s commission as well as for paying the agent that represents the buyer. Real estate agents will tell you commissions are negotiable — and they are.

Persons: Sellers, ”, Jordan Barry, “, Tiffany Hagler, won’t, Babiracki Barlow, “ we’ve, Vasi Organizations: DC CNN, Kansas City, Brookings Institution, stockbrokers, National Association of Realtors, University of Southern, National Association of Real, Exchanges, NAR, Association, Geard, Bloomberg, Getty, realtors, Agents, MLS, Department of Justice, DOJ, California Association of Realtors, New, Real, Board Locations: Washington, New York City, University of Southern California, Larchmont , New York, Boston, New York, New York —, York

Not only does it mean an additional game on Prime Video that Amazon hopes to make into a yearly tradition, but it comes on the busiest shopping day of the year. Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media, said the league had been exploring the possibility of adding a game on Black Friday for a while. Adding a Black Friday game gives the NFL another day to take over. According to Nielsen, the most-viewed Amazon game came in Week 2 this season when the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Minnesota Vikings. NFL games are averaging 17.1 million viewers through 11 weeks, which is a 6% increase over last season.

Persons: We’re, Jay Marine, Hans Schroeder, ” Schroeder, “, Amazon, Garth Brooks, “ I’m, ”, Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, there’s, Tim Boyle, Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa, Hill, ___ Organizations: Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Media, Amazon, Shopping Network, Nielsen, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Jets, AFC East, Dolphins Locations: X’s

Average 30-year mortgage rates finally dropped back below 7% last week, but they're still elevated compared to where they've been in recent months. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. But whether mortgage rates will drop in 2023 hinges on if the Federal Reserve can get inflation under control. Sky high mortgage rates have pushed many hopeful buyers out of the market, slowing homebuying demand and putting downward pressure on home prices.

Persons: they've, Fannie Mae Organizations: Zillow, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, Sky, ARM Locations: Chevron

Currently, 30-year mortgage rates are around 9 basis points lower compared to last week's average. Lower mortgage rates will provide some affordability to potential homebuyers who have been waiting to enter the market. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is currently 6.78%, according to Freddie Mac.

Persons: Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Reserve, Mortgage, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ MLB All-Star Game, baseball cards, are first big test of Fanatics livestream shopping experience
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

(Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)Fanatics' first livestream shopping event will feature collectors opening baseball trading card packs on the field during this week's Major League Baseball All-Star Game events in Seattle. The sports platform's new business division, which is called Fanatics Live, is centered around live shopping experiences during which users will be able to buy trading cards and other collectibles on the Fanatics Live app while watching streams of hosts and other collector sellers. "Our intention is to have Fanatics Live be the leader in the live commerce space," Bell said. Livestream shopping, which got its start in China and across Asia, has grown into a $512 billion market, according to Coresight Research. Bell acknowledged the challenges for livestream shopping in the U.S. but said he sees them as an opportunity.

Persons: Justin Berl, Nick Bell, Bell, — Bell, —, Chris Lamontagne, Scott Rogowski, Michael Rubin, – Bell Organizations: Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, PNC Park, Major League Baseball, Google, Mobile, Research, eBay, Facebook, QVC, U.S, Meta, CNBC Disruptor Locations: Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, Seattle, U.S, China, Asia

☆ I'm a cruise director for Holland America. Our crew lives in its own little world that passengers don't see.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Brooke Morton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

As cruise director, Wells often hosts the evening entertainment. I was quickly connected with Holland America, who flew me out to audition for a cruise director role in April 2020. Now, as of 2022, I'm the cruise director for Holland America, working aboard several ships, including most recently on Zuiderdam. A day in my life as a cruise directorAs the cruise director, I'm the first and last face that any guest sees on any sailing. What most people don't realize is that cruise ship workers don't ever have a day off during their contract.

If you're ready to begin your home shopping journey, make sure you get a mortgage pre-approval first. A mortgage pre-approval letter is an essential step in the homebuying process. Below, CNBC Select breaks down how a mortgage pre-approval works and when you want to get one. What is mortgage pre-approval? Bottom lineA mortgage pre-approval can help you gauge how much mortgage you can afford and position yourself as a serious homebuyer.

☆ Livestream shopping took China by storm. Now Amazon, TikTok and YouTube are betting the QVC-style pitches will take off in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Livestream shopping took China by storm over the past three years. In the U.S., TikTok, Amazon, Walmart , Shopify and YouTube are all getting in on the game. On Amazon Live, influencers pitch products live from the intimacy of their own homes. Tiana Young MorrisTiana Young Morris first went viral in 2020 for videos in which she tried on wigs and then reviewed them. Amazon continued its live-shopping investments with the launch of Amazon Live in India in September.

☆ 'Big Short’ Michael Burry bought a slew of stocks last quarter, including two Chinese internet names
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Michael Burry, known for calling the subprime mortgage crisis, picked up a slew of stocks in the fourth quarter including two Chinese internet giants, according to a new regulatory filing. The famed investor bought $9.3 million worth of mortgage data vendor Black Knight last quarter, as well as $5.3 million worth of Coherent , a manufacturer of optical materials and semiconductors. Burry also bought into a duo of Chinese e-commerce leaders — Alibaba and JD.com — during the fourth quarter. Burry was depicted in Michael Lewis' book "The Big Short" and the subsequent Oscar-winning movie of the same name. It's also unclear if Burry took any bearish bets last quarter, as short positions are not disclosed in these reports.

☆ 'Big Short' Michael Burry on his current positioning: 'You have no idea how short I am'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"The Big Short" investor Michael Burry, known for calling the subprime mortgage crisis, hinted that he currently has a sizable short position after being bearish throughout 2022. "You have no idea how short I am," Burry said in a Tuesday evening tweet. It's unclear what kind of bet Burry is making, if he's shorting any specific sectors or stocks or just the whole market. A new regulatory filing showed at the end of the third quarter, Burry held relatively small positions in just six names. Short positions are not disclosed in quarterly reports.

☆ Michael Burry of ‘The Big Short’ bets on a home shopping network stock and a rocket engine maker
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Famed investor Michael Burry, known for calling the subprime mortgage crisis, jumped back into the market to pick up a few stocks in the third quarter, according to a new regulatory filing. Burry has been in and out of this private prison operator as well as GEO Group the past two years. In February, Lockheed Martin tabled plans to acquire the rocket engine maker amid opposition from U.S. antitrust enforcers. Burry was depicted in Michael Lewis' book "The Big Short" and the subsequent Oscar-winning movie of the same name. It's also unclear if Burry took any bearish bets last quarter as short positions are not disclosed in these quarterly reports.

☆ Retailers, Brands and Tech Platforms Bet Big on Live-Streamed Shopping in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Patrick Coffee | Photographs Maggie Shannon For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Can live-streamed shopping become a big thing in the U.S.? A number of retailers, brands and tech platforms are convinced that it can, despite a slow start. The practice, which adapts the QVC model of televised home shopping to the digital era, grew popular in the Asia-Pacific region before exploding in China during the pandemic as businesses rushed to connect more directly with homebound consumers.

Search resuls for: "Home Shopping"

17 mentions found