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☆ Fintech Griffin just secured full regulatory approval. Here's the 12-slide pitch deck it used to raise $24 million as a fully-fledged bank.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

British banking-as-a-service fintech Griffin has raised new funding after receiving regulatory approval to be a fully operational bank. The market is god awful, so not having to do a down-round, with outside investors coming in, is the best outcome." Griffin has raised £19.1 million, around $24 million, in a funding round led by MassMutual Ventures, NordicNinja, and Breega, with participation from Notion Capital, EQT Ventures, DG Daiwa and CircleRock. "We are hiring, but unlike earlier rounds, we aren't going on a hiring blitz, as we did the hiring for this round before the round closed. We were about to be a fully operational bank, so we needed operations roles," Jarvis added.

Persons: fintech Griffin, Griffin, David Jarvis, Allen Rohner, Jarvis, We've Organizations: Business, Prudential, Authority, Financial, MassMutual Ventures, NordicNinja, Notion, EQT Ventures, DG Locations: London

☆ 78% of near-retirees failed or barely passed a basic Social Security quiz. Test your knowledge before you claim
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Generally, if I am in a same-sex marriage, there are different eligibility requirements when it comes to Social Security retirement benefits. The money that comes out of my paycheck for Social Security goes into a specific account for me and remains there, earning interest, until I begin to receive Social Security benefits. If I get divorced, I might be able to collect Social Security benefits based on my ex-spouse's Social Security earnings history. If I file for retirement benefits and have dependent children age 18 or younger, they also may qualify for Social Security benefits. Social Security retirement benefits are subject to income tax just like withdrawals from a traditional IRA account.

Persons: Rupp, David Freitag, you've, Freitag, " Freitag, You've, that's Organizations: Social Security, spouse's, Social, Getty, Security Locations: U.S

☆ Cultivo wants to scale investment in nature-based carbon projects. It just raised $14 million with this 11-slide pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA startup that helps financial institutions and corporations invest in nature regeneration projects has raised $14 million in Series A funding. Carbon credits represent one metric tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere, typically bought up by companies looking to reach net zero. Potential investors — financial institutions and corporations — can then choose to back a regeneration project on that land. AdvertisementThe voluntary carbon market, where carbon credits are traded, has become popular in recent years as companies race to reach their climate commitments. It also takes a slice of carbon credits sold by projects it helps to set up.

Persons: —, Mark Carney, Morgan Stanley, Manuel Piñuela, Cultivo, Piñuela, Peña Verde Organizations: Service, Business, Bank of England, Cultivo, MassMutual Ventures, Octopus Energy, Salkantay Ventures, Peña Locations: San Francisco

☆ 'You only get Social Security while you're alive,' expert says. What happens to benefits after you die
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"You only get Social Security while you're alive," said Bruce Tannahill, a director of estate and business planning with MassMutual. "People need to take into account how important Social Security is in their estate planning," said Jim Blair, vice president of Premier Social Security Consulting and a former Social Security administrator. There are some key takeaways to know about what happens to Social Security benefits in the event you or a loved one passes away. If someone receives their monthly Social Security payment and then dies, the Social Security Administration may not take the money back, according to Blair. If a deceased beneficiary was due a Social Security check or a Medicare premium refund when they died, a claim may be submitted to the Social Security Administration.

Persons: Bruce Tannahill, Jim Blair, Blair, Tannahill, Joe Elsasser, Elsasser Organizations: Getty, Social, Premier Social Security Consulting, Social Security, Finance, Social Security Administration, Security

☆ Claiming Social Security retirement benefits is a high-stakes decision. Don't let these 5 myths get in your way
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty ImagesSocial Security benefits provide retirement income for millions of Americans. Myth 1: Claiming early is bestNegative headlines may scare people into claiming as early as possible to get the most benefits. Eligibility for Social Security retirement benefits starts at age 62. Myth 4: Social Security benefits are not taxedThanasis | Moment | Getty ImagesThe misperception that Social Security benefits aren't taxed is "perhaps the biggest myth of all," said Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst at The Senior Citizens League. That includes the sum of your adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest and half of your Social Security benefits.

Persons: that's, Joe Elsasser, Elsasser, Laurence Kotlikoff, Bruce Tannahill, there's, Kotlikoff, Tannahill, Mary Johnson, Anna Frank Organizations: Social Security, Social, Security, Boston University, Senior Citizens League . Social Security

☆ Insight: Insurers poised for US break on investment losses from high rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Koh Gui Qing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

A negative IMR forces insurers to tap pots of money they would have otherwise spent on their business or returned to shareholders. Among those insurers are Prudential Financial (PRU.N), OneAmerica Financial Partners, Principal Financial (PFG.O) and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, according to Fitch. That compares to $1.8 billion in net fixed income-related losses Prudential recorded in 2022. They do not give banks the option of deferring interest rate-related losses, fearing excesses that led to the 2008 financial crisis. DEFERRING LOSSESFollowing the rule change, insurers will be allowed to amortize interest rate-related losses over time equivalent to 10% of their statutory surplus.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Fitch, Edward Stone, Stone, Ken Tanji, MassMutual, OneAmerica, Steven Zabel, Zabel, Koh Gui Qing, David French, Greg Roumeliotis, Anna Driver Organizations: Prudential Financial, REUTERS, SEATTLE, Sunday, National Association of Insurance, Reuters, Federal Reserve, OneAmerica Financial Partners, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, Prudential, Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank, Insurance, American Council of, Equitable Holdings, MetLife, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, MassMutual, OneAmerica, Financial, Unum, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, Seattle, Fitch, Silicon, New York

☆ Investors can now get paid by saving their money, says MassMutual CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInvestors can now get paid by saving their money, says MassMutual CEORoger Crandall, MassMutual CEO, joins 'Closing Bell: Overtime' to discuss the market, economy and recession outlook.

Persons: Roger Crandall Organizations: MassMutual

☆ Why MassMutual is all in on the Boston Red Sox, according to CMO Jennifer Halloran, CMO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Will Wei | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Nyra Health provides personalized therapy to users with neurological conditions via an app. Check out the 11-slide deck it used to secure $4.9 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mental health startup Nyra Health has raised $4.9 million in funding. The startup offers personalized therapy for neurological conditions. A startup that's bringing digital therapy to patients with neurological conditions has secured $4.9 million from MassMutual Ventures and Wellington Partners. It then maps patients' neurological profiles using this data, to monitor any long-term changes in their conditions. The fresh funding comes amid ongoing, heightened interest in health startups following the pandemic.

Persons: Moritz Schöllauf, Nyra, Schöllauf Organizations: MassMutual Ventures, Wellington Partners Locations: Vienna, MyReha, Nyra, DACH

☆ Banking-as-a-service fintech Griffin just raised $13.5 million. Check out the 15-slide pitch deck it used to land the fresh funds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Banking-as-a-service startup Griffin just raised $13.5 million in fresh funds. The startup enables businesses to skip the process of finding a banking partner. Check out the 15-slide pitch deck Griffin used to raise the Series A round below. British fintech startup Griffin has raised $13.5 million in fresh funds just months after it secured a UK banking license. Griffin has raised $35.7 million to date, including a $15.5 million raise in July 2022.

Persons: Griffin, David Jarvis, Allen Rohner, we've, Maria Campbell, Campbell Organizations: Financial, MassMutual Ventures, EQT Ventures Locations: London

☆ Around 400 patients were wrongly informed they might have cancer, biotech company says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A biotech company said 400 people had been mistakenly informed they might have cancer. Grail Inc said the error resulted from a software issue, which has been resolved. The incident was part of a trial of an early-detection blood test called Galleri. Grail Inc, an American biotechnology company, developed an early-detection blood test called Galleri, created to identify more than 50 types of cancer before symptoms appear, per Reuters. The company, owned by gene sequencing company Illumina, said it promptly contacted patients after the incident.

Persons: —, Grail, PWNHealth, MassMutual Organizations: Inc, Service, Financial Times, British Locations: American

☆ Greg Fleming's Rockefeller strategic-advisory team defies dealmaking drought thanks to this rich family
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The wealth manager's CEO Greg Fleming has deep ties to the Desmarais family behind the insurer. In the midst of a dealmaking lull, Rockefeller Capital Management can add another billion-dollar advisory deal to its resume. Advised by the five-year-old firm, Canadian insurer Great-West Lifeco is selling asset management subsidiary Putnam Investments to Franklin Templeton, the firms announced today. Since Fleming launched Rockefeller, born out of the Standard Oil heirs' family office, Great-West Lifeco has consistently sought the firm's services. The Rockefeller family also increased its stake by an undisclosed amount.

Persons: Rockefeller, Franklin Templeton, Greg Fleming, Lifeco, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Jim Ratigan, Stephen Valentino, Fleming, Paul Desmarais Jr Organizations: Rockefeller Capital Management, Putnam Investments, Pitchbook, Wall Street, Deutsche Bank . Rockefeller, Standard, Rockefeller, Power Corporation of Canada, Viking Global, Bank of America

☆ 69% of people either failed or barely passed this Social Security quiz. Test your knowledge before you claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Most Americans nearing retirement expect Social Security to be their biggest source of income. About 43% of the 1,500 people surveyed do not know how much of their income will come from Social Security benefits. The results to that answer were "stunning" for a cohort so close to their retirement years, said David Freitag, a financial planning consultant and Social Security expert at MassMutual. The result: 69% either barely passed or failed. More than one-third — 35% — of respondents failed.

☆ You may face a 'stealth tax' on Social Security benefits, expert warns. These steps can help
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The reason: More of their Social Security benefits may be taxed following a higher 5.9% cost-of-living adjustment in 2022. Unlike other tax thresholds, the Social Security income levels have not been adjusted for inflation since taxation of benefits began in 1984. Not moving the brackets or indexing them gradually exposes more and more people to income taxes on their Social Security benefits, according to David Freitag, a financial planning consultant and Social Security expert at MassMutual. The result is a "stealth tax," Freitag said. How Social Security benefits are taxedUp to 85% of Social Security benefits may be taxed, based on current tax rules.

☆ Exclusive: Massachusetts regulator probes First Republic insiders' stock sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

He is seeking details about the firm's insider trading policies and how officers handled their stock sales from January 1. A spokesperson for First Republic declined to confirm the firm received a subpoena or comment on the stock sales. Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were seized by regulators days later amid liquidity crises, actions that sapped investor confidence in the sector. SHARE SALESSeveral First Republic executives have sold shares this year, including founder and Executive Chairman James Herbert. Herbert and Roffler did not respond to requests for comment on their stock sales or the subpoena.

Diverse hiring helps life insurance companies connect with underserved communities. Life insurance companies are focusing on community and product development. Many of the largest insurance companies have historically denied Black applicants, given them lower-value life insurance than white applicants who paid the same amount, and engaged in other discriminatory activity. Research from William G. Gale, a Brookings Institution economics expert and co-author of "Racial Discrimination in Life Insurance," found that while Black families were 3% more likely than their white counterparts to have a life insurance policy, the differences in inheritances (often including life insurance payouts) accounted for 10-20% of the wealth gap. Aside from eliminating blatantly discriminatory underwriting, Guardian Life has opened the door to life insurance for people with HIV.

☆ Wall Street investment firms are thirsty for the West's vanishing water
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Lucy Kafanov | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

And it comes at a time when Arizona’s allocation of Colorado River water is being slashed amid a decadeslong megadrought. “In the face of record shortages on the Colorado River, we have voluntarily answered urgent and repeated calls to conserve water. Water Asset Management owns at least 3,000 acres in Western Colorado’s Grand Valley, where Mueller works to protect Colorado’s share of the river. “Water Asset Management has engaged in a number of different purchase methods to keep their transactions unknown to many of the local jurisdictions,” Mueller said. The Colorado River in Eagle County, Colorado.

☆ MassMutual CEO Roger Crandall says recession likelihood is low, since employment is too high
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMassMutual CEO Roger Crandall says recession likelihood is low, since employment is too highRoger Crandall, MassMutual CEO, joins 'Closing Bell: Overtime' to discuss the banking sector and how the Fed's next meeting could have an impact.

Life insurance is more diverse than ever, with some companies offering a full range of life insurance products. Haven Life focuses on term life insurance policies for buyers who want quick approval. Life Insurance Plans from Haven LifeHaven Life's website offers a library on the benefits of term life insurance. Read our review Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing rightHaven Life focuses on quick and easy term life insurance policies. Read our review Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing rightMutual of Omaha and Haven Life offer affordable term life insurance policies with high limits for qualified buyers.

Whole life insurance is always cheaper for comparable death benefits than term life insurance. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyIf you're considering buying life insurance, you might debate your options including term life insurance and permanent life insurance. Term life insurance lasts for a fixed period of time, usually 10, 20, or 30 years, while permanent life insurance has no end date. Permanent life insurance comes in a few variations, the most popular being whole life insurance, which is a hybrid between an investment and an insurance policy, explains insurance-comparison site Policygenius. If you're looking for the best life insurance policy to meet your needs, we recommend talking to a life insurance agent.

Some insurance companies will allow you to reinstate a lapsed life insurance policy with a new medical exam. For some recently laid-off workers, this is an opportunity to think strategically and ask yourself:Are there options for converting term life insurance to permanent life insurance for your policy? Stop thinking of life insurance as just the death benefitIn the long term, policyholders with savings should consider life insurance an issue of redistributing assets. When you think of it this way, redistributing other savings to maintain and grow your life insurance savings is easier. Policyholders can reinstate a typical life insurance plan without a new medical exam or other complications within 30 days.

With the tax-advantaged investing component of a permanent life insurance policy, life insurance is the gift that keeps giving. Life insurance is more affordable than you may thinkPerceived cost is one factor that deters people of color from buying adequate life insurance. Unfortunately, we've seen licensed life insurance agents who still tell buyers term to whole conversions are "guaranteed," or rates will stay the same in those life insurance conversions. Life insurance doesn't have to cost a pretty penny, and life insurance is constantly changing. Permanent life insurance is generally more expensive than a term life insurance policy and can vary highly based on various factors.

☆ As a record 8.7% Social Security cost-of-living increase starts in 2023, here's what beneficiaries should look for in annual statements
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Kathrin Ziegler | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesMonthly Part B premium payments are often deducted directly from Social Security checks. Due to the lower 2023 premiums, beneficiaries are poised to see more of the 8.7% increase in their monthly Social Security checks. "Of course, the economy is inflated at a frightful rate, but this represents the value of cost-of-living adjusted benefits from Social Security," Freitag said. What to look for in your Social Security statementJustin Paget | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesIf you're wondering how much more you stand to see in your checks, the personalized letter from the Social Security Administration will give you a breakdown of what to expect. Of note, you do not necessarily have to be receiving Social Security checks now to benefit from the record 2023 increase, Blair noted.

NEW YORK/ LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - First Boston is an old Wall Street name that’s re-emerging from Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) with some new features. Credit Suisse Chief Executive Ulrich Körner is reshaping the $11 billion group to put some bad years and big losses firmly in the past. Credit Suisse is setting up joint ventures between CS First Boston and the parent’s trading and wealth management businesses, according to a person familiar with the matter. An added complication is that CS First Boston bankers could be getting paid in their own division’s stock, rather than Credit Suisse shares. Michael Klein will step down from the Credit Suisse board of directors to help launch CS First Boston, the bank said.

☆ This Social Security quiz can help test how much you know about benefits before you claim
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As inflation has pushed the cost of living higher, those eligible for Social Security retirement benefits may be tempted to claim benefits sooner than they had planned. Social Security beneficiaries stand to get a record 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment in 2023 that will help them contend with higher costs. But you should consider the amount of benefits you may receive based on your age. For most people approaching retirement now, age 67 is when they will receive their full benefits based on their earnings history. "There are definite rules, definite deadlines and definite dates that need to be met," said David Freitag, a financial planning consultant and Social Security expert at MassMutual.

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