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☆ Displaying art in your home? Here are some do's and don'ts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Lucy Handley | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Andreas Von Einsiedel | Corbis Documentary | Getty ImagesThere are two common mistakes people make when hanging art in their homes, according to art consultant Louisa Warfield. People sometimes make the mistake of hanging artwork too high, according to art consultant Louisa Warfield. Louisa Warfield Art ConsultancyA guideline is to hang the work so that its center is about 150cm above the floor, Warfield said. Louisa Warfield Art ConsultancyIn a large home, a gallery wall might be about 160cm in height and about the width of the couch the art will hang above, Warfield said. Art collector Helen Sunderland Cohen said she aims for a "harmonious and balanced" environment when it comes to playing art.

Persons: Louisa Warfield, Andreas Von Einsiedel, Warfield, it's, David Price, Rachael Harding, —, Louisa Warfield's, Sophie Carter, Yoko Kloeden, Helen Sunderland Cohen, Yinka Shonibare, Aimee Parrott, Prunella Clough, Simon Bejer, Sunderland Cohen Organizations: CNBC, Sunderland, City & Guilds School of Art Locations: British, Nigerian, London

☆ Europe is beating inflation. Why can’t America declare victory?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Fed aims to keep inflation at 2% over the longer run. Meanwhile, among the 20 countries that use the euro, annual consumer price inflation has slowed steadily since the start of the year. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said earlier this month that she would favor a rate hike “should progress on inflation stall or even reverse.”So why does the United States appear to have a bigger inflation problem than Europe? Some economists argue there isn’t actually much daylight between the US and European rates of inflation, pointing to a quirk in the US measures. The measure is designed to track inflation in the real estate market while accounting for the fact that most Americans own their homes.

Persons: Michelle Bowman, Paul Donovan, Simon MacAdam, ”, MacAdam, ” Carsten Brzeski, Janet Yellen, Jim Watson, Brzeski, “, ” Davide Oneglia Organizations: London CNN, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, PCE, UBS Global Wealth Management, Capital Economics, ING, CNN, Monetary Fund, Washington, Reuters, Getty, —, ECB, Lombard Locations: United States, Europe, Centreville , Maryland, AFP, Russia, Ukraine

☆ I Hid the War in Ukraine From My Son - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Sasha Vasilyuk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In January 2022, I was planning a summer trip to Ukraine and Russia for my 4-year-old son and me. I spent half of my childhood in Ukraine and half in Russia before moving to the United States when I was a teenager. When I became a parent, my one, obsessive goal — as a mother raising a child in America with a man who spoke only English — was to teach my son Russian. He started inserting English words in otherwise Russian sentences and talking to himself in English while playing alone. A visit to Ukraine and Russia would allow him to see that his mother’s native language wasn’t a quirk of hers but something normal for millions of people.

Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, America, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow

☆ National Park Week is coming up — and that means free entry for visitors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Visitors to national parks will get free admission on April 20 as the federal government waives entrance fees to commemorate the start of National Park Week. National Park Week runs for nine days, from April 20 to April 28. The National Park Service oversees 429 park sites in the U.S. Of them, 63 are national parks. The remainder are national monuments, national battlefields and national historic sites, for example. However, 108 parks don't — including some of the most popular, like Grand Canyon, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Acadia, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree and Glacier national parks.

Persons: Joshua Tree Organizations: National, National Park Service, Finance, globetrotting Locations: U.S, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Acadia, Yosemite, Yellowstone

☆ Live Updates: Inflation Expected to Remain Stubborn
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Policymakers have made it clear that they want to see further evidence that inflation is cooling before they cut interest rates. But Fed officials do not want to cut rates before they are confident that inflation is on track to return to normal. That threat of lingering inflation has become a more serious concern for policymakers since the start of the year. Inflation has flatlined in recent months after months of steady declines, raising some alarm at the Fed and among forecasters. Going into the year, investors expected the Fed to cut rates sharply in 2024 — to about 4 percent — but have dialed back those expectations.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Laura Rosner, Warburton, it’s, you’ve, ” Organizations: Federal, Fed, Goldman, Deutsche Bank Locations: Central

☆ This US state is not covered by the NATO treaty. Some experts say that needs to change
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Because in a quirk of geography and history, Hawaii is not technically covered by the NATO pact. Mengshin Lin/AP“People tend to assume Hawaii is part of the US and therefore it’s covered by NATO,” he says. The exception is spelled out in the Washington Treaty, the document that established NATO in 1949, a decade before Hawaii became a state. It also says any island territories must be in the North Atlantic, north of the Tropic of Cancer. Hawaii, Guam, Taiwan and North KoreaSome experts say times have changed in the decades since the Washington Treaty was signed – and argue today’s political situation in the Indo-Pacific might require a rethink.

Persons: “, ”, David Santoro, Mengshin Lin, ” Santoro, –, China’s, Xi Jinping, —, Joe Biden, John Hemmings, ” Hemmings, Hemmings, Forum’s Santoro, Amy Picard, Luis Simon, Simon, ” Simon Organizations: CNN, NATO, Hawaii, Pacific Command, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Aloha, Pacific Forum, Sailors, USS Arizona Memorial, USS, 82nd, Treaty Organization, Washington Treaty, Tropic, Cancer, US State Department, United, Argentine, South Atlantic, Communist Party, Taiwan Relations, White, Center, New, New American Security, Foreign, USS Arizona . US Navy, Interim, Andersen Air Force Base, Korean, . Air Force, 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Force, . Air Force ‘ Coalition, Research Centre, Security, Brussels School, Governance, NATO Command, Union Locations: Sweden, United States, Hawaii, Pearl, Honolulu, USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu , Hawaii, California , Colorado, Alaska, North America, Washington, Europe, Argentina, Falkland, British, South, Guam, Taiwan, North Korea, New American, China, Beijing, Oahu, USS West Virginia, USS Tennessee, France, Nazi Germany, Japan, Italy, Korean, Soviet Union, Belgium, Ukraine

☆ I am a 'Chopped' champion. Here are 10 things even superfans don't know about the show.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Brooke Siem | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

I'm a Food Network "Chopped" champion, and I was surprised by a few things when I was on the show. AdvertisementArguably one of the most successful cooking-competition shows of all time, Food Network's "Chopped" is a television phenomenon — which is why I'm still surprised I won. Here are 10 things that surprised me about the "Chopped" competition that even die-hard fans don't know. AdvertisementAs legend has it, there's one bowl in the "Chopped" kitchen that spells doom for the chef who uses it. Food NetworkWhether you get chopped after the appetizer round or win the whole thing, all the "talking-head" interviews on "Chopped" are filmed after your competition is over.

Persons: —, I'm, There's, Ted Allen, David Lang, there's, it's, Zac Young, Maneet Chauhan, Katrina Markoff, doesn't Organizations: Food, Service

☆ Social Security benefits after divorce: In some cases 'your ex is worth twice as much dead than alive,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

red_moon_riseThe rules around claiming Social Security benefits are full of caveats and nuances. "Your ex is worth twice as much dead than alive," said Mary Beth Franklin, a certified financial planner and Social Security expert. The calculus assumes the first spouse to die had a larger Social Security retirement benefit than the survivor. Social Security rules for married, divorced spousesThe federal government determines Social Security benefits based on age and earnings history. Claiming benefits based on an ex-spouse's earnings record doesn't affect or reduce that former spouse's benefits, Colley said.

Persons: Mary Beth Franklin, Natalie Colley, Sandy, she'd, —, Franklin, Colley Organizations: Social, Social Security, Women, Francis Financial, Social Security Administration, spouse's Social Security, spouse's, SSA Locations: West Palm Beach , Florida, New York

☆ Why bad news for the economy can be good news for stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewGood news for the economy can be bad news for stocks, thanks to a weird quirk of market logic. Positive economic developments such as strong GDP growth, robust employment gains, and mild inflation tend to drive stocks higher in the long run. Yet their implications for interest rates have mattered more to stocks in recent months. That buoys stocks by fueling spending across the economy and demand for risk assets. It's bizarre that some stock investors are now hoping for the economy to soften so the Fed will start cutting rates, even though a booming economy is good news for stocks.

Persons: —, hasn't, they've, Jerome Powell Organizations: Service, Business, Federal Reserve, Wall, Swissquote Bank

(AP) — A Nebraska woman allegedly found a lucrative quirk at a gas station pump — double-swipe the rewards card and get free gas! The 45-year-old woman was arrested March 6 and faces felony theft charges accusing her of a crime that cost the gas station nearly $28,000. But the company was unaware of a glitch that allowed anyone swiping a rewards card twice to put a gas pump into demonstration mode. In demo mode, the user could pump gas at no cost. A probable cause statement from prosecutors said the loss-prevention manager determined that one particular card had been used repeatedly to obtain free gas.

Persons: LINCOLN, Thompson Organizations: —, Prosecutors, Police, Bosselman Enterprises, Authorities Locations: Neb, Nebraska, Lincoln

☆ Gig workers face a savings crisis for retirement
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Alex Bitter | Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementSome gig work services are offering a perk usually associated with traditional jobs: retirement savings accounts with matching contributions. Alexandrea Ravenelle, an assistant professor in sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, told BI she would like to see gig workers classified as employees of the platforms, not independent workers. Ravenelle said a better plan would be for companies to extend similar types of retirement benefits to gig workers as employees of those companies enjoy. The Robinhood program also offers gig workers on these platforms access to free financial counseling through GreenPath Financial Wellness, a nonprofit. AdvertisementSergio Avedian, a Los Angeles-based industry advocate for gig workers who drives for an app himself, often encourages gig workers to set aside money for retirement.

Persons: Robinhood, —, Alexandrea, Hill, Ravenelle, Robinhood —, Doordash, Morgan Courtney, Courtney, Taskrabbit, Steve Quirk, they'll, Quirk, Sergio Avedian Organizations: Service, University of North, Financial, Workers Locations: University of North Carolina, Los Angeles, Idaho

☆ Webb space telescope spots oldest ‘dead’ galaxy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Astronomers have spotted the oldest “dead” galaxy ever observed while studying the cosmos with the James Webb Space Telescope, and it’s one of the deepest views into the distant universe made with the observatory to date. The galaxy existed when the universe was only about 700 million years into its current age of about 13.8 billion years. But something made the galaxy suddenly halt star formation almost as quickly as star birth had begun more than 13 billion years ago, and the researchers have yet to uncover the cause. Studying the galaxy could reveal new insights about the early universe and the factors that affect star formation within galaxies, according to the authors. “Until now, to understand the early universe, we’ve used models based on the modern universe.

Persons: James Webb, “, ”, Tobias, Francesco D’Eugenio, “ We’re, Webb, Roberto Maiolino, Maiolino, ” D’Eugenio, — Organizations: CNN —, Telescope, University of Cambridge’s Kavli, Cosmology, Kavli, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge

☆ Musk said Tesla cars would rise in value, H but here’s what really happened
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Back in 2019, Elon Musk made an astonishing claim for Tesla vehicles. But four years after Musk’s 2019 prediction, the average used Tesla Model 3 is selling for $29,000. Sticker prices for new Teslas dropped about 21% over the past year, according to Cox Automotive. Logically, people expect to pay less for a used car than they would for a new one. Why buy a used car if you could get a brand new vehicle for only a little more or maybe even less, after all?

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, ”, Tesla, “, FSD, Ivan Drury, Wall, Teslas, Hertz, ” Hertz, Stephen Scherr, ” Drury, EVs, Drury Organizations: CNN, Cox Automotive, EV, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, Volkswagen, Edmunds.com, Tesla Locations: America, Ford, Edmunds.com, Colorado

☆ The American Dream is under siege
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Parents of young children are making difficult choices to afford child care — or they’re opting to evade it by dropping out of the workforce altogether. Even as the inflation rate has cooled across the US economy, child care remains a sore spot for many families. The weekly price of day care for a toddler surged 9% in 2023, according to Care.com, a marketplace for child care. Of course, Allison is hardly alone in feeling like the American Dream has been more difficult — and expensive — to attain than imagined. “The American dream is being taken away from the younger generation by the housing affordability challenges,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors.

Persons: Hana Husković, Price, Hana, Michelle, they'll, ” Hana, “, It’s, they’ll, ’ Allison Powell, Liam Kelly, ” Allison, Allison Powell, Corinne ., ”, Allison, I’ll, homebuyers, Lotfi Karoui, Goldman Sachs, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Priscilla Almodovar, Fannie Mae, ” Almodovar, that’s, Almodovar, they’d, Homebuilding, Mark Zandi, Biden, ” Lael Brainard, Brainard, ” Brainard, ‘, Rachael Gambino, Garrett Mazzeo, Rachael, Deborah Brunswick, John General, ” Rachael, won’t, they’ve, – Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wall, CNN, Federal, Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, Bloomberg, Getty, Rust Belt, National Association of Realtors, North, NAR, That’s, Baby Boomers, Homeowners, Federal Reserve, Moody’s Analytics, White, National Economic Council, American, Target, Starbucks, Facebook Locations: New York, United States, Atlanta, Peachtree Corners , Georgia, Decatur, Decatur , Georgia, Carolina, Yugoslavia, Italy, Mexico, Oakland , California, Livermore, San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, San Diego, Francisco, Miami, Honolulu, Rust, Des Moines , Iowa, Dayton , Ohio, Cleveland , Ohio, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Los Angeles , California, North America, America, States, Lansdale , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

☆ Why Panera is causing a stir in California politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

And Panera Bread has been caught in the middle. Newsom has also said that Panera may not be exempt from the new minimum wage law after all. Nevertheless, on Thursday, Republican lawmakers in California called on the state’s attorney general to investigate the minimum wage exemption. Flynn’s company operates more than just Panera Bread locations. Stack also said that Newsom’s legal team determined that the carve-out would likely not apply to most Panera Bread locations.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Greg Flynn, Newsom’s, Newsom, Flynn, Panera, ”, Brian Jones, owner’s Newsom, Myung J, Chun, “, ” Flynn, Taco, –, Alex Stack, Stack Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Democratic California Gov, Republican, Los Angeles Times, CNN, Flynn Group, Taco Bell Locations: California, Los Angeles , CA

☆ Developers Got Backing for Affordable Housing. Then the Neighborhood Found Out.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Jason Deparle | Photographs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When developers set out to build 60 subsidized apartments in an affluent corner of Florence, S.C., the chairman of the County Council waxed enthusiastic. Affordable housing “would serve a great need,” he wrote, and its proximity to services and jobs fit county planning goals. Lawyers, executives and civic leaders, they gathered at the Florence Country Club, a half-mile from the proposed development, and vowed to block it. In many if not most affluent communities, existing land-use rules would have barred low-income housing, with the regulations often operating so quietly that they hide how fully exclusion is a product of design. But a quirk in the Florence County zoning code, permitting the subsidized apartments, brought the opposition into public view.

Persons: ” Organizations: Florence Country Club Locations: Florence, S.C

☆ My 91-year-old grandma was filled with wisdom. There were 3 important life lessons I was grateful she passed down.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Jane Ridley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Daisy Ridley is better known as Rey in Star Wars — the sensitive Jedi whose attitude is nonetheless badass. My paternal grandmother, who died at 91, became Daisy Ridley — her maiden name was Duck of all things — in 1932 when she married my grandfather, Robert. And, just as the Star Wars character inspired women and girls to be strong, Nanny was our role model. She didn't want to have to leave at 60 — the retirement age for women in the UK back then. Daisy Ridley was wise and a positive force.

Persons: Daisy Ridley, Daisy Ridley —, Robert, Alison, Rey, Nanny, Daisy, Linda, babysat, Don Organizations: Rey, Star, Business, Star Wars Locations: Scotland

☆ Reddit will let users buy its IPO, but warns that they could make the stock riskier
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Reddit's initial public offering will include a quirk that allows some of its most active users to buy the stock. "Our users have a deep sense of ownership over the communities they create on Reddit. We want this sense of ownership to be reflected in real ownership — for our users to be our owners. But the Reddit users that participate in the IPO will not be subject to a lock-up agreement, the filing said, which could add to volatility in the stock. Reddit users have already proven that they have a taste for trading volatile stocks.

Persons: Reddit, Redditors Organizations: GameStop, AMC Entertainment

☆ A flood insurance quirk makes basements a bad place to keep your stuff
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The problem is: If your basement floods, your flood insurance policy likely won't cover damages to most — if any — of your belongings. What is flood insurance? To that point, 99% of U.S. counties have experienced a flood since 1998 — and more than 40% of flood insurance claims are from outside high-risk flood areas, according to FEMA. Most people who have flood insurance get it through the federal government, via FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, experts said. Consumers concerned about flood risk and insurance coverage should consider not putting their stuff in a basement, if possible, Kochenburger said.

Persons: Johnson, Jessica Rinaldi, Peter Kochenburger, Eric Thayer, Kochenburger, NFIP, Don Griffin, it'd, Griffin, Policyholders Organizations: Boston Globe, Getty, Southern University Law Center, Insurance, FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flood Insurance, Bloomberg, Consumers, American, Casualty Insurance Association, Census, Southern University Law Locations: Vermont, United States, U.S, Whittier , California, freezers

☆ Opinion | Where Did Our Strange Use of ‘Like’ Come From?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( John Mcwhorter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They are ordinary, seemingly educated, white Northeasterners ranging from their late 20s to late middle age speaking casually. And what stands out today, 60 years later, is how often they pause briefly when they talk. Their speech sounds almost herky-jerky to the modern ear. Casual speech, always and everywhere in any language, is all about short sentences, often unfinished, often with occasional hesitations. For one thing, a single song doesn’t change the way people talk every day.

Persons: ” It’s, Frank Zappa’s

“I'm staying here until I get a heart,” he said in a text message to The Associated Press on Wednesday night. Half of his siblings have the same condition — as did his father, who died at 54, when Scot was 16. Photos You Should See View All 15 Images“That was an immediate wake-up call," Pollard said in a recent telephone interview. He was a contestant on the 32nd season of “Survivor,” where he was voted out on Day 27 with eight castaways remaining. “They all agree that more ablations isn’t going to fix this, more medication isn’t going to fix that,” Pollard said.

Persons: Scot, Pollard, “ I'm, ”, —, I’m, ” Pollard, It’s, “, They're, It's Organizations: BOSTON, —, NBA, Boston Celtics, Vanderbilt University Medical, Associated Press, Cleveland Cavaliers, Celtics, “, ”, Ascension, Vincent Hospital, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt Locations: Kansas, Carmel , Indiana

☆ How to reduce — or avoid — airline fees for checked bags
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A checked bag is one stored in a plane's cargo hold during a flight. While that service was free in years past, it's now standard for major airlines to charge for checked bags, experts said. Today, it's about double: $30 to $35 for one checked bag, Nastro said. The carrier allows two free checked bags. Buy a luggage scale, lightweight bagsBuying and using a luggage scale before traveling can help travelers avoid surprise fees at the airport due to exceeding a weight limit on checked bags.

Persons: it's, Katy Nastro, Nastro, Eric Napoli, Daniel Garrido, Emirates —, Aiden Higgins, Higgins, Napoli Organizations: Major U.S, Bureau, Transportation, Finance, Airlines — Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Air, Napoli, Spirit Airlines Locations: Major, U.S, New York, Los Angeles

☆ It’s National Plan for Vacation Day. Here are 4 big ways to save on your next trip
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Travelcouples | Moment | Getty ImagesJan. 30 is National Plan for Vacation Day — and travelers mapping out their next excursion have a few reliable money-saving hacks at their disposal. Avoid peak seasonTraveling during a destination's shoulder or off season — and avoiding its busiest periods — is a surefire way to save big bucks, experts said. "Shifting away from the peak, peak months, even weeks, is key," said Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper, a travel app. June through August are generally among the busiest months for domestic and overseas trips — and that often means higher prices. watch nowFor example, on average, travelers can save 32%, or $112, on round-trip domestic airfare by going during September and October instead of peak summer months, according to Hopper data.

Persons: Hayley Berg, Hopper, Berg, Sally French Organizations: —, Savings, Finance, Google Locations: New Europe, Oceania, Las Vegas, Miami, Cancun

☆ Having too many options can paralyze investors. Here's how you can overcome 'choice overload'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Humans get overwhelmed by too many options, a behavioral finance concept known as "choice overload." How investors encounter choice overloadChristopher Ames | E+ | Getty ImagesIt's not just investing: The choice paradox can extend to things like ice cream flavors and apparel, for example. Given these behavioral biases, retailers and others have evolved, making it less likely consumers will experience choice overload "in the wild" today, said Dan Egan, vice president of behavioral finance and investing at Betterment. Do-it-yourselfers may have about one to two dozen investment options, at most, from which to choose, reducing the choice friction. If you don't give people an easy choice, "it's really hard for them," Blanchett said.

Persons: Philip Chao, Brian Scholl, David Blanchett, Samantha Lamas, Christopher Ames, Sheena Iyengar, Mark Lepper, Dan Egan, Egan, that's, Blanchett Organizations: Sdi, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Investor, Morningstar, Finance Locations: John , Maryland

☆ Don’t let this passport quirk upend your next vacation. It 'trips a lot of people up,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

However, another common passport snafu threatens to upend your trip overseas — and it involves passports that haven't yet expired but are close to doing so. Many countries require that Americans have at least a few months of validity remaining on their U.S. passport in order to travel there, or to secure a visa to that country. Many countries in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions require at least six months of validity for permission to enter. What this means: Gatekeepers like border officials will deny travel if your passport doesn't have a certain amount of validity remaining. The requirement "trips a lot of people up," said Charles Leocha, president and co-founder of Travelers United, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Persons: Charles Leocha Organizations: Finance, State Department, Travelers United Locations: New Europe, Schengen, Asia, Pacific, Hong Kong

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