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☆ Pakistan: Temperatures cross 125°F as heat wave hits Sindh
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Temperatures rose above 52 degrees Celsius (125.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh, the highest reading of the summer and close to the country’s record high amid an ongoing heat wave, the met office said on Monday. Extreme temperatures throughout Asia over the past month were made worse most likely as a result of human-driven climate change, a team of international scientists have said. The reading is the highest of the summer so far, and approached the town’s and country’s record highs of 53.5 C (128.3 F) and 54 C (129.2 F) respectively. But with the current heat wave, shops are seeing almost no footfall. The highest temperature recorded in Pakistan was in 2017 when temperatures rose to 54 C (129.2 F) in the city of Turbat, located in the Southwestern province of Balochistan.

Persons: Daro, Shahid Abbas, Rizwan Tabassum, ” Wajid Ali, ”, Abdul Khaliq, Khaliq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Khursheed Alam, Sardar Sarfaraz Organizations: CNN, Pakistan Meteorological Department, Reuters, Getty Locations: Pakistan’s, Sindh, Asia, Karachi, AFP, “, Pakistan, Turbat, Southwestern, Balochistan, Mohenjo Daro, Karachi — Pakistan’s

☆ The number of Americans who say they're 'doing OK financially' drops to 4-year low—here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The worst of inflation might be in the rear-view mirror, but the share of Americans who say they're "doing OK financially" has hit a four-year low. Among all U.S. adults, 72% say they were "doing OK" in 2023 — the lowest percentage since April 2020, according to an annual Federal Reserve survey released Tuesday. The sentiment has been trending down since 2021, when it was 78%. Notably, the share of parents with kids who say they are doing OK dropped from 69% in 2022 to 64% in 2023. A lot of that has to do with inflation, as 35% of the 11,400 survey respondents say rising prices were the "main financial challenge" in 2023, the highest of all self-reported answers, including retirement savings and debt.

Organizations: Federal Reserve

☆ This investment account offers 'rare triple-tax benefits' that are easily overlooked—and you can contribute even more next year
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Health savings accounts are vastly underused as a retirement investment tool by people who have them, even though thousands of dollars can be invested every year. Crucially, HSA funds aren't strictly limited to medical expenses, since they can be withdrawn for any reason after age 65 without triggering a 20% penalty on non-medical expenses. In effect, HSAs are potent retirement investment accounts, too. But despite the benefits, only about 13% of people invest the funds in their HSAs, according to recent data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Here's a look at how HSAs work and why you might want to invest the funds in that account.

Persons: Ben Smith Organizations: IRS, Research Institute Locations: Milwaukee

☆ A millennial moved from Australia to Canada for her career. She said the people in Vancouver are welcoming, but the cost of living is high.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementPros and cons of living in VancouverBain noted to BI several personal advantages to living in Vancouver, including the people who she has found can be welcoming and generous. After living in Australia and given her work as a destination makeup artist, Bain said another pro is the proximity from Vancouver to other places. Advertisement"I felt like I really wanted to experience more of the world," she said. She also found that wedding work in Canada is more seasonal than in Australia due to the snowy winters. Bain is happy living in Canada and the positives that come with being there.

Persons: —, Kellsie Bain, Bain, Vancouver Bain, I've, she's, aren't, York isn't, it's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Sydney, New York City, New York, Canada, Vancouver, Australia, York, States

☆ The evolutionary twist that could have helped dinosaurs rule Earth
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New research this week is adding fresh detail to one of paleontology’s biggest questions: Did dinosaur blood run hot or cold? Clues from fossilized eggshells and bones have now suggested that some dinosaurs were warm-blooded and others were not. Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild/Getty ImagesMarine scientists have used artificial intelligence to decode previously unknown complexity in the calls of sperm whales. The whales produced a catalog of clicking sounds, which the researchers described as akin to a “phonetic alphabet” for sperm whales. What sperm whales are saying with their clicks remains a mystery to human ears, but understanding the scope of their vocal exchanges is an important step toward linking their calls with specific behavior.

Persons: Dinos, Davide Bonadonna, Jeff Lichtman, Reinhard Dirscherl, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Vigo, UCL, Google Research, Lichtman, Harvard University, Google, Harvard, Northern, Central America, Getty Images Marine, —, Heritage, CNN Space, Science Locations: Universidade, North America, Scandinavia, Europe, Central, India, Dover, England

☆ Why mortgages and credit card rates could stay high through 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

If you were holding out for lower interest rates on credits cards or mortgages, expect to only see modest relief for the remainder of the year and much of 2025. That's because the Federal Reserve is keeping its benchmark interest rate steady to discourage borrowing, which it will do until there's more evidence that inflation is under control. While the annual inflation rate has fallen from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022, it's been hovering closer to 3% for the past 10 months. The year-over-year inflation rate is now 3.4% — down slightly from 3.5% in March. For that reason, the central bank is expected to keep interest rates relatively high well into 2025.

Persons: it's, That's, there's Organizations: Federal Reserve

☆ Homes are more expensive than ever—here's how much prices have skyrocketed since 1965
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If homes seem more expensive than ever, it's because they are — even after adjusting for inflation. U.S. homebuyers are spending more than double to buy a home now than they were in 1965, when the median home price was $20,200, according to U.S. Census data. In 2024 dollars, that works out to roughly $202,215, which is less than half of the $420,800 that a home costs today, per U.S. Census data. With homes selling for a median price of $20,200, a median earner would spend just under three times their income on a home. In 2024, the median annual household income is estimated to be $78,171, according to data consulting firm Motio Research.

Persons: homebuyers Organizations: Motio Research, National Association of Realtors, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ 24-year-old earns $50,000 a year living in a town of 121—how she spends her time and money
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Madi Lee says she lives comfortably in Medora earning $50,000 per year working at the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. Take Madi Lee, 24, who graduated in 2022 and found herself working in Medora, North Dakota — popoulation: 121. Medora is a tourist town near Theodore Roosevelt National Park where the busy season brings in thousands of visitors. Madi Lee, 24, moved to Medora, North Dakota, which has a year-round population of 121 people. Courtesy of Madi Lee

Persons: Madi Lee, Theodore Roosevelt Medora, Theodore Roosevelt, Lee, I'm, Roth, Medora, she's, she'll Organizations: Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation . New, D.C, Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, Ford Bronco, University of Minnesota Duluth Locations: Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation . New York City, Washington, Salt Lake City, Medora , North Dakota, Theodore, Madi Lee, Medora, Dickinson, North Dakota, it's, Roseau , Minnesota, Madi

☆ 10 U.S. cities where home prices increased the most this year—4 are in Illinois
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Home prices are on the rise again after declining for the second half of 2023, with 93% of all major metro areas posting gains so far in 2024, a National Association of Realtors report reveals. Roughly one-third of the 223 major metro markets NAR examined had a double-digit price increase in the first three months of 2024. The surge in prices is largely due to pent-up demand for homes, says Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. "In the current market, rising prices are the direct result of insufficient housing supply not meeting the full demand," Yun says. Here are the 10 metro areas where home prices have increased the most so far in 2024.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, NAR Locations: U.S

☆ 54% of young Americans say food costs are the biggest strain on their finances
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Younger Americans are feeling the pinch from inflation, with 54% saying that rising food costs have hit them the hardest. The findings are part of a recent CNBC/Generation Lab survey that polled 1,033 people between the ages of 18 and 34. When asked where in their budget inflation affected them the most, respondents choose food by a significant margin:Food: 54%54% Rent: 22%22% Discretionary spending: 10%10% Health care: 6%6% Utilities: 5%Overall inflation has cooled off since its 9.1% year-over-year peak in June 2022, but it continues to rise at a 3.5% year-over-year pace as of March, according to the most recent data available from the consumer price index, which tracks the price of goods and services over time. Higher borrowing costs are another factor leading to younger people feeling strained, as the average credit card balance for Gen Z and millennials increased 62% and 50%, respectively, between March 2022 and February 2024, according to a recent Intuit Credit Karma survey.

Organizations: CNBC, Intuit, Karma

☆ I've saved thousands and traveled to dozens of countries using a home-swapping website
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The website helps facilitate accommodation exchanges between 150,000 users in 145 countries. Then HomeExchange sent me an offer, and I said to my husband, "Shall we give it a go?" The way it works is you subscribe to the website, make a profile, and list your home. We've stayed in places in Australia that are totally off the grid in conservation areas that don't have electricity. I think we've saved well over £100,000 using HomeExchange.

Persons: Julie Williams, HomeExchange, We've, That's, we've, John, I've, Martin, Mia, Monkey Mia, I'm Organizations: Service, NASA Locations: Devon, England, HomeExchange, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Caribbean, St, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Tasmania, Singapore, Nevis, Cook, Bali, Hong Kong, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Western Australia

☆ Pete McCloskey, Republican Who Tried to Unseat Nixon, Is Dead at 96
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Robert D. Mcfadden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Pete McCloskey, a California congressman who raised a flag of rebellion against President Richard M. Nixon’s war policies in Vietnam with a spirited but futile race for the Republican presidential nomination in 1972, died on Wednesday at his home in Winters, Calif., west of Sacramento. His death was announced in a statement released on Wednesday by a family spokesman, Lee Houskeeper. Mr. McCloskey, who represented an area south of San Francisco for 15 years, from late 1967 to early 1983, was a liberal Republican who admired President John F. Kennedy, voted for environmental causes with Democrats and believed that the Republican Party had veered too far to the right. He had no money, party support or realistic prospects. Tens of thousands of Vietnamese and Americans were dying in a war that could not be won, he argued.

Persons: Pete McCloskey, Richard M, Lee Houskeeper, Mr, McCloskey, John F, Kennedy, Nixon, Shirley Temple Black Organizations: Republican, Republican Party Locations: California, Vietnam, Winters, Calif, Sacramento, San Francisco

☆ How to win 'The Price is Right'—don't make this 'egregious' mistake, says Yale-trained game theory expert
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It's easy to get sucked into watching "The Price is Right," the beloved TV game show where contestants win cash and prizes by guessing the price of merchandise. An investment analyst by trade, Bergner specialized in game theory at Yale University and has been a lifelong fan of TV show. Three contestants spin the wheel up to two times, aiming to be the closest to $1 without going over. Do one of these two things if you're the last bidder on Contestants' RowAs indicated above, if you're the last bidder on Contestants' Row, you're doing better already. Bid on the first showcase in the Showcase ShowdownAt the end of the show, two contestants face off in the Showcase Showdown.

Persons: Drew Carey, Justin L, Bergner, It's Organizations: Yale University

☆ 28-year-old with net worth over $500,000: 5 money mistakes to avoid in that 'weird time after college'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Not using a high-yield savings accountHigh-yield savings accounts are a no-brainer for Allocca, who says that there's "no advantage to a traditional savings account." High-yield savings accounts are typically offered by online banks or credit unions, and usually come with higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts offered by big banks. Currently, you can find high-yield savings rates over 5%, compared with the 0.58% average for savings accounts as a whole. One trade-off is that smaller banks or credit unions might take longer to process a withdrawal from a high-yield savings account. "I like to call high-yield savings accounts 'inconvenient savings,' because they are still accessible, but totally separate and disconnected from your checking account," she says.

Persons: Michela Allocca, —, Allocca Organizations: CNBC

☆ I grew up in Athens. Here are 8 things I wish tourists would stop doing when they come here.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Konstantina Pyrnokoki | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewI was born and raised in Athens, so I've seen a lot of tourists. Here are things I wish people would stop doing when they visit Athens. AdvertisementIf you insist on riding the bus, ask someone at the stop when your specific bus passed last. When in doubt, ask a local for the best restaurants in Athens rather than blindly following travel guides. AdvertisementCrosswalks are rarely seen by Greek drivers as a sign to stop, so crossing one whenever you want is unwise.

Persons: —, I've, SHansche, you've, zucchini, SEN LI, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Acropolis Locations: Athens, Delta, Greece, cafés

☆ How to save for retirement if your company doesn't offer a 401(k)
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Even if your employer doesn't offer a 401(k) plan, it shouldn't stop you from getting the most out of your retirement savings. You have other tax-advantaged options available to save for the future, including individual retirement accounts, Roth IRAs or health savings accounts — all of which can help your money grow. However, only about 11% of Americans max out their 401(k) contributions. If you don't have an employer retirement plan like a 401(k), all of those contributions are tax deductible. And unlike traditional IRAs, you don't have to take minimum distributions at any point.

Persons: Roth, Justin Rucci, Roth IRAs Roth, Alyson Basso Locations: Newport Beach , California, Middleton , Massachusetts

☆ Fresh customer-fraud allegations against Globe Life
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Susan Antilla | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewThe embattled insurer Globe Life and its subsidiary American Income Life face new allegations of fraud, kickbacks, and misclassifying its army of sales agents. Neither Globe, AIL, or any affiliated agencies have requested a correction on BI's series, which has been cited in all three short-seller reports. Spokespeople for Globe, AIL, and Arias did not respond to inquiries about the Viceroy report. Viceroy today published excerpts from a civil complaint alleging that Globe Life required recruits to purchase the course from Xcel for $149, $119 of which was kicked back to Globe Life, AIL, and agency executives, an allegation Globe has denied. "As you might expect, these sales tactics do not engender long-term retention of policies," the Viceroy report states.

Persons: —, AIL, Fraser Perring, Nate Koppikar, Panda, Arias, Erica Robertson, Robertson, Amy Williamson, Renee Zinsky, Fuzzy Panda, Jamie Winters, Winters, Viceroy, AIL's, Antonio – Organizations: Service, Viceroy Research, Globe, Business, Research, Orso Partners, Insurance Department, Pennsylvania, Arias Organization, Social, Organization, AIL, BI, Department, Xcel, Liberty National Life, Ohio Department of Insurance Locations: Texas, London, Globe, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Arias's Wexford, California, Xcel, Ohio, Antonio

☆ I'm a 24-year-old who lives in Medora, North Dakota, which has a population of less than 150 people. We don't have a grocery store in town but we do have the Northern Lights.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Madi Lee is a 24-year-old who moved to the tiny town of Medora, North Dakota, after college. The year-round population of Medora is less than 150 but the town explodes with tourists in summer. Medora, North Dakota, has always been one of my favorite places. It's a unique place, located in the North Dakota Badlands at the entrance of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Madi Lee loves working the Medora Musical in the summer and enjoys the remote nature of North Dakota in the winter.

Persons: Madi Lee, Lee, —, Theodore Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, It's, Dickinson, it's, We've Organizations: Service, Dakota Badlands, University of Minnesota, Theodore Roosevelt Foundation Locations: Medora , North Dakota, Medora, , North Dakota, University of Minnesota Duluth, North Dakota, Madi, Northern Minnesota

☆ 4 people who relocated and regretted it share the biggest mistake they made and what they learned
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Another said they regretted underestimating the importance of living near their friends and family. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Business Insider spoke with four people who shared their biggest regret and what they learned from it. After two years in Colorado, Michiels and his family moved again — this time to Spain in 2023. The couple loved living in Denver and decided to buy their first house there after a year, but they were priced out of the city.

Persons: —, Amanda Loudin, Loudin, she'd, Wendy Wang, Wang, Eric Michiels, Michiels, he'd, Jackie Branholm, Branholm Organizations: Service, Denver Locations: Maryland, Boulder , Colorado, Boulder, Pennsylvania, Silicon Valley , California, California, Silicon Valley, Atlanta, Denver, Colorado, Spain, New York City, New York

☆ Living on $37K a year playing Dungeons & Dragons in Salt Lake City
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Mike Winters | Raffi Paul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.

Organizations: CNBC

People are surprised to learn that Mari Murdock, 36, is a professional game master, a role in which she organizes and narrates tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons. Dungeons & Dragons is an open-ended tabletop game in which the narrative is shaped by the players' choices, whether that's through combat, puzzles or negotiation. But as Murdock played tabletop games through the 2010s, she grew more confident in the skills it takes to run a good game. The timing was fortuitous, as tabletop gaming became more popular during the pandemic. For Murdock, gaming allows you to immerse yourself in "a pretend situation where you are imagining that you are someone else.

Persons: Mari Murdock, Graham Merwin, Murdock, — it's, Scott, Murdock's, Mari, she'd, Dax Levine, —, Levine, Max, we've, it's Organizations: CNBC, Westminster University, Brigham Young University, Hawaii, BYU, Dragons, Guinness World Records, &, PayPal, Hulu, Spotify, Amazon Prime, Max Insurance, Relief Society Locations: Utah, Salt Lake City, Michigan, Hawaii, Japan, Scott, Provo , Utah

☆ N.F.L. Draft Is Like Super Bowl for City of Detroit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Ken Belson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

took its college draft on the road a decade ago, its first stops were Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas, three of the league’s biggest markets. Unlike the N.F.L.’s marquee event, the Super Bowl, the draft does not require extensive public subsidies, hotels and security. in recent years to award the draft to Cleveland, Kansas City, Mo., and other cities that have never, and may never, host a Super Bowl. Detroit hosted the Super Bowl in 2006, as a reward to the Lions for moving into a new stadium. They also hope the three days of exposure on television showcases the city to fans who might not otherwise visit.

Organizations: Detroit, Lions Locations: Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Manhattan, Cleveland , Kansas City, Mo, Detroit

☆ PR firms are running execs' LinkedIn profiles — and turning ghostwriting into big business
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Marta Biino | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Executives looking to boost their own profiles have for years paid freelancers to ghostwrite their LinkedIn posts. Now big PR firms are getting into the game, and LinkedIn profile management is going mainstream. Business Insider spoke to 14 PR firms that said more companies are asking for LinkedIn writing and strategy services for their leaders. Zappa said he does not offer specific rates for LinkedIn posts and instead includes LinkedIn in broader content contracts. However, he estimated that PR firms solely focused on LinkedIn ghostwriting could charge companies $5,000 a month for three to five LinkedIn posts.

Persons: Erin Ledbetter, Weber Shandwick, Ogilvy, Contessa Kellogg, Winters, resharing, There's, Lana McGilvray, Katie Burcham Glasshoff, execs, Chris Harihar, Dan Allocca, Joe Zappa, Zappa, Nicola Dodd, Laura Franklin, Franklin, Kim Metcalfe, Zeno Group's, —, upend ghostwriting, William Dobinson, Farrer Kane, Greg Swan, Lewis Goldberg, Claude Organizations: Business, Zeno, LinkedIn, Weber, Purpose, The Washington Post, BCW, Crenshaw Communications, Sharp Pen Media, Ogilvy UK, ghostwriting, London, Finn Partners, KCSA Strategic Communications Locations: Ketchum, gatekeepers, Midwest

☆ I'm a Finnish CEO. Here's what it's like running a company in the happiest country on earth.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Pooja Shah | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Samu Hällfors, the CEO of Framery in Helsinki. AdvertisementAs the CEO of a company in the world's happiest country, I mirrored my company's values and policies with many of the Finnish cultural aspects I admire. Mutual responsibility makes people feel safeThere are multiple parallels between Finnish society and how we've built culture at Framery, starting with psychological safety. Finnish culture is deeply rooted in forward-thinking and preparation, stemming from their historical need to brace for harsh, protracted winters. Teams can decide when they want to come into the office and how they plan to execute their work.

Persons: —, Samu Hällfors, Framery Organizations: Service, Framery, Logia Software Oy, Business Locations: Helsinki, Framery, Finland

☆ David H. Pryor, Arkansas Senator and Clinton Ally, Dies at 88
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Robert D. Mcfadden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

David H. Pryor, a liberal Democrat who won two terms as governor of Arkansas and three in the United States Senate, and who paved the way for the political rise of his young ally Bill Clinton in an era of changing racial attitudes in the South, died on Saturday at his home in Little Rock. His death was announced by his son Mark, himself a former two-term United States senator. Mr. Pryor was eight years older than Mr. Clinton, and they didn’t know each other well until they became accomplished politicians. They both grew up in segregated small towns in Arkansas, raised by families of modest means and liberal outlook, who resisted pressures to scorn their Black neighbors. Mr. Clinton’s maternal grandparents, who raised him, ran a small grocery store and during the harsh winters sold goods on credit to people of all races.

Persons: David H, Pryor, Bill Clinton, Mark, Clinton, Pryor’s, Clinton’s Organizations: Democrat, United States Senate, United Locations: Arkansas, Little Rock, United States, British Guiana

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