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☆ American households have seen their purchasing power increase
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Real" earnings measure the net growth in workers' wages after inflation. The trend of growth in annual real earnings has persisted since May 2023, according to BLS data. That marks a reversal from April 2021 to April 2023, when inflation spiked and eclipsed growth in the average worker's paycheck. That month, the average worker saw their pay growth spike to about 6% annually. "This is good news for consumers," since it generally equates to an increase in their well-being over time, he added.

Persons: It's, Chris Tilly, Maximiliano Dvorkin, Louis, Dvorkin Organizations: Getty, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Finance, University of California, Federal Reserve Bank of St, BLS Locations: U.S, Los Angeles

With average credit card interest rates at 21.59% as of February 2024 per the Federal Reserve, carrying any amount of credit card debt can become costly in a hurry. Can a debt consolidation loan actually make debt worse? "Their credit score tanks, which means they can't get another debt consolidation loan or even a credit card," said Dvorkin. Debt consolidation doesn't solve spending issuesFinancial expert Andrea Woroch points out that debt consolidation may be nothing more than a Band-Aid if you don't identify and fix the poor money management habits that got you into debt in the first place. Some debt consolidation loans have additional risksFinally, remember that some types of loans you can use for debt consolidation have a unique set of risks.

Persons: Howard Dvorkin, they're, Andrea Woroch, Kendall Meade, SoFi, Meade, Anne Lester, Lester Organizations: Federal Reserve, Business, Solutions, Asset Management

☆ AI is already impacting influencer marketing, according to the CMO of Billion Dollar Boy. Here's how she thinks brands should approach the new tech.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Generative AI "has an immediate business implication" for the creator economy, according to Becky Owen, the global chief marketing and innovation officer at influencer-marketing firm Billion Dollar Boy. It has a focus on generative AI, but is also experimenting with virtual and augmented reality, as well as virtual influencers. Owen joined Billion Dollar Boy in early 2023 after almost five years at Meta, where she was most recently head of creator innovations and solutions for Europe. Becky Owen is the global chief marketing and innovation officer at Billion Dollar Boy. Billion Dollar Boy has already tested pilot partnerships with three retail brands, including two luxury fashion brands that have launched their first generative-AI-led creator content on Instagram.

Persons: Becky Owen, Owen, Elmo Mistiaen, Jo Ann, Shanikwa Dvorkin, Anastasia Rogozhina Organizations: Heineken, Pepsi, Business, Billion Dollar, Meta, Brands Locations: Amazon, Europe

☆ Average credit card balances top $6,000, a 10-year high, as delinquencies rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Americans now owe $1.08 trillion on their credit cards, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Tuesday. Credit card rates spiked more than 5% with the Federal Reserve's recent string of 11 rate hikes, including four in 2023. As the federal funds rate rose, the prime rate did, as well, and credit card rates followed suit. "Americans are addicted to credit cards, no question," said Howard Dvorkin, a certified public accountant and the chairman of Debt.com. How to tackle costly credit card debt

Persons: TransUnion, Charlie Wise, Wise, Greg McBride, Howard Dvorkin, Debt.com Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of New, New York Fed, TransUnion, Federal, Finance, Bankrate, Debt.com Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, TransUnion

☆ A risk of 'cash stuffing:' You may forgo ‘the easiest money you are ever going to make,’ says analyst
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Daniel Grill | Getty ImagesHow cash stuffing worksAfter gaining popularity on TikTok, more young adults are trying the so-called envelope method, or "cash stuffing," to stay on budget and out of debt. The premise is simple: Spending money is divided up into envelopes representing your monthly expenses, such as groceries and gas. When the cash in one envelope is spent, you're either done spending in that category for that month, or you need to borrow from another envelope. Some downsides of keeping cashStashing cash not only forgoes the protections that come with consumer banking, it may also leave you vulnerable to theft. Vet financial advice from social mediaFor consumers in search of sound financial advice, "there is a tremendous amount of education out there," said Howard Dvorkin, a certified public accountant and the chairman of Debt.com.

Persons: Daniel Grill, Ted Rossman, it's, McBride, we've, Matt Schulz, Schulz, Howard Dvorkin Organizations: FDIC

Jan Dvorkin had raised and nurtured his adopted son in Moscow for seven years until, one day in May, the Russian authorities notified him they were revoking custody. A woman Mr. Dvorkin knew had filed an official complaint, saying that because he was transgender and gay, he was an unfit parent. When Mr. Dvorkin asked the woman why she had reported him, she told him he had brought it on himself, and “that I could have easily avoided it by staying in the closet.”He managed to find another family to take the boy, who is deaf, so that the child would not be sent to an orphanage. Mr. Dvorkin’s experience underscores the increasingly repressive treatment gay and transgender people are subjected to across Russia — a hardship that seems certain to grow as the government leverages the war in Ukraine as justification for greater restrictions on L.G.B.T.Q.

Persons: Jan Dvorkin, Dvorkin Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine

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