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☆ Mortgage refinance boom takes hold, as weekly demand surges 20%
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A steady decline in mortgage rates to two-year lows has current homeowners rushing to take advantage of potential savings. Applications to refinance a home loan surged 20% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. "As a result of lower rates, week-over-week gains for both conventional and government refinance applications increased sharply." Mortgage applications to purchase a home rose just 1% for the week and were 2% higher than the same week one year ago. Mortgage rates haven't moved much to start this week, and will likely wait for more pressing economic data later this week and at the start of October.

Persons: Joel Kan, Kan Organizations: Mortgage Locations: San Rafael , California

☆ A boomer said he's struggling to survive on Social Security after retiring early to care full-time for his wife
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

As Americans increasingly rely on Social Security and other retirement income to get by, high medical expenses could throw years of retirement planning out of balance. AdvertisementRetiring early to be his wife's caretakerPapalia had a goal to retire in 2015 at age 65 so he could receive Social Security benefits and have enough saved that money wouldn't be a huge issue. However, in 2010, he retired to care for his wife full-time, taking a buyout from his company that lasted until 2014. Marie's medical care was expensive, and they also cared for two dogs, both of whom had costly medical issues. Scraping by and making sacrificesPapalia receives $2,132 a month in Social Security before taxes and insurance and $1,900 from his pension, while Marie gets $1,113 a month from Social Security.

Persons: —, Robert Papalia, Marie, They're, Papalia, they're, wouldn't, She's, they've, We're, it's, he's Organizations: Service, Business, BI, Social Security, Social, Security Locations: Burlington , New Jersey, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

☆ I depend on a 'paid village' to look after my kids. I can't ask the grandparents for help because they work full-time.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Lauren Crosmedlicott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Her parents work full-time and can't help out with childcare. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . I know some parents have villages made up of family members, namely grandparents, who can help with full-time childcare. We've never expected or asked them to make a regular habit of being caretakers for our kids while we work.

Persons: Jennifer Biggs, —, We've, It's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: North Carolina

☆ China needs more than rate cuts to boost economic growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's slowing economy needs more than interest rate cuts to boost growth, analysts said. He expects Beijing will likely ramp up fiscal stimulus due to weak growth, despite reluctance so far. "The market is forming a medium to long-term expectation on the U.S. growth rate, the inflation rate. As for Chinese government bonds, Ding said the firm has a "neutral" view and expects the Chinese yields to remain relatively low. He pointed out that monetary easing still requires fiscal stimulus "to achieve the effect of expanding credit and transmitting money to the real economy."

Persons: Larry Hu, That's, Edmund Goh, Yifei Ding, Ding, CF40, Pan Gongsheng, Haizhong Chang, Chang Organizations: China Resources, Getty, BEIJING, People's Bank of China, Macquarie, U.S, of Finance, PBOC, Ministry of Finance, Fitch Locations: China, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, abrdn, Beijing, U.S, Invesco

☆ I put Trader Joe's $9 gel-moisturizer dupe to the test. I'm never spending $60 on Clinique again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Clinique's moisturizer looked and felt very sheer. I bought a smaller jar to test out Clinique's moisturizer since it was so expensive. Jen GlantzSince the 2.5-ounce jar of Clinique's moisturizer was on the pricey side, and I wasn't sure I'd like it, I purchased a smaller 0.05-ounce container for $17. But the label says the product is fragrance-free and the odor wasn't noticeable after about 30 minutes. My skin felt more matte than wet, which is what I'd prefer.

Persons: Clinique's moisturizer, Jen Glantz, moisturizer

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: KB Home, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, General Motors and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Sean Conlon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rithm Capital – The real estate investing stock more than 4% after announcing a secondary offering of 30 million shares. Hewlett Packard Enterprise – The technology stock added almost 3% on the back of a Barclays upgrade to overweight from equal weight. General Motors , Ford Motor – The auto stocks fell following downgrades from Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas due to rising China competition and a weakening U.S. consumer. The analyst downgraded Ford Motor to equal weight from overweight, while General Motors was lowered to underweight from equal weight. Shares of General Motors and Ford fell roughly 3% and 2%, respectively.

Persons: FactSet, Bilibili –, Rithm, Hewlett Packard, Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas, —, Alex Harring, Sarah Min, Lisa Kailai Han Organizations: JPMorgan, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Barclays, Hewlett, Worthington Enterprises, General Motors, Ford, Ford Motor, General Locations: China's, U.S, China

☆ Bond Report: 5-year auction well received
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | 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 EmailBond Report: 5-year auction well receivedCNBC's Rick Santelli joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the latest news on the bond market.

Persons: Rick Santelli

☆ UAE eyes ‘different architecture’ for a Middle East embroiled in conflict as it strengthens ties with the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The UAE president’s visit to the US “was mostly and almost exclusively about the future,” Gargash said. One of the US’ closest allies in the Middle East and a major recipient of US arms, it hosts 5,000 US military personnel. Wary of being deprived of US technology, the UAE has since abandoned closer cooperation with China in the field of AI and semiconductors in favor of the US. Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi’s state-backed technology firm G42 announced it had agreed not to engage with Chinese companies for advanced technology. He said the two pillars of the UAE’s policy are stability and prosperity.

Persons: Biden, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, –, ” Biden, ” Sheikh Mohammed, ” Anwar Gargash, CNN’s Becky Anderson, ” Gargash, Abu, Donald Trump, Abu Dhabi’s, ”, Sheikh Mohamed, Gargash, Abu Dhabi Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, United, White, National, USA, UAE, Abu Dhabi, US Air Force, CNN, Biden, Huawei Technologies, Financial Times, NVIDIA, Blackrock, Microsoft, MGX Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Gaza, Lebanon, UAE, trailblazers, United States, Israel, China, Washington, Abu

Connexus Personal Loan OverviewYou can use a Connexus personal loan to consolidate credit card debt, cover unexpected expenses, make home repairs, and more. Compare Personal Loan RatesConnexus Personal Loan Rates and TermsLoan Amounts and TermsConnexus offers personal loans with amounts ranging between $1,000 and $50,000, and loan terms starting at 24 months and going up to 84 months. Connexus Personal Loan AlternativesConnexus Credit Union Personal Loan vs. Navy Federal Credit Union Personal LoanNavy Federal has more stringent membership requirements than Connexus, as you're only eligible if you are active military member or a veteran, as well as an employee or retiree of the Department of Defense. Navy Federal Personal Loan ReviewConnexus Credit Union Personal Loan vs. PenFed Credit Union Personal LoanConnexus's personal loans also have higher minimum and maximum amounts than personal loans from PenFed. Connexus Personal Loan FAQsWhat credit score do I need for a Connexus personal loan?

Persons: You'll, Fiona, Insider’s, Connexus, PenFed, you've, doesn't, Ryan Wangman, Read, Elias Shaya, Elias, Potters Rebecca Potters, Rebecca Organizations: Credit, Connexus, Digital Banking, BBB, Nationwide, Connexus Credit Union, Federal, Social, . Navy Federal Credit, Loan Navy Federal, Department of Defense, Navy Federal Credit Union, Navy, PenFed, Connexus Association, Credit Union, Better, Bureau, Chevron, Finance, Northwestern University, Boston Globe, Business, Banking Savings, McGill University Locations: Chevron, New York City

☆ 1 in 3 children worldwide is now nearsighted, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Nearsightedness, or myopia, refers to when closer objects are clear, but distant objects are blurry. Nearsightedness is expected to keep rising among children and adolescents. This could be due in part to the fact that East Asian children start formal education at the age of 2 or 3, earlier than kids in other regions, the researchers say. Progression of nearsightedness in children can be slowed by taking breaks and avoiding hour after hour on the phone or computer, he wrote. Limiting up-close reading time outside of school — screen time or otherwise — may help slow the progression of nearsightedness in children, he added.

Persons: Sun, Dibyangshu Sarkar, “, Dr, Benjamin Botsford, ”, Botsford Organizations: CNN, British, Ophthalmology, University, UMass Chan Medical Locations: Guangzhou, China, AFP, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, nearsighted, South Korea

☆ A US ally in the Pacific says it wants to keep a new American missile system that China got all 'dramatic' about 'forever'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA top Philippine general wants a new US missile system to remain in the country "forever" to boost its defenses and deterrence capabilities. The American weapon, the Mid-Range Capability missile system, has drawn China's ire. The MRC, also known as Typhon, is the US Army's new ground-based missile system capable of firing both the Standard Missile 6 and Tomahawk Land Attack missile. The Typhon system fills a gap in the US arsenal, offering a particularly versatile new land-based intermediate-range missile option as US rivals develop and field similar capabilities. Its ongoing deployment has angered China, which has repeatedly demanded the missile system be removed and accused the US of fueling an arms race.

Persons: —, Romeo Brawner Jr, he'd, Taylor, Enrique Manalo, Wang Yi, Manalo, Christine Wormuth Organizations: Service, MRC, Business, Armed Forces, Nuclear Forces Treaty, U.S . Navy, Associated Press, US, Association of Southeast, Nations, US Army, Force Locations: Philippine, Beijing, Philippines, China, Pacific, U.S, Washington, Manila, Laos, Japan

☆ Alex Jones’ conspiracy theory empire Infowars will be sold for parts to help pay Sandy Hook families
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Anyone can place a bid for Infowars, including its dubious dietary supplement store, and use the property for any reason. Nothing would prevent him from continuing to broadcast under a new owner, although he would still need to pay off the debt he owes the Sandy Hook families with any earnings he may receive. There’s also nothing stopping Jones from continuing to speak about the Sandy Hook massacre or the families. The only way Jones would be prevented from speaking about Sandy Hook entirely is through a separate settlement with the families. But even if all of Jones’ personal intellectual property is sold off along with Infowars, it’s unlikely to make more than a small dent in the amount he owes the Sandy Hook families.

Persons: Alex Jones ’, Jones, Sandy, Christopher Mattei, Sandy Hook, Alex Jones, ” Mattei, There’s, “, ” Jones, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Free Speech Systems, Elementary, ThreeSixty, Systems, Infowars Locations: New York, Texas, Connecticut, Sandy

☆ It's not a great fall housing market, but this is 'as good as it gets,' economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

While housing affordability remains a challenge for many buyers in the U.S., conditions are somewhat improving due to lower mortgage rates. Buyers need to earn $115,000 to afford the typical home in the U.S., according to a new report by Redfin, an online real estate brokerage firm. Both declines stem from lower mortgage rates, said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. "The only reason mortgage payments are down is because of the rate effect," Fairweather said. While housing overall continues to be unaffordable for most buyers, "this is as good as it gets," said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow, as the market is generally seeing lower mortgage rates, more inventory and low buyer competition.

Persons: Redfin, Daryl Fairweather, Freddie Mac, Fairweather, Orphe Divounguy Organizations: Finance, Federal Reserve, Vanguard Locations: U.S

Although he increased his price target to $150 from $130, the new price target is just around $2 higher from Tuesday's close price. — Fred Imbert 6:46 a.m.: Citi raises Roblox price target Citi is bullish on Roblox's long-term prospects in spite of some near-term rockiness. — Hakyung Kim 5:42 a.m.: Piper Sandler raises price target on Tesla Piper Sandler thinks Tesla may sell more vehicles than the firm previously expected. With this in mind, he raised his price target on Tesla shares to $310 from $300, signaling about 22% upside from Wednesday's close. TSLA YTD mountain TSLA year to date — Hakyung Kim 5:42 a.m.: Barclays upgrades Hewlett Packard Enterprise Rising demand for artificial intelligence servers will boost Hewlett Packard Enterprise shares, according to Barclays.

Persons: Piper Sandler, TD Cowen downgrades Expedia TD Cowen, Kevin Kopelman, Kopelman, EXPE, — Hakyung Kim, Morgan Stanley, Ford Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas, Jonas, Ford, Fred Imbert, Jason Bazinet, we're, Bazinet, Roblox, Alex Straton, Straton, JPMorgan, Rodolfo Angele, Angele, Tesla Piper Sandler, Tesla, Alexander Potter, Potter, Hakyung Kim, Tim Long, HPE, Long Organizations: CNBC, Barclays, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, U.S, Ford Motor, GM, Citi, Nike, JPMorgan, Petrobras, Tesla, Hewlett, Enterprise, Juniper Networks Locations: China, U.S, Tuesday's, XLK

☆ 49% of workers think they can meet their retirement goals — 35% say they will need over $1 million to retire comfortably
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Overall, 35% of Americans believe they will need more than $1 million to retire and live comfortably, according to a new report by Bankrate.com. Older generations closer to retirement age are more likely to regret not saving for retirement early enough, the CNBC survey found. More than any other money misstep, not saving for retirement early enough is the biggest financial regret for 22% of Americans, according to another recent report by Bankrate. The retirement savings gapOther reports show that a retirement savings shortfall is weighing heavily on Americans, especially as they approach retirement age. "They are focused on their health and financial well-being, but many are at risk of not achieving a financially secure retirement."

Persons: Bankrate, Gen Xers, Zers, Jacqueline Reeves, you'll, Reeves, they're, Catherine Collinson Organizations: Fidelity Investments, Bankrate.com, CNBC, Bryn Mawr Capital Management, Pew, American, Transamerica Center, Retirement Studies, Transamerica Institute Locations: U.S, Bryn Mawr

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Flutter Entertainment, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading: Flutter Entertainment — The sports betting stock rose more than 6% after the FanDuel parent announced a share buyback program of up to $5 billion. Hewlett Packard Enterprise — The tech stock jumped more than 5% after Barclays upgraded the firm to overweight from equal weight. KB Home reported $2.04 in earnings per share, or 2 cents short of consensus estimates, according to analysts surveyed by LSEG. Analysts had expected $1.14 in earnings per share on revenue of $176.2 million, according to FactSet. The workplace uniform company sees revenue of $10.22 billion to $10.32 billion for fiscal 2025, compared to its prior guidance of $10.16 billion to $10.31 billion.

Persons: HPE, Morgan Stanley downgrades, Adam Jonas, Ford, Bilibili, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Cintas, — CNBC's Sean Conlon, Yun Li, Alex Harring, Hakyung Kim, Lisa Han, Pia Singh Organizations: Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Barclays, Juniper Networks, General Motors, Ford —, JPMorgan, . Bank of America, LSEG, Trump Media & Technology Locations: Bilibili —

☆ Why Trump is polling better in Georgia than North Carolina: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Why Trump is polling better in Georgia than North CarolinaBy Steve KornackiThe latest round of New York Times/Siena College state polls is a continuation of what has become a pattern: Donald Trump seems to be faring slightly better in Georgia than in North Carolina. And Trump is up by 2 points in North Carolina, where he prevailed by 1.3 points four years ago. And yet — at least in polling — it’s Georgia, not North Carolina, where Trump seems better positioned. According to exit polling, Trump won the noncollege white vote in each state by roughly the same margin in 2020: 59 points in Georgia and 57 points in North Carolina. It’s a smaller lead among a slightly smaller share of the electorate than Harris has over those early voters.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Ben Kamisar, Steve Kornacki, Donald Trump, Trump, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Mark Robinson, we’re, Harris, ”, Bill McInturff, Republican pollster, Jeff Horwitt, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Trump, New York Times, Siena College, Times, Peach, GOP, Democratic, it’s, Republicans, Republican, Hart Research Associates, Wall Locations: Georgia, North Carolina, Siena, Democratic Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, it’s Georgia, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, —

But it’s something politicians have struggled with achieving on their own — particularly amid an election cycle in which many young voters find themselves jaded with politics as a whole. Overall, young voters are not very optimistic right now, according to NBC News’ Stay Tuned Gen Z poll of over 2,600 voters under 30 in September. Still, Piker’s success as a streamer has been admired by fellow political creators, especially those who are chasing similar progressive audiences. Hasan Piker answering questions and debriefing on daily politics for his Twitch stream on Aug. 14. In recent years, Piker said he’s noticed the online political landscape change.

Persons: Hasan, Piker, Ilhan, —, you’re, ” Piker, ”, Cenk Uygar, Twitch, Austin MacNamara, “ He’s, he’s, ” Sean Wiggs, Hasan Piker, Brock Stoneham, I’ve, Wiggs, “ Hasan, Joe Biden, “, Andrew Tate, influencers, Donald Trump, YouTuber Logan Paul, Tana Mongeau, Kamala Harris, Harris, Tim Walz, he’s “, ” He’s, Alexandria Ocasio, Ro Khanna, I’m, Chappell Roan Organizations: YouTube, NBC, Pew, Turks, Republican, Democratic, Trump, Democratic Party, Democratic National Convention, DNC, Republican National Convention, Minnesota Gov Locations: Los Angeles, Gaza, Arizona, Chicago, Milwaukee, ”, Alexandria, Cortez

Political organizations supporting Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are touting both campaigns' messages of “freedom” as they woo Latinas, a key voting bloc. Against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Trump won just 28% of Hispanic women voters compared to Clinton’s 67%, according to Pew. Also, at least 13 states saw increases in Latina voter registrations when Biden left the race and endorsed Harris, according to TargetSmart CEO Tom Bonier. Republican Mercedes Schlapp, one of the “Latinas for Freedom” organizers, said the issue of abortion is one for states to decide. The group is defining freedom for Latinas as freedom from economic policies they say are "socialist."

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Latinas, Harris, they’ve, Hillary Clinton, Trump, Joe Biden’s, Pew, Stephanie Valencia, Equis, Biden, Tom Bonier, Mercedes Schlapp, Walz, It’s, ”, Ingrid Pino Duran, —, Nydia Velázquez, Kamala, Zoom, Wade, Duran, “, ” Harris, Schlapp Organizations: Pew Research Center, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Trump, GOP, Conservative, Pew, Equis Research, Democratic, News, Latinas, Freedom, NBC, Associated Press, PODER PAC, Rep, Republicans, Latino Entrepreneurship, Stanford, Conservative Political, Conference, Trump White House Locations: Latina, Texas, Florida, it’s

Lester Holt of NBC News talks with family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Siegel, 63, recalled some of the conditions inside the vast network of tunnels underneath the Gaza Strip. Israeli military officials told Ruby and Hagit Chen in early March that Itay was believed to have been killed on Oct. 7. “We have no physical evidence that Itay’s not alive.”Aviva Siegel, who was formerly held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, speaks with Lester Holt. Aviva Siegel said she cannot fathom the idea of celebrating what is normally a festive holiday this year.

Persons: Aviva Siegel, Keith, ” Siegel, Lester Holt, “ Keith, I’ve, we’re, ”, “ We’re, Lester Holt ”, Siegel, Jonathan Dekel Chen, Sagui Dekel, Chen, Orna Neutra, Omer Neutra, Yael Alexander, Edan Alexander, Mika Alexander, Edan’s, Andrea Weinstein, Judy Weinstein, Gadi, Hagit Chen, Itay Chen, Haggai, Ruby, Itay, ” Hagit Chen, “, Itay’s, ” Aviva Siegel, …, ” Orna Neutra, ” Jonathan Dekel, Rosh Organizations: NBC News, NBC, United Nations General Assembly, Officials, Hezbollah, Hamas Locations: New York, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Rosh

☆ Caroline Ellison, former FTX exec and Sam Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend, sentenced to 2 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Caroline Ellison, whose testimony helped convict her former boss and ex-boyfriend, disgraced cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for fraud and conspiracy. Ellison, 29, accepted a plea deal to charges of conspiracy and financial fraud in December 2022, a month after FTX spiraled into bankruptcy. Bankman-Fried was convicted of all seven criminal fraud charges against him and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Lawyers for Ellison had asked that she be sentenced to time served and supervised release, citing her cooperation. Ryan Salame, a former top lieutenant of Bankman-Fried, was the first of the FTX executive team to be sentenced.

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Ellison, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, FTX spiraled, Fried, Prosecutors, John Ray, disentangling, FTX, Ryan Salame, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang Organizations: FTX, CNBC, Bankman, U.S, Alameda Research, Super Bowl Locations: U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, Washington, Caribbean, Bankman

☆ Justice Department accuses Visa of debit network monopoly that affects price of ‘nearly everything’
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday sued Visa, the world’s biggest payments network, saying it propped up an illegal monopoly over debit payments by imposing “exclusionary” agreements on partners and smothering upstart firms. “Merchants and banks pass along those costs to consumers, either by raising prices or reducing quality or service,” Garland said. They are essentially toll collectors, shuffling payments between the merchants’ banks and cardholders. ″Visa wields its dominance, enormous scale, and centrality to the debit ecosystem to impose a web of exclusionary agreements on merchants and banks,” the DOJ said in its release. “These agreements penalize Visa’s customers who route transactions to a different debit network or alternative payment system.”This is a developing story.

Persons: monopolization, “, General Merrick Garland, ” Garland Organizations: U.S . Justice, Visa, DOJ, “, MasterCard, fintech, Plaid, Mastercard Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Consumer confidence fell more than expected this month
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Jeff Cox | Jeff Cox Is A Finance Editor With Cnbc.Com Where He Covers All Aspects Of The Markets | Monitors Coverage Of The Financial Markets | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The board’s Consumer Confidence Index slid to 98.7, down from 105.6 in August, the biggest one-month decline since August 2021. By contrast, the index had a reading of 132.6 in February 2020, a month before the Covid pandemic hit. Each of the five components the organization samples fared worse on the month, with the biggest fall coming among those aged 35-54 and earning less than $50,000. “Consumers’ assessments of current business conditions turned negative while views of the current labor market situation softened further. Consumers were also more pessimistic about future labor market conditions and less positive about future business conditions and future income,” said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board.

Persons: Dow, ”, Dana Peterson, Stocks, ” Peterson Organizations: Conference Board, Treasury, Federal Reserve

☆ Fed Governor Bowman explains dissent on rate vote, says she’s worried about inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Jeff Cox | Jeff Cox Is A Finance Editor With Cnbc.Com Where He Covers All Aspects Of The Markets | Monitors Coverage Of The Financial Markets | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said Tuesday she thought her colleagues should have taken a more measured approach to last week’s half percentage point interest rate cut as she worries that inflation could reignite. In explaining her rationale, Bowman said the half percentage point, or 50 basis point, reduction posed a number of risks to the Fed’s twin goals of achieving low inflation and full employment. Though Bowman favored a reduction, she preferred the Fed lower by a quarter percentage point, more in line with the traditional moves at the central bank. In recent statements, Fed officials have cited easing inflation and a softening labor market as justification for the cut. At last week’s meeting, individual policymakers indicated they expect another half percentage point in cuts this year and another full point in 2025.

Persons: Michelle Bowman, Bowman, ” Organizations: Federal Locations: Kentucky

☆ Bear makes himself at home under couple's Sierra Madre house
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Nbc Los Angeles | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A Sierra Madre couple has few complaints about the reclusive tenant who moved in a few weeks ago. They’ve captured several photos on a motion-activated camera installed by California Fish and Wildlife agents that show what appears to be the face of an older large black bear. “We would wait for the bear to leave the crawlspace,” said Kevin Howells, of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. About half of the state’s bear population can be found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and areas to the north and west. Only an estimated 10 percent of the black bear population inhabits central western and southwestern California.

Persons: Bob Nesler, Susan Nesler, “, They’ve, ” Susan Nesler, ”, Kevin Howells Organizations: Angeles National, California Fish, Wildlife, California Department of Fish Locations: San Gabriel Valley, Angeles, California Department of Fish and, Southern California, Nevada, California

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