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☆ Gas prices have surged to four-month highs. Don’t panic
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

A gas price spike might be the last thing President Joe Biden needs to convince skeptical voters about his economic agenda. But experts say there is no reason to panic about gas prices, at least not yet. Gas prices always rise at this time of the year. Of course, there’s always the potential for unexpected events that could spike gas prices. If anything, De Haan said the earlier-than-expected jump in gas prices this year could cause prices to peak sooner than usual.

Persons: it’s, That’s, Joe Biden, Bespoke’s Paul Hickey, ” Hickey, “, ”, Patrick De Haan, Andy Lipow, Lipow, there’s, GasBuddy’s De Haan, De Haan Organizations: New, New York CNN, AAA, Federal, Investment, CNN, Whiting, BP Locations: New York, Indiana —, Michigan, Illinois, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Saudi Aramco, Ukraine

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow California became a hot spot for expensive gas pricesCalifornia is home to some of the highest gas prices in the United States, according to AAA. High taxes are partly to blame since the Golden State has the highest gasoline taxes in the nation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But, there's more to the story. Watch the video above to learn more about what is driving gas prices higher and how drivers can save money.

Organizations: AAA, Golden State, U.S . Energy Information Administration Locations: California, United States

☆ These tax-free bonds could see stellar returns once the Fed starts cutting rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Such a move would bode well for fixed income, including municipal bonds. Recent data from Columbia Threadneedle Investments and Bloomberg, shows that muni bonds can see a jump in cumulative tax-equivalent returns once the Fed begins cutting rates. When taking into account the tax savings, muni bond investors don't have to take that much risk to capture attractive yields. Rising flows and higher yields Investors have been pouring money into muni bond funds lately. BlackRock's iShares National Muni Bond ETF (MUB) , meanwhile, has seen an exodus of more than $1 billion in flows this year, but it experienced inflows of $150.9 million in the past week.

Persons: Jerome Powell, bode, munis, Catherine Stienstra, BlackRock's, Duane McAllister, Baird Organizations: Federal Reserve, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Bloomberg, York Life Investments, Columbia, Bond, Muni Bond ETF, Baird Asset Management, AAA, BBB Locations: Columbia

☆ Premarket stocks: Why it’s not all doom and gloom for commercial real estate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —After decades of growth bolstered by low interest rates and easy credit, commercial real estate has hit a wall. I take that as a signal of a potential turn in the CMBS market in terms of the market sentiment. It’s not just all gloom and doom in the CRE market. Richmond Federal Reserve President Tom Barkin echoed the idea that the central bank may not cut interest rates this year. OPEC+, a coalition of the world’s top oil producing countries, had announced voluntary oil cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day in November.

Persons: Tracy Chen, Chen, that’s, Bell, Banks aren’t, CMBS, We’ve, they’ve, —, Jerome Powell, Torsten Slok, “, Tom Barkin, ” Barkin, “ I’m, Eva Rothenberg, Brent, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, New York Community Bancorp, Brandywine, Intercontinental Exchange and Bank of America, outperformance, Fed, New York Community Bank, York Community Bank, Federal, Apollo Global Management, Richmond Federal, CNBC, OPEC, AAA Locations: New York, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, New, New York City, Richmond, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, United States

☆ OPEC+ members extend oil output cuts to Q2
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —OPEC+ member nations have agreed to extend their voluntary cuts to crude oil production through the second quarter, the group announced Sunday. The move is a part of the group’s perpetual balancing act to stabilize oil prices by reducing supply. OPEC+, a coalition of the world’s top oil producing countries, had announced voluntary oil cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day in November. The Energy Information Administration reported last month oil refinery inputs, crude oil stock, and gasoline production were all increasing. Oil prices fell on the agency’s announcement US commercial crude oil inventory was sitting at 447.2 million barrels.

Persons: Brent, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNN, OPEC, The United Emirates, AAA, Energy Information Administration, EIA Locations: OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Oman, United States

☆ Elon Musk claimed Teslas would appreciate in value post-purchase, but predictably, they've lost value
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk's claim that his Teslas would appreciate in value has flopped. Tesla's attempts to drive up sales have stalled with its EV market share dropping from 80% to 56%. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementElon Musk once claimed his Teslas would climb in value post-purchase, a rare feat in the auto industry. Teslas have largely depreciated in value, CNN reported.

Persons: Elon Musk's, —, Elon Musk, Musk, Tesla Organizations: EV, Service, CNN, AAA, Business

☆ Hot on the trail of cherry blossoms — peak times for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. CNN —In travel news this week: Circling the calendar for peak cherry blossoms, a very rare peek at post-pandemic North Korea and the insightful confessions of a Vegas habitué. While peak bloom can still be up in the air, the dates for the National Cherry Blossom Festival are solidly locked down: March 20-April 14. Meanwhile, Japanese forecasters are out with their own cherry blossom, or sakura, predictions. 02:06 - Source: CNNIn the best of times, a visit to communist North Korea was a rarity.

Persons: Brandon Griggs, He’s, Willy Wonka Organizations: CNN, Washington , D.C, Bloom Watch, National Cherry Blossom, –, Air Albania, AAA Locations: Korea, Netherlands, France, Washington ,, Japan, Wharf, Kochi, Tokyo, wintry Sapporo, Dubai, Atlanta, Air, London, India, United States, North Korea, Russia, Pyongyang, Masikryong, North, Las Vegas, Sin

☆ Why Americans drive on the right and the British on the left
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Conestoga wagons were developed by local carpenters and blacksmiths to carry goods, including farm produce and items bartered from Native Americans, to markets in Philadelphia. An original 19th century Conestoga wagon at the Conestoga Area Historical Society in Conestoga, Pennsylvania in 2024. For just that reason, Conestoga wagons had the controls on the left side, close to the wagon driver’s right hand. Lay, was that all traffic had to stay to the right — just like the Conestoga wagons did. on September 3, 1967 when cars switched from left to right side driving.

Persons: I’ve, Cooper, Napoleon Bonaparte, Henry Ford, that’s, Tesla, John Stehman, Peter Valdes, ‘ Gee, ” Stehman, “, ”, M.G ., Ford, Maximilien Robespierre —, —, Napoleon, William Van, Yevgenia Organizations: Conestoga, CNN, Ford, Historical Society, M.G, Lions, Hulton, Getty, Ford Motor Co, Guildhall Library, Art, Britain, Avis, Avis Budget Group, ” Avis Budget Locations: England, London, United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Conestoga , Pennsylvania, Conestoga, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia . Philadelphia, Lancaster County , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Lancaster, New York, Britain, Paris, France, Stockholm, Sweden

☆ Microsoft's Xbox boss says jacking up video game prices can end up being 'manipulative'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Xbox games may be more expensive now, but Microsoft's gaming CEO realizes that there's a limit to how much gamers will take. "We've raised the price of games," Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, told Game File, a newsletter focused on the business of gaming. AdvertisementBack in December 2022, Microsoft told The Verge that it would be raising prices to reflect "the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles." "Skull and Bones," an action-adventure game for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles, got some flack for charging $70 for its highly anticipated game. Ubisoft, the company behind the pirate video game, defended the price because it was a "quadruple-A" game.

Persons: We've, Phil Spencer, Spencer, didn't, Neil Macker, flack, they're Organizations: Xbox, Microsoft Gaming, Business, Microsoft, Hollywood, Morningstar, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft, PlayStation, Activision Blizzard Locations: COVID

☆ Skull and Bones, Singapore's first major video game title, launches to mixed reviews after decade-long wait
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Justin Farren, Creative Director at Ubisoft Singapore, reveals "Skull & Bones" during the Ubisoft E3 conference at the Orpheum Theater on June 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Ubisoft Singapore officially launched its first major video game, Skull And Bones, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on Friday, ending an unusually long development saga that spanned over a decade. Ubisoft Singapore received a grant from the Economic Development Board in 2016 to aid in the development of an "AAA" game title from the city-state. The "AAA" game classification refers to titles that are produced and distributed by large, well-known publishers that will typically have high development and marketing budgets. According to data collected by market research company YouGov in 2020, at least three-quarters of the population in Singapore plays video or mobile games, which jumps to 90% among those aged 18 to 24.

Persons: Justin Farren, Jean, Francois Vallee, CNBC's Organizations: Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft, Orpheum, PlayStation, Economic, AAA Locations: Los Angeles , California, AAA, Singapore

☆ Renting a Car Abroad: Don’t Get Taken for a Ride
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Eric A. Taub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Throw the keys through the kiosk’s open window. We’ll get the car when we open later”: Those slightly unorthodox drop-off instructions I once received from a Hertz manager in Croatia illustrate some of the differences U.S. travelers might encounter when renting a car abroad. It pays to familiarize yourself with the local policies and protocols ahead of time. Here’s what you need to know before you accept the keys. You must apply for one in the country that issued your regular driver’s license.

Persons: We’ll, It’s Organizations: AAA, State Department Locations: Croatia, U.S, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, United States

☆ Higher-for-longer interest rates favor large companies over their smaller rivals in many ways
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

High interest rates squeeze companies of all sizes, but that’s especially the case for smaller firms, unlike large companies better equipped to weather the storm. Before the Bell: How do the effects of higher-for-longer interest rates on companies vary by size? I think it might be a stretch to say that M&A activity picks up because of higher interest rates, so instead, it’s that if good businesses are beginning to suffer because of higher interest rates, then they might be more likely to be a target. Gas prices always rise as winter winds down because demand increases and gas stations must switch over to more expensive summer fuel. No matter the cause, rising gas prices are bad news for consumers already frustrated by the cost of living.

Persons: It’s, Bell, Lauren Goodwin, Matt Egan, ”, Patrick De Haan, doesn’t, ” Read, Raphael Bostic, Michelle Bowman, Philip Jefferson, Patrick Harker, Lisa Cook, Neel Kashkari, Christopher Waller Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Federal Reserve, New York Life Investments, AAA, ’, HSBC, Walmart, Home Depot, Barclays, Caesars Entertainment, Nvidia, Rivian, Fidelity, Marriott, Intuit, Pacific Gas & Electric, Global, Chicago Fed, US Labor Department, National Association of Realtors, Warner Bros ., Icahn Enterprises Locations: Washington, Wingstop, United States

☆ Don’t look now but gas prices are rising fast
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Gas prices always rise as winter winds down because demand increases and gas stations must switch over to more expensive summer fuel. No matter the cause, rising gas prices are bad news for consumers already frustrated by the cost of living. And they undercut the election year message of a White House that previously pointed to cheap gas prices as evidence that Bidenomics is working. First, oil prices — the main driver of retail gas prices — tend to increase during this time of the year. For instance, without the usual backstop, last summer’s historic heatwave that knocked some refineries offline unexpectedly lifted gas prices across the country.

Persons: New York CNN —, ”, Patrick De Haan, doesn’t, De Haan, That’s, Andy Lipow, It’s, BP’s Whiting, Whiting, Lipow, ” Lipow Organizations: New, New York CNN, AAA, ’, Lipow Oil Associates, ”, BP, heatwave Locations: New York, Washington, Southern California, Indiana, Midwest, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado , Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, That’s, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia

In the aftermath of that storm, safety experts offered advice on how people can stay safe if they are stuck in their vehicles. First, do not leave your car, experts said. If you run out of water, drink melted snow, Dr. Mitchell said. Drive slowly to avoid skidding, and note that it takes longer to decelerate in icy road conditions, according to AAA. Drivers should inspect tires monthly and before long trips, according to guidance issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Persons: Ken Zafren, ”, Gordon Giesbrecht, Steve Mitchell, Grant Lipman, Mitchell, Lipman Organizations: Woodrow, Stanford University, Alaska Native Medical Center, University of Manitoba, Credit, . Virginia Department of Transportation, Associated Press, American Kennel Club, National Weather Service, AAA, National, Traffic Safety Administration Locations: Alexandria, Va, Virginia, Alaska, Anchorage , Alaska, Seattle, Fredericksburg

☆ Michelin Guide history: How did a tire company become a restaurant rating guide?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Enter a pocket-sized red book known as the Michelin Guide. As a result, more French people had a desire to tour the country, making the Michelin Guide increasingly essential. The Michelin Guide now covers over 30,000 restaurants across three continents and more than 30 million guides have been sold. Addison is one of 13 three-star Michelin restaurants in the US and the only one in all of Southern California. A Michelin logo on a chef's uniform at the gala presentation of the Michelin Guide Spain on December 14, 2021.

Persons: André, Édouard Michelin, André Michelin, Édouard, Olivier Darmon, Guenter, ” Darmon, Darmon, ” William Bradley, Addison, William Bradley, Lauren di Matteo Addison, Bradley, ” Bradley, “, Roberto Alcocer, Christophe Bellanca, Christophe, Jordan Younis, Liz Clayman, Christophe Bellanca’s, they’re, Gwendal Poullennec, Richard Saker, Christophe Bellanca's, Alan Batt, ” Poullennec, Taylor Swift’s, Jorge Gil, Carbone, Jay, Kim Kardashian, Barack Obama, It’s, didn’t, Kevin Thornton’s, ” Thornton, Thornton, Michelin “, Bobby Yip, don’t, ’ ”, Alcocer, He’s, ” Bellanca Organizations: New, New York CNN, Michelin, Ferrand, Michelin Tire Company, Compagnie, des, Culture, AAA, CNN, Washington Post, Bellanca, Michelin Guides, Spain, Europa Press, Major Food Group, Irish Times, Conted, Reuters Locations: New York, Clermont, Paris, France, Europe, United States, San Diego, Southern California, Addison, Valle, Mexican, Oceanside, Oceanside , California, New York City, Cartmel, Cumbria, England, Kevin Thornton’s Dublin

☆ Here's how much Lyft says its drivers make — and how much their expenses add up
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This accounts for tips, bonuses, and expenses — and defines an engaged hour as time spent on rides. AdvertisementHow Lyft calculates earnings and expensesUsing car ownership data from AAA, Lyft estimated that the typical driver has $7.02 per engaged hour in marginal driving expenses, bringing the typical driver's net earnings per engaged hour, after expenses, to $23.46, per Lyft's calculations. Lyft said a large majority of its drivers don't solely rely on Lyft driving for their total income. 94% of Lyft drivers drive less than 20 hours a week, while two-thirds drive for other apps. Nationwide, the 20th percentile for Lyft driver earnings averaged $17.46 per hour after expenses, while the 80th percentile is $33.09 per hour.

Persons: Lyft, —, Uber, Sergio Avedian, Guy Organizations: Service, AAA, BI, Nationwide, Chicago, Business Locations: Southern, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Charlotte

☆ Where to lock down high interest rates for your savings
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

High-yield online savings accountsThe average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.57% on January 30, according to a Bankrate survey. But many online FDIC-insured banks are still offering 5% or more on their high-yield savings accounts. As with any bank savings rate, high-yield savings account rates can change overnight, and the bank may not alert you when it lowers it. But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments. Unlike money market deposit accounts, money market mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC.

Persons: Doug Ornstein, Schwab, “, ”, Greg McBride, Ken Tumin, you’d, Tumin, Wells Fargo, Andy Smith, Ornstein, doesn’t, ” Smith Organizations: New York CNN, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, TIAA Wealth Management, FDIC, Securities Investor Protection Corp, Fidelity, DepositAccounts.com, Treasury, Edelman, AAA Locations: New York, United States

☆ Consumers Feel Better About the Economy. Why? Gas Prices, Eggs, Stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Listen, I'm not saying that all the good vibes Americans are suddenly feeling about the economy boil down to stocks, gas prices, and eggs. What improved America's economic vibes was basically three things: the soaring stock market, falling gas prices, and eggs. Research shows that consumers feel more pessimistic when gas prices go up — James Surowiecki points out in The Atlantic that high gas prices also make people less happy and more likely to hate the president. If oil prices stay relatively low and, in turn, keep gas prices down, less exasperated drivers could help Joe Biden keep his job come November. There are all sorts of geopolitical threats and unknowns that could throw global trade and oil prices (and thus gas prices) into chaos.

Persons: I'm, there's, There's, Jordan Weissmann, —, It's, James Surowiecki, Joe Biden, they're, Emily Stewart Organizations: University of, Dow, Federal Reserve Bank of San, AAA, Research, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Times, Business Locations: America, The

☆ Moneyball-Plus: What Happens When Investors Treat Athletes Like Startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Joseph Bien-Kahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

What if athletes could sell a percentage of their future earnings to investors, the same way tech entrepreneurs offer a stake in their promising new ideas in return for venture capital? "We look at the game very, very differently than everyone else," Schwimer tells the pitcher. Finlete is launching a fund that allows fans to buy shares in a prospect's future earnings. What if you could sell a share of your future earnings, he asked, for $10,000? Today, he says, more than 80% of the players BLA has invested in are outside the league's top 300 prospects.

Persons: They're, Michael Schwimer, —, Schwimer, BLA, haven't, Fernando Tatis Jr, We've, it's, Daniil, David Liberman, Garrett Broshuis, he'd, He'd, Houdini, Christian Petersen, Erik Kratz, Kratz, Cole Hamels, Hamels, Sean M, Marvin Bush, George W, Bush, Paul DePodesta, bankroll BLA's, Bill Miller, Miller, HBO's, Michael, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, I'd, I'm, Steven Duncker, Goldman Sachs, Elly De La Cruz, Dylan Buell, phenom, Scott Boras, Yermín Mercedes, Francisco Mejía, countersue Mejia, Gervon Dexter, they're, Dexter, Wharton, He's, he'll, isn't, scoffing, he's Organizations: Philadelphia Phillies, Big League, San Diego Padres, Benchmark Capital, Sports, Wharton Sports Business, MLB, University of Virginia, Partners, Phillies, Getty, AAA, Arizona Fall League, Ritz Carlton, Cleveland Browns, Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Big League Advance, Chicago Bears, University of Florida, Huntsman, NCAA Locations: Maryland, Philadelphia, United States, baseball's, Latin America, America, Dominican Republic, Cleveland, Florida

☆ Why does gas cost more in California?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It adds about 10 cents of additional cost per gallon of gas, said Borenstein. Yet, in the fall of 2022, California gas prices shot up to a record high of nearly $6.50 per gallon after multiple refineries suffered outages. The shrinking number of oil refineries in California is another reason there’s a growing gap between California and the rest of the country’s gas prices. Those 11 refineries produce 90% of California’s gas and diesel fuel, according to California’s energy department. But Borenstein has another theory for why the price of gas is so much higher in California.

Persons: That’s, Severin Borenstein, Borenstein, Ronald Reagan, ” Reagan, David Paul Morris, ”, “, Patrick De Haan, ” Borenstein Organizations: Los Angeles CNN —, AAA, University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, California Air Resources Board, Gov, Carrell, Act, Bloomberg, Getty, American Lung Association, US Energy Information Administration, Drivers, Shell, Mobil Locations: United States, California, Golden, Angeles, Los Angeles, San Francisco , California, Hawaii, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, “ California, Chevron

☆ Phones Track Everything but Their Role in Car Wrecks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Matt Richtel | More About Matt Richtel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Cellphones can track what we say and write, where we go, what we buy and what we search on the internet. But they still aren’t being used to track one of the biggest public health threats: crashes caused by drivers distracted by the phones. Safety experts say that current estimates most likely understate a worsening problem. Car crashes recorded by the police rose 16 percent from 2020 to 2021, to 16,700 a day from 14,400 a day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or N.H.T.S.A. But those figures do not capture all cellphone distraction; they include only crashes in which a police report specifically mentions such distraction.

Persons: ”, David Strayer, It’s, Jake Nelson, “ Organizations: National, Traffic Safety Administration, University of Utah, Traffic, Research, AAA, The New York Times, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

☆ These new ETFs will help investors target a lucrative part of the corporate bond market
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BondBloxx is set to debut three new funds on Thursday: BBB Rated 1-5 Year Corporate Bond ETF (BBBS) , BBB Rated 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF (BBBI) and BBB Rated 10+ Year Corporate Bond ETF (BBBL). Bonds rated BBB or an equivalent are considered the last rung of investment grade credit. Tony Kelly, co-founder of BondBloxx, said BBB credit is the "not-so-secret sauce" for active managers trying to beat credit benchmarks. Of course, economic downturns are always a concern for corporate credit. This is not unusual for corporate bond funds since banks and other financial institutions issue a lot of short-term debt, but it does suggest that the funds could have some concentration risk.

Persons: Bonds, Rick Rieder, Tony Kelly, BondBloxx, Kelly, Lauren Goodwin, Goodwin Organizations: BBB, Corporate, New York Life Investments, Reserve Locations: BondBloxx

☆ Your 401(k), gas prices and homes: 3 surprising reasons to be happy — for now
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Consumer sentiment is surging. A tough housing market and exorbitant child care costs continue to bedevil budgets, but the inflation pendulum is finally swinging in the other direction. A slowly improving US housing marketAmerica’s housing market is still tough, but there are some subtle signs of improvement. Builder confidence surged in January, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, climbing seven points to a reading of 44. It’s unclear when the Fed will begin to cut rates, and how many cuts there will ultimately be this year, but rate cuts in general mean even lower mortgage rates, further improving affordability.

Persons: vibing, aren’t, it’s, Anna Rathbun, ”, isn’t, bode, Joe Biden’s, ” James McCann, Biden, Alicia Huey Organizations: Washington CNN, Big Tech, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services, CNN, Fed, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, of Michigan’s, AAA, National Association of Home Builders Locations: Wells Fargo

☆ Here’s how to squeeze a little more juice out of these tax-advantaged yields
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Indeed, investors get paid for taking a small step down in credit quality in the muni bond space. What's even sweeter is that municipal bond income is generally exempt from federal income tax. This also means high income investors would have to scoop up a higher yielding corporate bond to get the same tax-advantaged yield a muni bond would generate. A measured amount of risk Munis offer lower yields compared to their corporate counterparts, but they also carry significantly less risk. Lower risk, however, doesn't necessarily mean risk free.

Persons: Jennifer Johnston, Franklin Templeton, Lyle Fitterer, munis, corporates, Cooper Howard, Jonathan Mondillo, Franklin Templeton's Johnston Organizations: Federal Reserve, Franklin, AAA, muni, Strategic Municipal Bond Fund, York Life Investments, Moody's Investors Service, Charitable, Schwab Center, Financial Research Locations: muni, Abrdn

☆ Consumer sentiment surges while inflation outlook dips, University of Michigan survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The University of Michigan's Consumer Survey of Consumers showed a reading of 78.8 for January, its highest level since July 2021 and up 21.4% from a year ago. On a two-month basis, sentiment showed its largest increase since 1991, said Joanne Hsu, the survey's director. "Consumer views were supported by confidence that inflation has turned a corner and strengthening income expectations," Hsu said. Along with the improved outlook on general conditions, survey respondents displayed more confidence that inflation is coming down. The outlook for the inflation rate a year from now declined to 2.9%, down from 3.1% in December for the lowest reading since December 2020.

Persons: Joanne Hsu, Hsu, Andrew Hunter, Stocks Organizations: Veteran, The Department of Labor, The University of Michigan's Consumer Survey, Consumers, Republicans, Federal Reserve, AAA, Capital Economics Locations: Long Beach , California

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