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☆ How to make high interest rates work for your hard-earned savings
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

However, that won’t happen if you just let it sit in a traditional checking or savings account that yields next to nothing. High-yield online savings accountsThe average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.52% as of March 13, according to Bankrate. 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: ”, Ted Rossman, ” Rossman, Ken Tumin, Schwab, you’d, Tumin, Doug Ornstein, Andy Smith, Ornstein, doesn’t, ” Smith Organizations: New York CNN, Bankrate, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Fidelity, TIAA Wealth Management, FDIC, Securities Investor Protection Corp, Edelman, AAA Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, United States

☆ Mitch Albom Is Among Group of American Volunteers Rescued From Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A mission led by a United States congressman rescued the author Mitch Albom and several other Americans from Haiti early Tuesday as the Caribbean nation faces violent upheaval. Mr. Albom, who wrote “Tuesdays With Morrie” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” said in a statement that he and a group from Have Faith Haiti, an orphanage he runs in Port-au-Prince, were evacuated after sheltering in place since a state of emergency was declared in the country this month. Representative Cory Mills, a Florida Republican and a U.S. Army veteran, led the mission in coordination with Representative Lisa McClain, a Michigan Republican. Mr. Albom lives in the Detroit area. The rescue came as a humanitarian crisis rapidly unfolds in Haiti amid the country’s worst political upheavals in years.

Persons: Mitch Albom, Albom, ”, Cory Mills, Lisa McClain Organizations: United, Faith, Florida Republican, U.S . Army, Michigan Republican Locations: Haiti, Caribbean, Faith Haiti, Port, Florida, Michigan, Detroit

☆ Judge Throws Out Defamation Lawsuit Against Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Remy Tumin | More About Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, after her half sister accused her of spreading “disparaging, hurtful and false” statements in interviews. Samantha Markle, who shares a father with Meghan, claimed that comments Meghan made in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 and later in a Netflix documentary series, “Harry & Meghan,” aimed to portray Ms. Markle as “an unwelcome opportunist” who was “weaseling her way” into her famous half sister’s life. In a 58-page decision, Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida found that Ms. Markle had failed to identify any statements that supported her defamation claims. She also ruled that Meghan’s statements were protected either because they were pure opinion or substantially true, or because Ms. Markle had failed to make a case that they were defamatory in the first place. Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, spoke in detail to Ms. Winfrey about their split from Britain’s royal family in a CBS special that was broadcast in the United States on March 7, 2021, and in the six-episode Netflix series in 2022, sending shock waves around the world as they accused the royal family of failing to protect them.

Persons: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Samantha Markle, Oprah Winfrey, Harry, ”, Markle, “, Charlene Edwards Honeywell, Prince Harry, Winfrey Organizations: Netflix, U.S, Middle, CBS Locations: Middle District, Florida, United States

☆ Gray Whale, Long Absent From the Atlantic, Is Spotted Off Massachusetts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Researchers with the New England Aquarium were conducting a regular survey of the waters south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts last week when something caught their eye. What they spotted, a whale without a dorsal fin, led the researchers to think that it might be a North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered species that the aquarium has been closely monitoring. But the whale’s skin was blotchy, and if it were a right whale, something would have been wrong. “I kind of had a weird feeling about it,” Orla O’Brien, an associate research scientist, said in an interview. “Something didn’t seem right.”So when the whale resurfaced and Ms. O’Brien and her observation partner, Kate Laemmle, a research technician, were able to see its distinctly shaped head and mottled gray and white skin, they could not believe their eyes: Could it be a gray whale?

Persons: ” Orla O’Brien, O’Brien, Kate Laemmle Organizations: New England Aquarium Locations: Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Atlantic

☆ Tony’s Booth From ‘Sopranos’ Finale Sets Off Online Bidding War
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tony Soprano puts a quarter into the jukebox to play “Don’t Stop Believin’” and orders onion rings for the table. A bell chimes every time a customer arrives, deepening Tony’s anxiety: Will the next person to walk through the door kill him? What happens next has kept fans guessing since the final scene of “The Sopranos” abruptly cut to black in 2007. It has also kept a few of them energized enough to bid tens of thousands of dollars to own the diner booth where the much-dissected sequence was shot. Holsten’s in Bloomfield, N.J., which is preparing for a renovation, put the burgundy booth and yellow Formica tabletop up for auction on eBay on Feb. 28.

Persons: Tony Soprano, ”, Chris Carley Organizations: eBay Locations: Bloomfield , N.J

☆ 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

The genetic testing company 23andMe is being accused in a class-action lawsuit of failing to protect the privacy of customers whose personal information was exposed last year in a data breach that affected nearly seven million profiles. The lawsuit, which was filed on Friday in federal court in San Francisco, also accused the company of failing to notify customers with Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage that they appeared to have been specifically targeted, or that their personal genetic information had been compiled into “specially curated lists” that were shared and sold on the dark web. The suit was filed after 23andMe submitted a notification to the California Attorney General’s Office that showed the company was hacked over the course of five months, from late April 2023 through September 2023, before it became aware of the breach. According to the filing, which was reported by TechCrunch, the company learned about the breach on Oct. 1, when a hacker posted on an unofficial 23andMe subreddit claiming to have customer data and sharing a sample as proof. The company first disclosed the breach in a blog post on Oct. 6 in which it said that a “threat actor” had gained access to “certain accounts” by using “recycled login credentials” — old passwords that 23andMe customers had used on other sites that had been compromised.

Persons: 23andMe, ” Organizations: California Attorney General’s, TechCrunch Locations: San Francisco, California

☆ Fierce Storm Sends Flights Bound for One Country to Another
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Amanda Holpuch | Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A powerful storm diverted dozens of flights in Britain and Ireland on Sunday and Monday, sending passengers to Germany, France and northern Britain, and stranding some at airports overnight. At Dublin Airport, 166 flights were canceled Sunday night, another 29 flights were canceled on Monday, 36 flights were diverted to other airports and 34 aircraft performed what are known as “go-arounds,” or aborted landings, according to the airport. Despite the flight chaos, the airport was open and operational on both Sunday and Monday, Graeme McQueen, a spokesman for Dublin Airport, said in a statement to The New York Times. Winds from the storm, named Isha, eased overnight on Sunday and changed to a more favorable westerly direction to allow “for a smooth first wave of flights.”

Persons: Graeme McQueen, Isha Organizations: Dublin Airport, New York Times Locations: Britain, Ireland, Germany, France

☆ The Harriet Tubman? The Anne Frank? House Layout Names Draw Criticism
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Remy Tumin | More About Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

From the outside, the adobe-style ranch house on the outskirts of Albuquerque appears to be like any other three-bedroom house. But its designers took inspiration from an unusual source. In fact, the person for whom the design is named probably never stepped foot in New Mexico at all. The company also named a home layout after Anne Frank, who hid from Nazis in an annex in the Netherlands before being killed in a concentration camp. The designs appear to have been available for years, but they did not pique interest on social media until this week.

Persons: Harriet Tubman, ”, Abrazo, tastelessly, Anne Frank Locations: Albuquerque, New Mexico, Netherlands

Elon Musk hit out at brands that have pulled their advertising from X after he endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory on the social media platform. Mr. Musk apologized for the post at the DealBook Summit in New York on Wednesday, but said that the advertisers were attempting to “blackmail” him. His message for those brands was simple: “Don’t advertise” and used an expletive multiple times to emphasize his point. About 200 big advertisers, including Disney, Apple and IBM, stopped spending on X after Mr. Musk agreed with a post that accused Jewish communities of pushing “hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.” If the freeze continues, it could end up costing the company up to $75 million this quarter, according to internal documents seen by The New York Times. Although Mr. Musk acknowledged that an extended boycott could bankrupt X, he suggested that the public would blame the brands rather than him for its collapse.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, ” Organizations: Disney, Apple, IBM, The New York Times Locations: New York

This year’s DealBook Summit will include conversations with global leaders and powerful figures from Wall Street, Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Jamie Dimon has been the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase since 2006 and its chairman since 2007, making him one of Wall Street’s longest-serving banking leaders. Bob Iger returned as Disney’s chief executive last year, after stepping down from the role in 2020. David Zaslav orchestrated Discovery’s takeover of WarnerMedia and became the chief executive of the new company, Warner Bros. The transaction helped transform his modest cable television company into an empire that includes the Warner Bros. movie and TV studios, HBO and CNN.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin, Kamala Harris, Ms, Harris, Biden’s, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Elon Musk, Musk, Jamie Dimon, Jensen Huang, chipmaker, Bob Iger, Long, Iger, Lina Khan, Khan, ”, David Zaslav, Jay Monahan, LIV Golf, Monahan, Kevin McCarthy, Mr, McCarthy, Shonda Rhimes, Rhimes Organizations: Wall, Israel, Elon, SpaceX, JPMorgan Chase, First, Nvidia, Fox, Marvel, Pixar, Hollywood, ESPN, Federal Trade Commission, Columbia Law, WarnerMedia, Warner Bros, HBO, CNN, Republican, Republican Party, Shondaland, Netflix Locations: Silicon Valley, Hollywood, United States, California, San Francisco, Gaza, Taiwan, China, First Republic, Saudi

☆ Muslim Runner Says She Was Cut From Lululemon Campaign Over Religious Identity
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Remy Tumin | More About Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

In a statement to The New York Times, a spokesman for Lululemon said the company did not intend to exclude anyone from the photographs. The images were sent to the runners who appeared in the photo shoot but were not used by Lululemon or noname, the spokesman said. That included being a team leader for the noname program, leading the 8-minute-30 second-mile group. “A big part of what was attractive about the noname program was its emphasis on inclusivity and embracing people’s full identities and experiences,” she wrote. Noor Abukaram, a runner who was told she couldn’t run in her hijab in high school and pushed back, criticized Lululemon’s decision to leave out Ms. Saad.

Persons: Lululemon, “, Saad, “ Lululemon, Ms, Saad’s, ” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, ” Ms, ”, Noor Abukaram, Lululemon’s, Abukaram Organizations: New York Times, The Times, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Boeing, Council, Islamic, Times, New York City Marathon, New York, New York City Muslim Running Club Locations: Gaza, Israel, London, New York City

When the San José made its final voyage from Seville, Spain, to the Americas in 1706, the Spanish galleon was considered to be one of the most complex machines ever built. But in an instant, the armed cargo vessel went from a brilliant example of nautical architecture to what treasure hunters would come to consider the Holy Grail of shipwrecks. The San José was destroyed in an ambush by the British in 1708 in what is known as Wager’s Action, sinking off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, with a haul of gold, jewels and other goods that could be worth upward of $20 billion today. But the myth built around the San José has prompted the Colombian government to keep its exact location a secret as a matter of national security. It is the latest maneuver in a decades-long drama that has pitted treasure hunters, historians and the Colombian government against one another.

Persons: José, Gustavo Petro Locations: Seville, Spain, Americas, Spanish, José, Cartagena, Colombia, Colombian

☆ For a Chair-Throwing Basketball Coach, Baseball Was a Comforting Coda
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Remy Tumin | More About Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Luke,” the man said, “this is Coach Knight.”His voice had grown fainter, but the intimidating tenor of Bobby Knight, the former basketball coach, was still there. Epplin had sent Knight a copy of his book, “Our Team,” after learning that he was a huge fan of the Cleveland baseball team, now called the Guardians. So he tracked down Knight’s address, sent him a copy of the book and included his contact information. Epplin, who grew up in a household with strong ties to the University of Illinois, a sworn enemy of Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers, was surprised to hear from Knight. He was also slightly concerned about which way the conversation would go: Knight sounded frail, but he was known as a chair-throwing, unrepentant, volcanic personality on the basketball court.

Persons: Luke Epplin, Luke, Knight, ”, Bobby Knight, Epplin Organizations: Cleveland baseball, University of Illinois, Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers Locations: Indiana

☆ How to Make the Most of the Morning Light
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Remy Tumin | More About Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The dread sets in around 4 p.m., as the sun inches closer to the horizon and starts to wind down for the day. The end of Daylight Saving Time every fall can feel like something out of a Stephen King novel. We decided to talk to some experts about how to cope with the time change and the dwindling daylight. “Morning light is really good for your health” and is a great mood booster, said Dr. Jennifer Martin, a psychologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Our internal clock is really set by light and it is very sensitive.

Persons: Stephen King, ” Mr, King, Jennifer Martin, ” Organizations: University of California Locations: ”, United States, Los Angeles

☆ Best 6-Month CD Rates for November 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Martha C. White | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Rates for short-term investments, including CDs, savings accounts and more, have grown steadily more generous in recent months with the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates to fight inflation. Best six-month CD ratesfor NovemberThe market for six-month CDs is large and, as a result, quite competitive. Our six-month CD rate picks reflect the best available on DepositAccounts, com, which tracks roughly 275,000 rates at more than 11,000 banks and credit unions. For instance, you could start out with a six-month CD, along with a one-year CD. When the six-month CD matures, you would then roll over that balance into a new one-year CD.

Persons: Martha C, Haviland, ”, Ken Tumin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Deposit Insurance Corp, Federal, FDIC, National Credit Union Administration

☆ Federal Reserve Meeting Fed Expected to Keep Rates on Hold
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The Fed last raised its benchmark rate, the federal funds rate, in July to a range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent. In recent weeks, the long-term market rates that influence many types of consumer and business loans have drifted higher, even as the Fed left its key rate on hold. Car LoansHigher loan rates have been dampening auto sales, particularly in the used-car market, because loans are more expensive and prices remain high, experts said. Used-car rates were even higher: The average loan carried an 11.4 percent rate in September, matching a high set earlier in the year. Home-equity lines of credit and adjustable-rate mortgages — which each carry variable interest rates — generally rise within two billing cycles after a change in the Fed’s rates.

Persons: ”, Anna N’Jie, Bankrate.com, Matt Schulz, Jonathan Smoke, that’s, Freddie Mac, Ken Tumin, DepositAccounts.com Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, Re, LendingTree, Cox Automotive, Treasury, Savings Vehicles Savers, Consumers, DepositAccounts.com Locations: LendingTree

☆ Here's what investors should consider now that Series I bonds are paying 5.27%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Series I bonds are now paying 5.27% annual interest through April 2024, up from the 4.3% yearly rate offered since May — and experts have tips for short- and long-term investors. While the new rate is down significantly from the record 9.62% offered in May 2022, investors can now lock in a fixed rate of 1.3%, up from 0.9%, for I bonds purchased from May 1 through Oct. 31. The new fixed rate is the highest since 2007. While the variable rate changes every six months based on inflation, the Treasury may also adjust the fixed rate or keep it the same. The fixed rate stays the same after purchase and the variable rate resets every six months starting on your original purchase date.

Persons: —, Ken Tumin Organizations: Finance, U.S . Department of, Treasury

☆ Best 5-Year CD Rates for October 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Martha C. White | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

Best 5-year CD rates for NovemberA five-year CD is one of the more common CD terms available. Interest rates on 5-year CDs have not climbed as sharply this year as rates for CDs with shorter terms. Our CD rate picks reflect the best available five-year CD rates we found on DepositAccounts, com, which tracks roughly 275,000 rates at more than 11,000 banks and credit unions. You expect interest rates to fallThe current interest rate environment is great for savers, but if the U.S. economy slows, the Federal Reserve policy makers are likely to cut interest rates in order to stimulate the additional growth. These accounts’ interest rates are variable, so if prevailing interest rates decline, banks will cut their rates and you will earn less money.

Persons: Martha C, —, ”, Ken Tumin, Dillon Haviland Organizations: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Federal Reserve, TBH Advisors, FDIC, National Credit Union Administration Locations: U.S, Nashville, Tenn

How to calculate I bond ratesThe Treasury adjusts I bond rates every May and November, and there are two parts to I bond yields: a variable and fixed portion. The variable rate moves every six months based on inflation, and the Treasury can change the fixed rate every six months, but that doesn't always happen. The variable rate resets every six months starting on the investor's I bond purchase date, not when the Treasury announces new rates. Currently, the variable rate is 3.94% and the fixed rate is 1.30%, for a rounded combined yield of 5.27% on I bonds purchased between Nov. 1 and April 30. However, the headline rate may be different than what you receive because the fixed rate stays the same for the life of your bond.

Persons: Ken Tumin Organizations: U.S . Department of, Treasury

When several articles were published last week on Reviewed, a USA Today-owned website that recommends products, something seemed off. No one at Reviewed recognized the bylines on the pieces. Writers and editors at Reviewed started to look up the names, but struggled to find proof — such as a LinkedIn account — that the people existed. That’s when they started to wonder: Did artificial intelligence write these articles? Gannett, the parent company of USA Today, says no A.I.

Organizations: Gannett, USA

☆ These Boxers Plan to Show They Can Fight by Men’s Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Remy Tumin | More About Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When Amanda Serrano trains for a championship fight, she often spars with men for at least a dozen three-minute rounds, using the standard male regulation format to push her athleticism to the edge. But when she gets into the ring for real, the fight goes for only 10 two-minute rounds, the standard for women’s boxing. On Friday she will compete in the first women’s title fight in 15 years that has been sanctioned under men’s rules, and only the second one ever. It will also be the biggest, as title belts from three of the four major boxing sanctioning organizations will be up for grabs. “We’re able to showcase it on a worldwide stage,” Serrano said.

Persons: Amanda Serrano, “ We’re, ” Serrano, “, ”

November's rate for new purchases could be higher than the current 4.3% interest on I bonds bought through Oct. 31, leaving some investors wondering about whether to buy more. The variable rate adjusts every six months based on inflation and the Treasury can also change the fixed rate or keep it the same. (The fixed rate stays the same for investors after purchase, and the variable rate adjusts every six months based on the investor's purchase date.) Based on inflation, the variable rate in November will likely increase to 3.94% from 3.38%. But they'd need to purchase new I bonds between Nov. 1 and April 30 to score the increased fixed rate.

Persons: Ken Tumin, David Enna, you'll, DepositAccounts.com Organizations: Getty, U.S . Department of, Treasury Locations: —

☆ Why It Finally Pays to Keep Your Savings in Cash Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Steve Garmhausen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

By Steve GarmhausenGood news for savers: interest rates on high-yield savings accounts and CDs are beating inflation. Savings accounts and CDs, even the best of them, paid interest rates below the rate of inflation. If inflation is, say, 5% and your savings account pays 1%, $1,000 in cash will be worth just $960 in a year. The average savings account interest rate is just .42% and the typical one-year CD pays 1.72%. “The difference between an online savings account and the average brick and mortar account is huge right now,” says Tumin.

Persons: Steve Garmhausen, ”, Ken Tumin, they’ve Organizations: Federal, Fed, Capital, City Credit Union, Bond Fund, ETF

☆ Best 5-Year CD Rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Martha C. White | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Best 5-year CD ratesA five-year CD is one of the more common CD terms available. Our CD rate picks reflect the best available five-year CD rates we found on DepositAccounts, com, which tracks roughly 275,000 rates at more than 11,000 banks and credit unions. For instance, a five-year CD could represent your long-term horizon in a CD ladder also containing one, two, three and four-year CDs. You expect interest rates to fallThe current interest rate environment is great for savers, but if the U.S. economy slows, the Federal Reserve policy makers are likely to cut interest rates in order to stimulate the additional growth. These accounts’ interest rates are variable, so if prevailing interest rates decline, banks will cut their rates and you will earn less money.

Persons: Martha C, —, ”, Ken Tumin, Dillon Haviland Organizations: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Federal Reserve, Fed, TBH Advisors, FDIC, National Credit Union Administration Locations: U.S, Nashville, Tenn

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