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☆ How Buying a New Home Could Save You Money
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Aly J. Yale | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

As the median payment on a new mortgage creeps toward $2,200, most buyers are desperate to save cash wherever they can. They’re offering lower mortgage ratesIf slashed prices aren’t enough to get a mortgage payment in your budget, builders have another offer: A lower mortgage rate. (Essentially, the builder prepays the lender the interest for the years the mortgage rate is reduced). NAHB’s data shows that 29% of builders offered mortgage rate buydowns in October. “Many builders are using sales incentives—including mortgage rate buydowns—as a method of addressing housing affordability headwinds,” says Robert Dietz, chief economist at NAHB.

Persons: Aly J, ”, Nick Bailey, Max, Robert Dietz, buydowns —, Lennar, what’s, Angel Conlin, Pat Howard Organizations: Yale, Builders, National Association of Home Builders, “, NAHB, Kin Insurance Locations: Denver, Chicago, “, Policygenius

☆ Pedro Sánchez Secures New Term to Lead a Divided Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Jason Horowitz | More About Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish progressive leader, secured a second term as prime minister on Thursday after a polarizing agreement granting amnesty to Catalan separatists gave him enough support in Parliament to govern with a fragile coalition over an increasingly divided nation. With 179 votes, barely more than the 176 usually required to govern, Mr. Sánchez, who has been prime minister since 2018, won a chance to extend the progressive agenda, often successful economic policies and pro-European Union posture of his Socialist Party. The outcome was the result of months of haggling since an inconclusive July election in which neither the conservative Popular Party, which came in first, or the Socialist Party, which came in second, secured enough support to govern alone. But the fractures in Spain were less about left versus right and more about the country’s very geographic integrity and identity. Mr. Sánchez’s proposed amnesties have breathed new life into a secession issue that last emerged in 2017, when separatists held an illegal referendum over independence in the prosperous northeastern region of Catalonia.

Persons: Pedro Sánchez, Sánchez, Sánchez’s Organizations: Socialist Party, Popular Party Locations: Spanish, European, Spain, Catalonia

☆ Payments-app war drags banks into discomfort zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, Nov 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Banks tend to have a consistent message for customers who unwittingly make payments to scammers: tough break. Rapid growth in digital payments has brought out a softer side in lenders such as JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N). If the con artist was posing as the victim’s bank, a government agency or a legitimate company – say, a utility – the sender’s bank will return the funds if other criteria are met and recoup them from the recipient’s bank. From next year its banks will have to reimburse victims of online payment deceit. Moreover, convenience and trust are powerful weapons: Bank of America customers now use Zelle twice as often as their checkbooks.

Persons: Banks, Taylor Swift, Zelle, Wells, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, JPMorgan, Bank of America, TSB, SVB, Warning Services, Services, PNC Financial, US Bancorp, Truist, Thomson Locations: Zelle, Britain, Wells Fargo

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is one of three sprawling but sparsely populated nations that have U.S. ties governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs), under which Washington is responsible for their defense and provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swathes of ocean. Yun said he signed the agreement with RMI Foreign Minister Jack Ading in Honolulu, Hawaii, at a ceremony also attended by Marshallese President David Kabua. Analysts and former officials had blamed a delay in finalizing the Marshall Islands COFA on U.S. State Department lawyers wanting to control how new funds were spent and objecting to their being earmarked to address the nuclear legacy, fearing this could lay the U.S. open to more claims. A person familiar with the deal said all current federal programs, including education programs and the U.S. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Sandra Maler and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Joseph Yun, Biden, Yun, Jack Ading, David Kabua, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Sandra Maler, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United, Marshall, Reuters, The, Free Association, Washington, Northern, RMI, RMI Foreign, U.S, Congress, . State Department, U.S . Postal Service, U.S . Congress, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, Micronesia's, WASHINGTON, United States, The Republic, China, Northern Pacific, Palau, Micronesia, Washington, Honolulu , Hawaii, Marshall, Kwajalein

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is one of three sprawling but sparsely populated nations that have U.S. ties governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs), under which Washington is responsible for their defense and provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swathes of ocean. Yun told Reuters he planned to sign the COFA deal with RMI Foreign Minister Jack Adding in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 2 p.m. local time (0000 GMT Tuesday). Analysts and former officials had blamed a delay in finalizing the Marshall Islands COFA on U.S. State Department lawyers wanting to control how new funds were spent and objecting to their being earmarked to address the nuclear legacy, fearing this could lay the U.S. open to more claims. A person familiar with the deal said all current federal programs, including education programs and the U.S. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Joseph Yun, Biden, Yun, Jack, David Kabua, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Sandra Maler Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United, Reuters, The, Marshall, Free Association, Washington, Northern, RMI, RMI Foreign, U.S . Congress, . State Department, U.S, U.S . Postal Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, Micronesia's, WASHINGTON, United States, Marshall, Pacific, The Republic, China, Northern Pacific, Palau, Micronesia, Washington, Honolulu , Hawaii, Kwajalein

Also included is diabetes treatment Jardiance, which was used by nearly 1.6 million Medicare enrollees and had a 2022 out-of-pocket cost per enrollee of $490. In all last year, 9 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries paid more than $3.4 billion on these 10 drugs alone, the White House said. “For decades, drug companies in America made record profits while big pharma worked to block Medicare from being able to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors. Even with with Tuesday's prescription drugs announcement, however, the process could still be complicated by lawsuits from drugmakers and sharp criticism from Republicans. Biden noted that the drug manufacturers' agreeing to participate followed a court decision allowing Medicare price negotiation plans to move forward.

Persons: Joe Biden, White, “, ” Biden, Biden, ” Organizations: WASHINGTON, Medicare, Services, Democratic, Biden Locations: America, Atlanta

☆ Escape to These West African Islands Where the Touch of Tourism Is ‘Feather-Light’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Ryan Lenora Brown | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ARRIVE BY SEA Most visitors reach the Bissagos by boat from Bissau, the country’s capital. Photo: Alamy Stock PhotoAS A STRANGER carrying a plate of grilled fish approached me on the beach, slight annoyance pricked in my gut. My day on Bubaque, an island in the Bissagos archipelago of Guinea-Bissau in West Africa, had started with a bike ride through a forest of cashew trees, where I snacked on the custardy fruit plucked from the branches. Now I was sipping a beer as turquoise water sloshed over my feet. I didn’t feel like haggling over a fish.

Organizations: SEA Locations: Bissau, Guinea, West Africa

☆ Gold edges down as markets assess Fed's rate outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold edged lower on Monday after eking out a narrow gain last week, as investors assessed the U.S. Federal Reserve officials' decision to flag further interest rate hikes ahead of a consumer inflation print later this week. Spot gold was down 0.1% at $1,922.76 per ounce by 0525 GMT, while U.S. gold futures fell 0.2% to $1,942.30. SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed ETF, said its holdings fell on Friday to their lowest level since Jan. 2020. U.S. business activity showed little change in September, a survey published Friday showed, while a separate survey showed the euro zone economy is likely to contract this quarter and won't return to growth anytime soon. The Bank of Japan maintained ultra-low interest rates on Friday and pledged to bring inflation sustainably to its 2% target.

Persons: eking, Praveen Singh Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Trust, Bank of Japan Locations: Washington

With a potential government shutdown now less than a week away, President Biden and other administration officials this weekend intensified their warnings of the consequences of closing government agencies as they pressed congressional Republicans to find a way out of their spending stalemate. Both the president and the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, made public calls for Republicans to resolve their differences before next Sunday, when federal funding is set to lapse. Yet even after a weekend of private haggling at the Capitol, there was no sign that the G.O.P. “Now everyone in America could be forced to pay the price.”“Funding the government is one of the most basic responsibilities of Congress,” he said. “It’s time for Republicans to start doing the job America elected them to do.”

Persons: Biden, Pete Buttigieg, ” Mr, ”, Kevin McCarthy, “ Organizations: Republicans, Capitol, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, America Locations: America

☆ Take Five: An inflationary dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The week ahead brings more evidence of how much progress is left for developed-economy policymakers, while in the emerging world, India is set to enter the bond-market big time and a raft of central banks wrestle with a dilemma. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 3.3% in the 12 months through July. Line chart with data from LSEG Datastream show the U.S.'s inflation on personal consumption expenditures (PCE), core PCE inflation and the federal funds target rate from 2019 to 2023. Reuters Graphics5\ASIA'S CURRENCY CONUNDRUMAsian central banks have a dilemma: how to handle weakening economic growth and peaking inflation, while arresting the slide in currencies to maintain stability in their financial systems. But much may rest on decisions of other central banks further afield, namely the Federal Reserve.

Persons: Lewis Krauskopf, Naomi Rovnick, Karin Strohecker, Amanda Cooper, Perry Warjiyo, Toby Chopra Organizations: Federal, Fed, European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters, CLUB India, JPMorgan, Russell, Bank of, Bank, Thailand, Reserve, Thomson Locations: India, Vidya Ranganathan, Singapore, New York, London, Washington, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Bank of Indonesia, Philippine

☆ Auto execs still don't think the Tesla sales model will catch on
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Most automakers sell cars with a traditional franchise model, while Tesla sells direct-to-consumer. Auto executives still don't think the Tesla sales model will catch on — despite some pretty substantial shifts in the auto retail space already taking place. Automaker demands put some dealers on the chopping blockBut it's been a huge debate in the industry as auto dealers are a strong lobbying force, so much so that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis banned direct-to-consumer car sales in the state, with the exception of Tesla and EV startups that never had franchised dealers. Kerrigan experts have suggested this might be one way auto manufacturers are attempting to push out their dealerships amid the EV transition.

Persons: Tesla, Kerrigan, Jim Farley, Ron DeSantis, —, Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds, Dave Thomas Organizations: Morning, Auto, Kerrigan Advisors, EV, Reuters, Florida Gov Locations: Florida

☆ Morning Bid: Triple-A headache
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Four thousand U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009. On Tuesday, Fitch became the second major agency, after Standard & Poor's in 2011, to strip the United States of its prized triple-A credit rating. Jefferies notes that, with two of the three major agencies listing U.S. debt at AA, U.S. bonds no longer count as AAA in some key indices. However, according to Jefferies, most investors have moved away from some of the stricter criteria around holding triple-A rated debt, given Germany is the only large issuer left with that rating. Chart shows that the U.S.'s long-term foreign currency rating was downgraded by Fitch to AA+ in 2023, following a similar move from S&P in 2011.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Amanda Cooper, Fitch, Jefferies, it's, Dupont Nemours, Kraft, Phillips, Ingersoll Rand, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Standard, Capitol, Investors, Treasury, Moody's, Moody's Investors Service, U.S ., U.S, AA, AAA, CVS Health, Entergy, Kraft Heinz, Garmin, Brands, Bunge Ltd, Lincoln National, Occidental Petroleum, ETSY, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Atmos Energy, Equinix, Qualcomm, MGM Resorts, MetLife, Fitch, Reuters Graphics U.S, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Westminster , Colorado, U.S, United States, Aaa, Germany, Exelon, Albemarle, Occidental, Clorox

☆ Get ready to make a deal for your ride. InDrive is bringing its ride-hailing-haggling business to the US again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

InDrive is a ride-hailing app that lets customers haggle with drivers for fares. Many drivers are Uber and Lyft contractors eager to check out inDrive's promise of letting drivers and passengers negotiate ride prices, Arsen Tomsky, inDrive's CEO and founder, said. In 2022, inDrive was the second most downloaded ride-hailing app globally, behind Uber, according to Data.AI. Though it started in Russia, inDrive fully separated from its Russian business last year after the country invaded Ukraine, the company said. In addition to ride-hailing, inDrive in other global markets has added new business segments, including freight delivery, task assistance, and package delivery.

Persons: Arsen, Tomsky, InDrive, haggle, inDrive, Arsen Tomsky, Siberia Tomsky, Uber, Catalyst, verticals Organizations: Service, Fort Lauderdale , West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Taxi, Tomsky, Insight Partners, Bond Locations: Siberia, South Florida, Wall, Silicon, America, Asia, Miami, South Beach, Brickell, Fort Lauderdale , West Palm, New York City, New Yorkers, Pacific, Africa, haggling, Yakutsk, Siberian, Florida, Russia, Ukraine

☆ I renovated a 100-year-old home into a 70s-themed Airbnb that brings in thousands a month. Here's how we did it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The couple used Facebook Marketplace to buy most of the furniture and they only spent $1,900. We did most of the work ourselves and only did what was necessaryWe decided to renovate the AirBnB space mostly on our own and with friends to save labor costs. We found a new toilet and pedestal sink on Facebook Marketplace and just had to pay the plumber for installation. In order to keep the costs low, we sourced most of the items from Facebook Marketplace. You can do it without spending too much money, just get creative, and source decor from second-hand shops or Facebook Marketplace.

Persons: Qaid Jivan, Alyssa McDonald, Mcdonald, Jivan, we've, McDonald, Romy, Alyssa love, Alyssa Organizations: Service, Facebook, Vancouver Sun Locations: Vancouver, Wall, Silicon, Canada, San Pellegrino

☆ 10 US beach cities where the average host can make $200,000 or more per year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

These 10 US beach locations are expected to be rental hot spots this summer, according to AirDNA. Analytics firm AirDNA projects the average host can bring in $200,000 or more in these locations. The list calculates how often the average host is booked (average occupancy) and how much the average host is charging (average daily rate) to arrive at the annual revenue potential. The most iconic beach states — California and Florida — dominate the list with spots like Destin, Florida, and Monterey Bay, California, along with cities like Miami and San Diego. In all locations, AirDNA projects the average host could bring in around $200,000 or more this year.

Persons: Vrbo, Hilton Organizations: Service Locations: AirDNA . California, Florida, South Carolina, Wall, Silicon, — California, Destin , Florida, Monterey Bay , California, Miami, San Diego, , South Carolina

☆ Used cars may never be cheap again — here's what you need to know about shopping for one right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sometimes shopping used can require even more research and preparation than shopping for a new car. Used car prices have been notoriously volatile since the pandemic and squeezes on inventory have allowed sellers of used cars to jack up prices based on urgent needs. While this option can be great for new car shopping if you're on a budget, used car leases can be dangerous. Even when buying a used car, warranties are an important part of used car shopping. If repair costs are a concern for you, consider purchasing an extended warranty on your used car.

Persons: you've, that's, Kelley Organizations: Morning, Companies, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, CPO

☆ Less Haggling, More Upselling: How EVs Will Change How You Buy a Car
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Stephen Wilmot | Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/less-haggling-more-upselling-how-evs-will-change-how-you-buy-a-car-5018a245

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ A Wall Street analyst was haggled at a car dealership — and it left him wishing he had bought a Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One Wall Street analyst recounted his recent efforts to buy a new truck that almost left him paying thousands above sticker price. Longtime Tesla bull Adam Jonas went car shopping recently and discovered firsthand what many Tesla fans have long adored about the automaker: Buying a Tesla is a lot easier than shopping at a traditional car dealership. The Morgan Stanley analyst said he got the typical dealership treatment when he went to an unnamed brand's sales lot. It's an experience nearly every car buyer has experienced, especially in an age where incentives and discounts are scant. It's a smooth process that is creating an increasingly visible discrepancy between the legacy car buying experience and the Tesla experience."

Persons: Tesla, Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley, — Jonas, Jonas, Jonas pining, They're, Ford, Jim Farley Organizations: Tesla, Prime, eventual, Ford, Elon

Most big bank stocks were trading lower in afternoon trading with the S&P 500 banking index (.SPXBK) down nearly 1% on Monday. U.S. regulators, led by the Federal Reserve, are also expected to propose this month increasing average bank capital requirements by as much as 20% a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Regional bank stocks also logged broad declines on Monday, with the KBW Regional Banking Index (.KRX) shedding 2%. The impending international capital rules come amid a broader Fed review of lenders' capital requirements. "It's not shocking that you should expect to see some capital requirements being increased and a little more oversight is expected given what has happened with regional banks," Janasiewicz said.

Persons: Wells, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Jack Janasiewicz, Janasiewicz, Chibuike Oguh, Manya Saini, Michelle Price, Lance Tupper, Aurora Ellis Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan Chase &, Wells Fargo & Co, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Citigroup, Bank of America Corp, Treasury, Natixis Investment, U.S, Federal Reserve, Reuters, Street Journal, Basel Committee, KBW, PacWest Bancorp, Western Alliance, Comerica Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, Basel, Regional, New York

I should've known better than to travel during the holidays, and I paid the cost for doing it anyway. I let my travel partner plan the trip, and a delayed flight meant that all his plans went awry. The trip cost me thousands of dollars and put me off international travel. My ill-fated trip to Morocco in 2019 put the final nail in the coffin of my romantic relationship and a nasty dent in my finances. The impossibly brisk pace of the trip and the time difference meant that our cancelled flight resulted in thousands of dollars lost on cancelled hotels, tours, and transportation.

Persons: —, I'd, Mercedes, we'd Organizations: Service Locations: Morocco, Montreal, Old, Toronto

☆ Telco tycoons’ UK bets look stuck underwater
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Set those complications aside, however, and his stake-building may have cost about 4.2 billion pounds overall since 2021. That’s according to Breakingviews calculations which use the share price from the day before each stake increase became public. The holding is now worth 3.6 billion pounds, implying a nearly 560 million pound or 13% loss. That’s mild compared with some of Vodafone’s investors. But UK consolidation would hardly move the needle as Vodafone is haggling to retain control of the merged entity.

Ships in the Autonomous Port of Cotonou in Benin, West Africa. Prosper Dagnitche/AFP/Getty ImagesThe stream of used cars heading to West African ports is only expected to increase with the West’s shift to electric vehicles. “It’s not like people want to drive used cars; it’s an affordability issue.”Experts say demand for used cars could explode further as the take up of electric cars in the West increases the supply of used cars to African countries. Those states also have robust port operations, making them an ideal place to ship used cars to Africa. “In terms of where Africa goes, the transition shouldn’t necessarily be from used cars to brand new combustion engines, it should be from used cars to EVs,” Ipke said.

☆ Biden's budget vs. House debt limit bill on spending, deficits, taxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his fellow Republicans' "Limit Save and Grow Act" is a spending reduction bill that would cut 2024 federal discretionary spending to fiscal 2022 levels and rescind signature Biden programs already approved by Congress. Republicans: The House bill would cut 2024 U.S. discretionary spending back to the 2022 level of $1.664 trillion and limit subsequent annual increases to 1% for a decade. The discretionary spending proposals would add $2.23 trillion to deficits over 10 years, offset by tax increases. Biden: Full enactment of the fiscal 2024 budget request would reduce deficits by $2.857 trillion, according to the White House. Estimates for Biden's budget request are from the White House, as CBO has not yet issued a score.

☆ Gold ticks higher as economic risks persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gold prices edged higher on Monday as the U.S. debt ceiling stalemate and concerns of an economic slowdown steered some traders towards the safe-haven metal. Spot gold was up 0.2% at $2,014.44 per ounce by 0432 GMT, after falling for three sessions. Bullion tends to gain during times of economic or financial uncertainty, but higher interest rates dim non-yielding gold's appeal. Markets are pricing in an 83.4% chance of the U.S. central bank holding rates at the current level in June, according to the CME FedWatch tool. But taking some shine off gold, rival safe-haven dollar rose to a five-week high against major peers and made bullion less affordable for buyers holding other currencies.

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