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☆ How to afford the big price tag of your lifetime 'bucket list'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The 36-year-old public relations professional has an opportunity to check something off his life 'bucket list': Seeing his favorite band, Metallica, play live. Whether Beyonce tickets, Super Bowl weekends or dream vacations after years of COVID restrictions, our bucket lists carry big price tags that seem to be rising every year. So how can we fund our bucket lists, without being totally irresponsible? One solution for this is to save for your bucket list item in a separate account. “There is one item I see on bucket lists that is actually getting less expensive – education,” says Brandon Welch, an investment advisor in La Mesa, California.

☆ Lidar makers Ouster and Velodyne complete their merger, creating a sector powerhouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( John Rosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Lidar makers Ouster and Velodyne said on Monday that they have successfully completed a "merger of equals," creating a lidar powerhouse. The combined company will have more than 850 current customers, a deep portfolio of patents and about $315 million in cash on hand, based on year-end figures. Those developments helped set the stage for consolidation in the lidar space, Ouster CEO Angus Pacala said when the deal was first announced. Pacala, who will lead the combined company, told CNBC in an interview on Monday that the merger is "a major step toward profitability for Ouster." Velodyne's CEO, Ted Tewksbury, will chair the combined company's board of directors, and its chief financial officer, Mark Weinswig, will retain that role with Ouster, while Ouster co-founder Mark Frichtl will serve as the combined company's chief technology officer.

☆ Love & money: Four ways to avoid financial infidelity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NEW YORK, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Sorry to break it to you, but your romantic partner may be sharing a secret relationship. One interesting note is that younger generations are hoarding the biggest financial secrets. ESTABLISH A ‘MONEY DATE’Since talking about money is such a taboo, it is challenging to know how or when to bring it up. DO IT NOWIf you imagine that keeping a few little money secrets will not harm anybody, you are wrong. According to a 2021 study by the National Endowment for Financial Education, 85% said financial infidelity affected their relationship in some way.

☆ What is your Plan B? Prepping for a money reset
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

With layoffs accelerating – especially in tech, with 140,000 last year and 58,000 so far this year, according to Crunchbase – your Plan B might not be just a theory anymore. To help you do that, there is the timely new book “The Great Money Reset” from Jill Schlesinger, CBS News business analyst and host of the “Jill On Money” radio show and podcast. In other words, the question is not whether a Great Money Reset is coming your way – it is when. “A Plan B doesn’t mean you have to chuck your whole career,” Schlesinger says. OVERHAUL YOUR SPENDINGThe amount you are spending, or not spending, is going to determine the number and quality of your Plan B options.

☆ What the world’s longest happiness study says about money
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NEW YORK, Feb 6 (Reuters) - For generations, society has grappled with the question of whether money brings happiness. That's according to the findings of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the world's longest study on happiness. In the Harvard study, the sample of participants with “more prestigious jobs and more money were no happier in their lives,” Schulz says. “Rather than buying a bigger house or a nicer car, if you use your money to share experiences with others, that money will get you a better return on happiness,” Schulz says. DO A MINI-HARVARD STUDY – ON YOURSELFHow the Harvard Study operates is by checking in with respondents – 724 original participants, some of whom are still around, and 1,300 descendants – for occasional reflection and self-evaluation.

☆ What to do when your term life insurance is ending
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Almost 20 years ago, the 64-year-old Westfield, New Jersey, resident took out a term life insurance policy, to help cover his family in case the worst happened. Remember there are different types of life insurance on the market, and those with "permanent" versions do not face this conundrum. PURCHASE A NEW TERM POLICYIf your first term policy is winding up, and you are still in excellent health, shop around for a new term policy. "Can you convert the term life policy to a permanent policy?" "If you can obtain long-term care benefits as a rider through another life policy, that may the way to go."

☆ How to cure a holiday debt hangover
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Some call it the “holiday debt hangover,” and this year seems much worse than most. Some other worrisome findings: A quarter of people say they already regret their holiday purchases. “When people go into holiday credit-card debt, it’s not like the expenses stop there,” said Tori Dunlap, author of the new book “Financial Feminist” and founder of the site HerFirst100K.com. Think about shifting that debt over to a card where you will pay 0% for an introductory period. To figure out why you are going into holiday debt, you may have to do that hard emotional work, Dunlap said.

☆ Football and Finances: NFL's Ndamukong Suh teaches kids money smarts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

That would be Ndamukong Suh, 36, an American football star who strikes fear into the hearts of opposing teams. Some NFL players and other well-paid professional athletes run into money troubles after their playing careers end. But Suh did fall into a typical money trap early in his career, spending more than he should have. Personally I made the mistake of going out to nightclubs and spending $25,000 to $50,000, versus taking that money and investing it." It is his hope that beyond the current target cities, the money smarts initiative with Intuit will go global.

☆ Debt bomb, biotech bump and a bond rally: 2023 money predictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

What does 2023 hold for investors? Prediction: Debt bombSarah NewcombSarah Newcomb, director of financial psychology at Morningstar“I’m concerned about the lack of saving in America as a whole. We had a moment of higher savings rates when the pandemic first hit, and people realized they needed to be prepared for anything. The optimism of these entrepreneurs for continued growth in the new year points to resilience amid some tough financial decisions they’ll likely make in 2023. “For instance, we expect to see a rise in debt consolidation as business owners look to combat the rate environment.

☆ Strength of 'weak ties': How casual contacts can boost your career
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

That is what researchers call “weak ties” - and they can be surprisingly critical to your career path. "Weak ties give you access to a lot more information.”Among New Year’s resolutions, finding a better job or career ranks high on many lists. Then set up informational interviews with new weak ties that result, and your job search will be cooking with gas. “Look for people who tend to run in a lot of circles, because they’re the ones who can introduce you to new weak ties,” said Augustine. REACH OUTOne barrier to leveraging weak ties is that people tend to feel uncomfortable about it.

☆ Why college coaches are a hot employee benefit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Then she came across an employee benefit her company offered: A "college coach." It is an intriguing employee benefit, in the era of the 'Great Resignation' and 'Quiet Quitting.' says Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Getting help from college coaches is not to discount the critical work school counselors do every day. Since we are in the thick of application season, do not waste time in finding out if you have this employee benefit, especially if your teenager is looking ahead to college next fall.

☆ Fed Rate Hikes Mean ‘Fantastic’ Savings Rates. Are You Still Earning Less than 1%?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

A series of rate hikes from the Federal Reserve—including a 0.5 percentage point increase on Wednesday—has left its benchmark federal-funds rate rate in a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, the highest level seen in 15 years. “Savings rates right now are fantastic,” says Joe Duran, co-head of Goldman Sachs Workplace and Personal Wealth. “Banks want to be competitive, so when Fed rate increases happen, they are usually quick to increase savings rates,” says Duran. Where Savings and CD Rates Are Headed NextWith interest rates steadily increasing, the key question for savers becomes: Should I lock in rates now, or wait for even better offers? In fact, the average savings rate nationally is only 0.24%, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp—quite paltry considering where the Fed rate is.

☆ Tipping Point: New tip guidelines for holiday giving
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

“I talk on etiquette issues all year long, and tipping is the one that always gets thousands of comments. The findings are a mixed bag for service providers, with some good news and some bad news about what is coming their way. But when it comes to holiday tipping, people just do not know what to do. That is called tipflation or tip creep, Farley says, and you should feel under no moral obligation to do so. But it's better to focus on the ongoing service providers in your life, who should be recognized with a healthy year-end tip.

Blackstone (BX.N) limited withdrawals from its $69 billion unlisted REIT on Thursday after redemption requests hit pre-set limits amid investor concerns it was slow to adjust valuations as interest rate surged, a source close to the fund said. The development is yet another reminder of the risks facing not just sectors that are sensitive to higher interest rates but also broader financial markets, which have rallied sharply on hopes that interest rate hikes will slow. "REITS had a fantastic performance for a couple of months but when you have that outperformance, investors don't react to traditional fundamental signals such as rising rates," she said. But in recent weeks expectations have risen that the Fed will "pivot" from aggressive tightening, prompting investors to price in lower peak interest rates. Blackstone has reported a 9.3% year-to-date net return for the REIT, while the publicly traded Dow Jones U.S.

☆ How High Will CD Rates Go in 2023?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Whether or not CD rates will continue to rise in 2023 depends a lot on what the Fed does to fight inflation, with higher inflation likely higher interest rates. Where will CD rates go in 2023? There is no direct relationship between CD rates and those set by the Federal Reserve, since banks can offer whatever interest rates they wish. And that means that CD rates likely have a little room to rise, but not a whole lot. While CD rates continually shift, it’s now possible to find rates of between 4% and 5% from well-known institutions like Capital One, BMO Harris, Synchrony and more.

☆ Snowflake shares tumble on light product revenue guidance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

To honor the occasion, Snowflake the bear, joined by Chris Taylor, Vice President, NYSE Listings and Services, rings The Opening Bell®. Shares of the cloud data platform provider Snowflake fell more than 13% in extended trading on Wednesday after the company released third-quarter results that beat estimates but offered light product revenue guidance. The largest part of revenue, product revenue, also grew 67% year over year to $523 million. Product revenue is a key metric for Snowflake since it recognizes revenue based on platform consumption. Snowflake said it anticipates product revenue will be between $535 million and $540 million in its fourth quarter, short of the $553 million expected by analysts estimates according to StreetAccount.

☆ The Caregiver's Lament: How to handle the costs of care
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In fact, the United States has 53 million unpaid caregivers, according to a study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP. No wonder 62% of caregivers for loved ones with disabilities or special needs report being overwhelmed by financial stress, according to Fidelity. However, “programs do exist at the federal and state level to help families and caregivers,” said Dyvonne Body, author of the Aspen Institute report. “In our surveys, 46% of caregivers don’t even think to ask about benefits like that,” said Fidelity’s Stoddard. Long-term care insurance helps with issues like home healthcare and nursing homes, with policy premiums generally cheaper the earlier you secure coverage.

☆ Lidar makers Ouster and Velodyne agree to merge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( John Rosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Lidar makers Ouster and Velodyne have agreed to merge, combining roughly $400 million in market value. Lidar sensors are considered important components of nearly all autonomous-vehicle systems currently under development, and are finding increasing applications with advanced driver-assist systems as well as other areas of robotics. "We all knew that there is a need for consolidation in the market," Pacala told CNBC. Between them, Ouster and Velodyne had a combined $355 million in cash as of September 30, Pacala said. But as newer rivals with solid-state lidar sensors — including Ouster, founded in 2015 — entered the automotive space, the early leader fell behind.

☆ Carlyle's David Rubenstein on how to invest now
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It may have been drawn up under England's King John, but these days it belongs to David M. Rubenstein. To learn how Rubenstein amassed those kind of resources, look no further than his new book, “How To Invest: Masters on the Craft." At that time, there was not a whole lot of investing going on, with his father working a blue-collar existence for the Post Office, living paycheck-to-paycheck. Nevertheless, Rubenstein seems to have done alright, with a net worth currently estimated by Forbes at $3.2 billion. RUBENSTEIN'S ADVICE TO INVESTORS BIG AND SMALLWhen it comes to philanthropy, Rubenstein takes a surprisingly hands-on approach – no foundation, no staff, just him.

And the House Democrats’ campaign arm last week deployed hundreds of thousands of dollars to save its chairman in a Biden district north of New York City. “And I think that right there explains why this red wave is going to be so big.”The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm for House Democrats, said it isn't throwing in the towel. “Nearly a week from Election Day, House Democrats are well positioned to retain the majority despite a Republican gerrymandered map and MAGA Republicans’ dark money-fueled campaigns. Connecticut’s 5th District: Democrats have already spent $4.5 million to re-elect Hayes in a district that backed Biden 54.6% to Trump's 43.9% in the last election. Between now and Election Day, Democrats said they plan to spend an additional $1.5 million in ads to combat comparable spending by Republicans.

For the second time in as many election cycles, Democrats are launching an 11th-hour rescue mission to save the very House campaigns chief responsible for protecting vulnerable incumbents and preserving their fragile House majority. The DCCC also informed front-line members before announcing the ad buy in Maloney's district, a Democratic aide said. He’s built a campaign and we’ve built an operation at the DCCC that can support that reality,” Taylor said. In an interview with NBC News earlier this year, Maloney laid out that very playbook for protecting vulnerable incumbent Democrats. “While Lawler was voting against common sense gun safety reforms like not allowing teenagers to buy semi-automatic weapons, Rep. Maloney was helping pass bipartisan gun safety reforms,” Ehrenberg said in a statement.

☆ U.S. student debt relief: What you need to know now
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But the Biden administration’s new U.S. student debt relief program is not just an academic subject for her. That is because McKay is still dealing with student debt from her days getting a graduate degree at Carnegie Mellon University. So she is not just studying the student debt relief application that went live the other day (https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application) – she is filling it out herself. When and if the debt relief goes through, your loan servicer will let you know. BEWARE OF SCAMSThe student debt relief program has already brought scammers out of the woodwork, warns the Federal Trade Commission (https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/10/now-student-loan-debt-relief-application-open-spot-scams).

☆ The new allowance rule? Allow for inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNEW YORK, Sept 29 (Reuters) - If you are feeling the effects of inflation, here is a news flash: Your kid is, too. The year-over-year inflation rate in August was 8.3% – dipping slightly from previous highs, but still eating into parents’ paychecks. Which begs the question: How much should parents factor inflation into their allowance-setting decisions, if at all? After all, the 3.5% year-over-year allowance bump doesn’t really reflect the full scope of all the inflationary pressures out there. “So parents might be giving them extra jobs outside their allowances, in order to compensate for inflation,” he says.

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