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☆ Russian factory activity expands at quickest rate in six years in Feb -PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The S&P Global Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose in February to 53.6 from 52.6 in January, moving further above the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. Manufacturing firms surveyed highlighted that February's solid rise in production was linked to import substitution and a further expansion in new orders, S&P Global said in a statement. Input costs increased further, the survey showed, with the rate of inflation accelerating. "The pace of increase in input prices was sharp and the fastest since May 2022," S&P Global said. "Concurrently, the rate of job creation eased further," S&P Global said.

☆ Renewed U.S. junk bond rally ignites hope for more stuck buyout debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Matt Tracy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

This exercise now has more impetus on expectations that junk bond prices will continue to rally in the wake of Powell's comments, which raised hopes of slowing rate hikes and a so-called economic soft landing. Junk bond spreads on average tightened 37 basis points on Wednesday, the day of Powell's remarks, from a day earlier, according to ICE BAML data. This is around the level in September when banks sold only about half of the total $15 billion of debt through a U.S. dollar bond, leveraged loan and a Euro-denominated loan. Reuters could not confirm the exact amount sold in these sales and balance of LBO debt still left with banks. Banks could consider selling larger parcels of LBO debt in the primary bond markets where there has been a surge in new issue supply, said the sources.

A slow real estate market is the most straightforward reason to consider an interest-rate buydown. If you're in a strong financial position and want to sell your home quickly, consider a buydown. People also ask whether they should sell and cash out on the appreciation of their real estate over the last few years. If selling some real estate is in your financial plan for 2023, though, then an interest-rate buydown, or seller buydown, might be worth offering. You're selling a 'starter home'While most first-time homebuyers anticipate staying in their first home for several decades, many typically stay in their home for five to 10 years.

Buyers love interest rate buydowns because they come with reduced interest on their mortgage. That has led to an uptick in interest rate buydowns — money paid upfront to secure a lower interest rate. Jones saw interest rate buydowns increase last year, particularly in the second half of 2022. But interest rate buydowns can also be good for sellers even if buydown points come at a cost. To lower the interest rate permanently, each point costs 1% of the loan and usually lowers the interest rate by 0.25%.

☆ The world is 'dangerously unprepared' to handle the next pandemic, the Red Cross says in a scathing report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The world is "dangerously unprepared" for future pandemics, the Red Cross warned in a report. The Red Cross' secretary general said the COVID-19 pandemic "should be a wake-up call." The humanitarian aid organization said in its World Disasters Report released Monday that "many countries" were not prepared for COVID-19 and that "all countries remain dangerously unprepared for future outbreaks." Pandemic preparedness plans, the report says, "should include concrete measures to strengthen equity, trust, and local action." By 2024, according to the report, all countries should adopt a new treaty and revised International Health Regulations.

☆ All countries 'dangerously unprepared' for future pandemics, says IFRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The world is "dangerously unprepared" for future pandemics, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) say in a report published on Monday, calling on countries to update their preparedness plans by year-end. In its World Disasters Report 2022, the IFRC said "all countries remain dangerously unprepared for future outbreaks" despite COVID-19 killing more people than any earthquake, drought or hurricane in history. said Jagan Chapagain, secretary general of the IFRC, the world's largest disaster response network. "There will be no excuse for a continued lack of preparedness after having gone through three terrible years." "The important thing is there has to be a political will to commit to that," he said.

☆ South Korea pension fund will deplete faster than expected, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Jan 27 (Reuters) - South Korea's huge national pension fund is set to see its pool of money depleted by 2055, earlier than expected, because of a shrinking population amid low economic growth, an official estimate showed on Friday. A government panel commissioned for the estimate, made every five years, said in a report that the National Pension Service (NPS) would see its fund depleted two years earlier than 2018 estimate predicted. The fund will grow until at least 2040 as the relatively young pension system, launched in 1988, still has more contributions than payments. President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May 2022, has promised sweeping reforms of the national pension system with the aim of making it more sustainable, and the panel's findings will be the basis for the reform plans. South Korea's population has started shrinking since reaching its peak in 2020 at 51.84 million, and the speed of decline will likely quicken because of low birth rates, official data and estimates show.

☆ 12 ways to save on groceries during inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jamie Johnson | Jamie Johnson Is A Kansas City-Based Personal Finance Writer Whose Work Has Been Featured On Several Of The Top Finance | Business Sites In The Country | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

12 ways to save money on groceriesGroceries are an unavoidable purchase, but by shopping strategically, you can avoid paying full price at the store. You can also use loyalty programs to save money at your favorite stores. Retailers like Walmart, Target, and Kroger all offer membership programs where you can earn free delivery for groceries, save money on gas, and learn about in-store promotions. Buying in bulkYou can save on groceries during inflation by buying household products in bulk at warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's Club. Get organized and plan aheadOne of the best ways to avoid overspending is to go to the grocery store with a plan.

The bottom line: Pentagon Federal Credit Union is a solid choice for conventional, FHA, or VA mortgages thanks to its competitive rates. Pentagon Federal Credit Union vs. Navy Federal mortgagesPenFed Credit Union Navy Federal Credit Union Types of home loans Conforming, jumbo, FHA, VA, HELOC Types of home loans Conforming, jumbo, VA Standout feature Power Buyer certification Standout feature Alternative credit data Get Started Compare RatesPenFed and Navy Federal Credit Union are both solid options if you want a lender that emphasizes services and products for military members or families. How Pentagon Federal Credit Union mortgages workPenFed is featured in our best banks and credit unions for military members and their families guide. Is Pentagon Federal Credit Union trustworthy? Pentagon Federal Credit Union mortgage FAQWhat credit score do PenFed mortgages use?

☆ China growth seen rebounding to 4.9% in 2023, more stimulus on the cards: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We expect economic activities and consumption to rebound strongly from March-April onwards, helped by post-COVID re-opening and release of excess savings," Tao Wang, chief China economist at UBS, said in a research note. Reuters GraphicsThe expected 2022 growth rate would be far below the official target of around of 5.5%. China is likely to aim for economic growth of at least 5% in 2023 to keep a lid on unemployment, policy sources said. "Economic policy would turn more supportive in 2023. Consumer inflation will likely quicken to 2.3% in 2023 from 2.0% in 2022, before steadying in 2024, the poll showed.

☆ Wells Fargo is retreating from the mortgage market it once led
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Wells Fargo, long one of the biggest players in the mortgage business, is taking a big step back. Wells Fargo said it will also exit its correspondent business, which buys loans made by other lenders, and reduce the size of its mortgage servicing portfolio. The retreat will likely cause Wells Fargo to lay off at least some employees, though the bank did not announce any specifics. The move comes as Wells Fargo continues to be in trouble with regulators. In late 2017, Quicken Loans toppled Wells Fargo as America’s largest mortgage lender.

☆ Carbon-Plated Sneakers: Pro Runners Love Them, but Do You Need a Pair?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Amanda Loudin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Bulbous and gaudy, the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% 2 feature a carbon-fiber footplate, promising energy return with each step. Mr. Kipchoge theoretically could have slayed the record sans the shoes, but it is telling he’s worn them each time he’s tried. Now less-stellar runners are asking themselves if their shoes need carbon plates too. Minimalist sneakers, like the unmistakable Vibram FiveFingers, gained cachet over a decade ago for encouraging a low-impact gait. But carbon-plated shoes are explicitly designed to maximize speed by cutting down on the energy lost when the foot bends, seizing the imagination of podium seekers.

☆ Why do I owe taxes this year? 6 reasons you may not get a refund
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Jamie Johnson | Lisa Niser | Jamie Johnson Is A Kansas City-Based Personal Finance Writer Whose Work Has Been Featured On Several Of The Top Finance | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Common reasons include underpaying quarterly taxes if you're self-employed or not updating your withholding as a W-2 employee. Let's look at six common reasons some people could owe money to the IRS. Editor's Rating 4.6/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Editor's Rating 3.7/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Editor's Rating 4.5/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Learn more On Tax Slayer's website Learn more On Liberty Tax's website Learn more On H&R Block's website1. If you underpay your quarterly taxes — or fail to pay them — you could owe money at the end of the year. If you haven't paid any income taxes on the benefits you received, you may owe money when you file.

Pros Check mark icon A check mark. If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards customer, you can get discounts Check mark icon A check mark. Pros Check mark icon A check mark. Advanced tool for seeing personalized rates and payments Check mark icon A check mark. Variety of home loans, including a specialized buydown loan or I CAN loan Check mark icon A check mark.

[1/2] A logo for Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seen at the Collision conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenNov 30 (Reuters) - French IT consulting firm Atos (ATOS.PA) is making Amazon.com's (AMZN.O) cloud services division its preferred partner for migrating its clients' workloads to the cloud, it said on Wednesday. The enhanced partnership will allow Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world's number one cloud computing services provider, access to more than 800 of Atos' infrastructures services customers globally and lead to the training of 20,000 employees on AWS' technology at Atos. The AWS-Atos partnership will allow Atos' customers with large infrastructure outsourcing contracts to quicken their workload migrations to the cloud, Atos said in its statement. Atos said it would consult with over 800 customers to offer a new hybrid cloud service with the option to move selected workloads to AWS.

Christopher Gregory/Getty ImagesDonald McGahn, Trump campaign counsel: I was at the top. Trump's 2016 campaign aides said they paid about 50 people, including part-time actors, to appear as supporters for his 2016 campaign announcement. Corey Lewandowski, Trump campaign managerCorey Lewandowski: I called my wife just as we were getting onto the plane. Stuff that would be from Mars on any other campaign was perfectly normal for the Trump campaign. Mark J. Terrill/AP photo Show less Trump at the Republican National Convention while Cruz speaks on July 20, 2016.

☆ Renault CFO: Nissan eyeing equity stake in electric and software unit Ampere
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Nissan (7201.T) is considering taking an equity stake in the Ampere unit, which could be listed on the stock market at the end of 2023, Renault (RENA.PA) chief financial officer Thierry Pieton told an investor presentation on Tuesday. The scale of Renault's planned overhaul- encompassing the gasoline engine business it has code-named "Horse" and the electric one code-named "Ampere" - speaks to the pressure automakers now feel from investors and regulators to quicken their move to electric vehicles, with Europe having effectively banned combustion engines from 2035. Reporting by Gilles Guillaume and Sudip Kar-Gupta, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Renault's joint venture with Geely will employ 19,000 people at 17 powertrain factories and three research and development hubs, the companies said, adding they expect to reach a final agreement and launch the new company in 2023. Renault and Geely will each hold 50%, the companies said in a statement that did not detail other financial terms. Nissan has said it is considering an investment in the Ampere electric venture. Renault and Geely said they expect their new joint venture would supply internal combustion engines and hybrid powertrains to both Nissan and the junior partner in Renault's existing alliance, Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T). Renault and Geely have an existing joint venture in South Korea.

☆ Want to buy a house, but spooked by 7% rates? A mortgage broker lays out 4 things to do to make it happen.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Top mortgage broker Erica Davis gave 4 tips for people hoping to buy despite the high rates. But there's hope for those that want to forge ahead and buy a house anyway, Erica Davis, a mortgage broker at Guild Mortgage, a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-based firm, told Insider. Not only are rates high, but closing costs are high, too. For a $300,000 mortgage, closing costs will likely be between $6,000 and $15,000. A credit score of 620 — which is in the "fair" range — or higher can generally allow buyers to secure a mortgage, according to Quicken Loans, a mortgage-loan provider.

☆ Edtech firm Classera raises $40 mln in round led by PIF's Sanabil
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Yousef Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Series A round was led by Sanabil Investments, fully owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF). Other investors were Global Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, 500 Global, Sukna Venture and Seedra Ventures. "The round additionally included a diverse set of investors from Silicon Valley, emerging markets, and global family offices," the company said in a statement, without naming them. "Many learning institutions, especially after the pandemic, are convinced they need the next generation of e-learning solutions," Classera co-founder and CEO Mohammad Almadani said in the statement. Sanabil said in the same statement it was "fully committed to enable Classera to further expand its reach to learners across all socio-economic backgrounds."

A fixed-rate mortgage locks in your interest rate for the entire life of your loan. To determine how much interest you'll pay and whether your rate will change later, you'll choose between two types of mortgages: a fixed-rate mortgage or adjustable-rate mortgage. Fixed-rate mortgagesWith a fixed-rate mortgage, your interest rate remains the same for the entire life of the loan. Adjustable-rate mortgagesWith an adjustable-rate mortgage, commonly referred to as an ARM, rates and monthly payments remain the same for a set period of time, then change periodically. Calculate your monthly mortgage paymentUse our free mortgage calculator to see how different rates could affect your payments over the years.

But there are fans of another court-based sport that are greeting the news with much less enthusiasm: tennis players. In apartment complexes and retirement centers across the country, tennis courts are being scrapped in favor of pickleball courts. Its courts are similar to tennis courts, just smaller, so many players repurpose tennis courts with chalk or paint to lay out the pickleball dimensions. Yet dozens of new dedicated pickleball courts are being built all over America, which will soon help ease the problem of overcrowding. So for any tennis players out there worried that pickleball will demolish your own game’s success, you can rest easy.

☆ Meet a couple who retired and then quickly went back to work because of sky-high inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Stephen and Karen White retired in 2021, but then they rejoined the workforce. The couple made the choice to retire in the beginning of 2021 after visiting Washington, but the pandemic's impact also played a role. After both officially retired in the summer of 2021, skyrocketing inflation pushed the couple to walk back their plans and go back to the workforce grind. Stephen went back to work in education. "Workers who say they've retired regularly return to work after some time away."

☆ China Q3 growth seen bouncing 3.4%, but 2022 set for worst performance in decades
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Growth is expected to pick up to 3.8% in the fourth quarter, bringing the 2022 pace to 3.2%, far below the official target of around 5.5%. Investors will look for policy signals from a historic congress of the ruling Communist Party due to start on Sunday. The expected 2022 growth would be lower than 4.0% analysts had forecast in a Reuters poll in July and 5.0% in April's forecast. The government is due to release third-quarter GDP data, along with Sept. activity data, on October 18 at 0200 GMT. Economic growth is forecast to quicken to 5.0% in 2023.

The minimum credit score that you'll need to buy a house varies by lender and loan type. You may be surprised to learn that minimum credit score requirements will vary by lender and loan type. Minimum credit score: No minimum, but with a credit score of at least 640 you could qualify for streamlined credit analysisIt's important to point out lenders are free to set higher minimum credit score requirements than what the loan-backing organizations require. When it comes to your credit score, your bank or credit card issuer may provide your score for free. If not, you can also use a free credit score monitoring tool like Credit Karma or Credit Sesame.

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