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Banks offer a grace period once a CD term ends, when you can decide to renew the term or withdraw money. Before automatically renewing a CD, always review the current CD rates available at your bank. What happens when your CD reaches maturityOnce your CD has reached maturity, you'll have the flexibility to make changes to your account. Alternatives to CDsIf you've decided you'll need access to your money relatively soon, a high-yield savings account or money market account are alternative savings account options. If you receive a CD maturity notice and decide not to act, usually your CD will automatically renew for another term.

☆ Column: Where to park the 401(k) when you switch jobs or retire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Mark Miller | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

When you change jobs or retire, you have three basic choices: leave your retirement account where it is, roll it over to a new employer or move it to a standalone individual retirement account (IRA). When does it make sense to leave a 401(k) plan behind? A rollover can make sense if you are in a 401(k) plan with poor investment choices or high fees. FOCUS ON THE FEESPew analyzed the difference between average institutional and retail share class expense ratios across all mutual funds that offered at least one institutional share class and one retail share class in 2019. There is also a case to be made for staying in your 401(k) plan - especially if you work for a large employer.

☆ Ivory Coast cotton output to fall 50% in 2022/23, says minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABIDJAN, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's cotton output for the 2022/23 season is expected to fall by 50% to 269,000 tonnes due to parasites, Agriculture Minister Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani said on Friday. A tiny green grasshopper-shaped parasite called "jasside" has infested cotton crops and slashed output forecasts across West Africa for the 2022/23 season. Adjoumani said that the government would allocate 34.52 billion CFA francs ($57.48 million) to help compensate farmers for their losses. Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, was among Africa's leading cotton exporters before civil war broke out in 2002. Ivory Coast cashew nut output rose 6% to 1,028,172 tonnes in 2022 due to good weather conditions.

Under a Biden administration plan, married couples filing taxes separately could get student-loan payments eliminated altogether. When filing separately, you can use your lower AGI to get lower monthly payments. Married couples could lower their monthly payments even more by filing their taxes separately, Hornsby says. Use this equation to calculate your new monthly student-loan paymentsHere's an equation you can use to estimate your new monthly student-loan payments, factoring in the new proposed IDR regulations. When filing separately, married people are no longer eligible to claim the $2,500 student-loan interest tax deduction.

☆ Life's no longer rosy at Senegal's Pink Lake after floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Ngouda Dione | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] A general view of the submerged tourism businesses at the Pink Lake (Lac Rose), officially known as Lake Retba, after extreme floods washed away salt mounts and contaminated the lake and turned its famous waters from pink to green, in Niaga, near Dakar, Senegal, January 17, 2023. REUTERS/ Zohra BensemraNIAGA, Senegal, Jan 24 (Reuters) - On the shore of Senegal's Pink Lake, salt farmer Pape Sira Ba has raked in what he fears may be his last harvest. Nearby, the new wide channel spewed brownish-green water into the lake whose shore was dotted with dead fish. The flooding destroyed 7,000 tonnes of salt worth around 420 million CFA francs ($696,000), according to the Lake Retba salt extractors association. "The over-salinisation of the water also allowed visitors to float on top of the lake like in the Dead Sea.

The Biden administration has proposed changes that could dramatically lower monthly student loan payments. The plan calculates monthly payments based on a borrower's discretionary income. Insider's Featured Student Loan Refinance Companies SoFi Student Loan RefinancingSplash Financial Student Loan RefinancingEarnest Student Loan Refinancing Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. APR Variable: 4.49% - 8.99%, Fixed: 4.49% - 8.99% 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 APR Variable: 3.99% - 8.99% with AutoPay, Fixed: 4.39% - 8.99% with AutoPay Editor's Rating 3.5/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star APR Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. According to the Education Data Initiative, half of student loan borrowers still owe $20,000 each on outstanding loan balances after 20 years of entering school.

☆ FTX recruited customers in Africa by signaling that crypto would protect them from soaring inflation, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

FTX promoted itself in Africa by signaling crypto would shield people's money from inflation, according to the Wall Street Journal. Many African currencies plummeted last year as the Federal Reserve's interest-rate hikes pushed the dollar higher. FTX also ran glamorous events for young Nigerians and offered all new customers a $5 sign-up bonus, the WSJ reported. African currencies like the Nigerian naira, the Ghanaian cedi, and the Malawian kwacha plunged against the dollar last year as the Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary tightening fueled capital outflows from developing markets. Before 2022, crypto bulls had long pitched digital currencies as a potential hedge against inflation in the developing world.

☆ Hype is not a good reason to invest, CFA Institute says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHype is not a good reason to invest, CFA Institute saysOlivier Fines, head of advocacy at the non-profit organization CFA Institute, discusses the importance of regulating cryptocurrency.

Unless you find a high interest rate on a no-penalty CD, you'll likely prefer a savings account. No-penalty CD vs. savings account: At a glanceIf you're deciding between a no-penalty CD and a savings account, there are two distinctions you'll want to pay close attention to: the interest rate and when you can deposit or withdraw money. "You should only choose a no-penalty CD if the rate is significantly higher than a high-yield savings account," says Carlos. If you decide to open a no-penalty CD, you'll also want to pay attention to the CD maturity date. Savings accounts allow more accessibility to your money than a no-penalty CD since you can deposit money into a savings account at any time.

☆ Fed's Bullard says 2023 may be year inflation surge wilts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 5 (Reuters) - St. Louis Federal Reserve leader James Bullard said Thursday the new year could finally bring some welcome relief on the inflation front. “During 2023, actual inflation will likely follow inflation expectations to a lower level as the real economy normalizes,” he said. That saw the central bank take its overnight short-term rate target from near zero levels in March to the current 4.25% to 4.50% range. Officials have said wherever they stop with rates they are likely to stay for a while as they ensure inflation pressures are easing. Bullard also said the job market remains “strong.”Reporting by Michael S. Derby; Editing by Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 8 money books that can help you build wealth in 2023, according to real estate investors, 'super savers,' and finance experts who have read them cover-to-cover
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Another popular choice among real estate investors specifically is "Rich Dad Poor Dad." It was Ramit Sethi's popular money book that taught them how to be more intentional when it came to spending. Real estate"Retire on Real Estate" by Kai AndersonAvery Heilbron, who achieved financial freedom before 30 partly thanks to his investment properties, says that "Retire on Real Estate" is what nudged him in the direction of buying property to build wealth. Courtesy of Avery HeilbronIf you want to build long-term wealth, "I think real estate is 100% the best thing," Heilbron said. "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert KiyosakiThis classic by Robert Kiyosaki is a favorite among real estate investors and early retirees, including Mike Zuber, who was able to quit his day job in his 40s thanks to his lucrative real estate portfolio.

You can buy a CD as a gift for a minor, but you can't give a CD to another adult. How to buy a CD as a gift to a minorWhile you cannot buy a CD as a gift for an adult, you may get a CD as a gift for a minor. Here is a step-by-step guide you can take to buy a CD as a gift for a child:1. Our best CD rates guide has an overview of competitive CD rates for a variety of terms. If you are managing a custodial account, Carlos recommends setting a reminder for the date the CD term will end.

But Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal (CFA) on Monday gave a final ruling on the matter, rejecting the government's application to impose a "blanket ban" on foreign lawyers working on national security cases, bar exceptional circumstances. Lai is one of the most prominent Hong Kong critics of China's Communist Party leadership including Xi Jinping, and Hong Kong's Department of Justice made repeated attempts to block Owen from representing him. SWEEPING NATIONAL SECURITY LAWLee also said there was no means of ensuring a foreign lawyer would not divulge state secrets that might emerge during a national security trial. Beijing imposed the sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020 after sometimes-violent protests rocked the city for months the year before. Beijing's power of ultimate legal interpretation is outlined in the Basic Law, the mini-constitution that grants extensive Hong Kong autonomy and freedoms.

[1/3] An excavator clears out rocks into a dumper at the gold mine, operated by Endeavour Mining Corporation in Hounde, Burkina Faso February 11, 2020. Acquired by Burkina-based firm Néré Mining from Endeavour Mining (EDV.L) in March, Karma is one of at least four gold mines that halted production this year because of security risks. Gold is Burkina Faso's main export, accounting for 37% of total exports in 2020, and mining is a leading source of jobs. At current rates, Burkina Faso is set to produce 13% less gold this year than in 2021, in part because of mine closures, government statistics show. The Burkina Faso mines ministry did not respond to Reuters' questions.

☆ Ivory Coast completes second shipping container terminal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Loucoumane Coulibaly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABIDJAN, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast has completed construction of a second container terminal at its main port in Abidjan, paving the way for it to become a regional shipping hub, officials said late on Friday. The new container terminal will be able to receive large ships from Asia, Europe and America that previously had to land goods in South Africa, transferring them to smaller ships to reach West Africa. "We are no longer a second port. We are becoming a hub," said Andre N'Doli, technical director of the terminal, called Cote d'Ivoire Terminal (CIT). The terminal is expected to allow Abidjan to increase container traffic to 3 million TEU containers from 1.2 million TEU containers per year, port authorities said.

There are many exceptions that may require you to keep your tax records for longer. Within three years, you can amend your tax return in order to claim a credit or refund. If the IRS has questions about your tax returns or wants to perform an audit, you'll probably be asked to produce your tax records. But of course, it is absolutely not recommended that you skip tax filing or intentionally commit fraud on your tax return. The bottom lineThe IRS clearly outlines the guidelines around how long you should keep your tax records.

☆ Brazil cenbank chief says fiscal prudence central to inflation aims
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Hernan Nessi | Nidhi Verma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto emphatically defended the need for fiscal balance on Friday, following statements by leftist President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that soured the markets by downplaying the issue's importance. In Britain, for example, former Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned after markets shunned her plans for major unfunded tax cuts. "I don't know if there was a Liz Truss moment for Brazil (yesterday), but it was a clear demonstration of the markets' sensitivity to the fiscal issue," said Campos Neto. He said the central bank's autonomy would pass "an important test" but believed in the continuity of that status under Lula's future administration. Campos Neto also stressed that the bank's policymakers are open to participating in the transition government.

☆ Inflation hasn't peaked, says strategist
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInflation hasn't peaked, says strategistAnkit Gheedia, CFA Head of Equity at BNP Paribas, says central banks will need to keep hiking interest rates and growth sectors will remain under pressure.

☆ Here's why Mark Zuckerberg can't be fired as CEO of Meta
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Zuckerberg structured Meta so that he has total control of any decisions that affect the company. Meta isn't the only company that gives insiders super-voting powers. However, that has never been the case at Zuckerberg's company. Meta isn't aloneBut Meta isn't the only tech company that gives its insiders supervoting powers. Ritter thinks Zuckerberg truly believes he's doing what's best for Meta shareholders by pivoting his company toward the metaverse.

☆ How to Find a Financial Advisor
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +12 min

Read on to get started:Types of financial advisorsMany financial professionals, including financial planners, securities brokers, investment managers, and insurance brokers call themselves financial advisors so it’s important to know exactly what services an advisor provides before hiring one. Financial advisor designationsThere are myriad designations for financial advisors but only a handful that indicate the expertise most consumers need. Advisor fees and minimumsHow a financial advisor gets paid can be as important as how much you pay them because you want an advisor whose paramount consideration is your best interest, not their own, and whether or not that is the case is largely determined by how you pay them. How to find a financial advisorFinding a financial advisor is not so different from finding any other specialized service you’re in the market for. The right financial advisor can help navigate your financial life, from budgeting everyday spending to fulfilling long-term financial goals over a lifetime including the purchase of a home and a comfortable retirement.

☆ Here’s how venture capital is helping to lift the next generation of Latinos in finance
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A group of Latino-led and focused venture capital firms is looking to change that. Similarly, only 2% of venture capital professionals and partner-level professionals at institutional firms are Latino, a study from LatinxVC discovered. "We're trying to increase [Latino] venture capitalists within established venture organizations," said Mariela Salas, the executive director of LatinxVC. Latino-focused venture capitalThere are several Latino-focused venture capital firms that are working on at least one piece of the puzzle: investing in their communities. "We give the opportunity to first-time accredited investors, people of color and women to get access to venture capital," Mendoza said.

☆ Choppy markets likely to boost profit for U.S. exchange operators
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Manya Saini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Heightened market volatility could prove to be a boon for U.S. exchange operators as higher trading volumes during their third quarter help offset a hit from fewer stock listings so far this year. "Counter-cyclical nature of exchange business models reduces their downside risk during market turmoil relative to peer financial sector companies and the broader market," said Gautam Sawant, CFA, Credit Suisse. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Exchanges remain well-positioned to grow earnings into 2023." Besides the mainstay trading business, exchange operators offer a suite of tools for investors. New York Stock Exchange-owner Intercontinental Exchange Inc (<ICE.N>) provides mortgage servicing through Ellie Mae, while rival Nasdaq Inc offers indexes and analytics.

☆ These countries have the best pensions in 2022—and the U.S. didn't make the list
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index released its annual report that looks at 44 global pension systems, which account for 65% of the world's population, and ranks them from the best to worst. "It's essential for individuals to have strong retirement plans in the works because high levels of inflation, rising interest rates, and greater uncertainty about economic conditions, are adding additional financial pressure to the existing systems," Senior Partner at Mercer and lead author of the study, Dr. David Knox stated in the report. "Households will have to consider what the right balance is between receiving a steady income, access to some capital, and protection from future risks, given the many uncertainties faced by retirees," Dr. Knox added. "It is critical that we understand whether or not the retirement income systems around the world will be able to meet the needs and expectations of their communities for decades to come."

☆ Iceland tops global pensions league, Britain slips -survey
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Iceland offers the best pension provisions, followed by the Netherlands and Denmark while Britain slipped a spot to 10th place in the world ranking, an annual survey showed on Tuesday. Mexico shot eight places up the rankings to 29 due to pension reform, Mercer said. The survey compares 44 retirement income systems globally and covers 65% of the world’s population. "Policymakers must do all they can to ensure retirement schemes are supported, developed and well-regulated." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Carolyn Cohn; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Air traffic controllers suspend strike in West and Central Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Ngouda Dione | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DAKAR, Sept 24 (Reuters) - A 48-hour strike by air traffic controllers in West and Central Africa has been suspended, their union said on Saturday. The strike, which started on Friday, has disrupted flights across the region and left hundreds of passengers stranded at airports on Saturday. The Union of Air Traffic Controllers' Unions (USYCAA), which called the wildcat strike, said in a statement it decided to suspend its strike notice for 10 days immediately so as to allow for negotiations. The union said more than 700 air traffic controllers joined the strike to demand better working and pay conditions. The controllers work under the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) an 18-member state agency that manages air traffic over an area covering 16 million square km of airspace.

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