DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Microsoft Windows is turning 40—how much money you'd have if you invested $1,000 in the company 10 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Microsoft Windows just hit a major milestone — its 40th birthday. On Nov. 10, 1983, Microsoft unveiled the first version of Windows. It was an extension of the software company's MS-DOS operating system for personal computers, which were just beginning to gain popularity in the 80s. But this version of Windows wasn't nearly as ubiquitous as the software is currently. Fast forward to today and over a billion people now use Windows, Microsoft reported in May.

Organizations: Microsoft, Windows, Consumers

☆ The 10 U.S. states with the highest and lowest average credit scores—see how your state compares
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

From the east coast to the west coast, Americans seem to have pretty good credit scores overall. The average credit score in the midwestern state is 726 as of the first quarter of 2023, according to WalletHub's November report. That's the highest score out of all 50 states and Washington, D.C.Mississippi residents have the lowest average credit score at 673, per WalletHub's analysis. New Yorkers and Californians fall somewhere in the middle with average credit scores of 707. Here are the states with the highest and lowest average credit scores, according to WalletHub.

Persons: Thomas Hanson Organizations: Minnesota State University Moorhead Locations: Minnesota, Washington, Mississippi, U.S

☆ Here's how much money you'd need to save each month to retire with $1.5 million if you earn $80,000 a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

For a little over a quarter of Americans, their biggest financial fear is not having enough money saved for retirement, according to a recent WalletHub survey. On average, Americans think they'll need around $1.2 million to retire comfortably, per Northwestern Mutual's 2023 Planning and Progress Study. Don't fret if you feel a long way away from reaching your retirement goals. One of the best ways to ensure you'll have enough money to retire comfortably is to start sooner rather than later. To that point, CNBC calculated how much someone who earns $80,000 annually would need to save each month in order to retire with $1.5 million at age 67.

Organizations: CNBC Locations: Northwestern, U.S

☆ The No. 1 thing people get wrong about high-yield savings accounts, says wealth management expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

High-yield savings accounts can help your money grow faster than traditional savings accounts, but many people mistakenly think that the returns these types of accounts can deliver are too good to be true. Like traditional savings accounts, high-yield savings accounts are backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which is an independent U.S. government agency. Online banks that offer high-yield savings accounts tend to have lower overhead costs than traditional banks, since they aren't paying for physical locations and other expenses. But high-yield savings accounts offer APYs as high as 5% or 6%. But before you move over your funds, be sure to do your research on the bank that's offering the high-yield savings account you're interested in.

Persons: Colby Dickson, Greg McBride, McBride, Jim Cramer, Ben McKenzie, Farnoosh Organizations: Northwestern Mutual, CNBC, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC Locations: U.S

☆ An AI app cloned Scarlett Johansson’s voice for an ad—but deepfakes aren’t just a problem for celebrities
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Movie star Scarlett Johansson is taking legal action against an AI app that used her name and an AI-generated version of her voice in an advertisement without her permission, according to Variety. The 22-second ad was posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Oct. 28 by AI image-generating app Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook & Avatar, according to Variety. The ad featured images of Johansson and an AI-generated voice similar to hers promoting the app. However, fine print displayed under the ad indicated the AI-generated content "has nothing to do with this person." Lisa AI and a representative for Johansson didn't respond to CNBC Make It's request for comment.

Persons: Scarlett Johansson, Johansson, Lisa AI, Johansson didn't Organizations: Variety, CNBC

☆ Americans' average credit score at every age—see how you compare
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In the U.S., the average credit score is 716, per Experian's latest data from the second quarter of 2023. And when you break down the average credit score by age, the typical American is hovering near or above that score. For members of Gen Z, defined as those between 18 and 26, the average credit score is 680, according to Experian. Meanwhile, the average credit score for people 78 or older, categorized as the silent generation, is 761 — the highest of the generational cohorts. Older Americans have had more time to build and manage their credit than younger Americans who are just starting out.

Persons: Gen Locations: U.S

☆ Here's Americans' net worth at every age—for people under 35, it's up 142%
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Americans under 35 increased their median net worth by a whopping 142% between 2019 and 2022 — from $16,100 to $39,000 — according to the Federal Reserve's October 2023 Survey of Consumer Finances. The report defines net worth as the difference between a person's assets and liabilities. To that point, many young people don't have assets that would push up their net worth. On the other hand, Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have the highest median net worth out of all age cohorts, increasing their net worth from a median of $308,800 to $409,900 over the same time period. Here's Americans' median net worth, broken down by age.

Persons: they've Organizations: Federal, Consumer Finances

☆ This new tool lets artists 'poison' their artwork to deter AI companies from using it to train their models—here’s how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Artists who want to share their artwork often face a tough choice: keep it offline or post it on social media and risk having it used to train data-hungry AI image generators. But a new tool may soon be able to help artists deter AI companies from using their artwork without permission. If enough of these "poisoned" images are scraped from the web and used to train an AI image generator, the AI model itself may no longer be able to produce accurate images. After researchers fed Stable Diffusion 300 "poisoned" images of dogs, it eventually began producing images of cats. Stable Diffusion did not respond to CNBC Make It's request for comment.

Persons: It's Organizations: University of Chicago, MIT Technology, CNBC

☆ Want to retire at 65 with $2 million? Here’s how much to save each month
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Young Americans have mixed feelings about their ability to reach their retirement savings goals. However, about half of both groups feel they're slightly or significantly behind where they should be, per the survey. When you start saving for retirement early, you give your funds more time to grow through the power of compounding interest. On average, Americans think they'll need over $1 million to retire comfortably, according to Bankrate. With that in mind, CNBC calculated how much you would need to set aside each month in order to retire with $2 million at 65, starting at ages 21, 25 and 30.

Persons: Zers Organizations: CNBC Locations: Northwestern

☆ The average American wants to retire with over $1 million—saving alone won't get you there, says self-made millionaire
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Americans in their 20s think they'll need around $1.2 million on average to retire comfortably, according to Northwestern Mutual's "2023 Planning and Progress Study." But stashing your money in a traditional savings account probably won't get you there by the time you hit retirement age because your money won't grow fast enough. However, retirement investment accounts typically earn a much higher rate of return than a traditional savings account, so your money grows faster when interest is compounded. On the other hand, you'd have significantly less if you put that money into a traditional savings account, which generally earn returns less than 1%, per the FDIC's data. If you put that same $100 into a regular savings account, you'd only have around $66,300 by the time you turn 65, per CNBC's calculations.

Persons: Vivian Tu Organizations: CNBC Locations: Northwestern

☆ The 10 most affordable college towns in the U.S.—half are in Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Edinburg, home to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, ranks as the most wallet-friendly college town, according to WalletHub's "Best College Towns and Cities in America" study. To determine the most affordable college towns, WalletHub evaluated 415 cities of various sizes that had a college or university population of at least 7,500 students. Edinburg is located in southern Texas and has a population of around 104,300. Numerous other Texas cities made WalletHub's list as well. Here are the most affordable college cities and towns, according to WalletHub:

Persons: WalletHub's, Killeen Organizations: University of Texas, College Towns, Nacogdoches Locations: Edinburg, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Cities, America, Texas, Brownsville, McAllen

☆ If you invested $1,000 in Netflix 10 years ago, here's how much money you'd have now
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

From cracking down on password sharing to rolling out new gaming options, Netflix has been making plenty of noteworthy moves lately. In late May, Netflix began alerting subscribers that they would only be able to share their accounts with people who lived with them. Following the new policy rollout in May, average daily signups surged by 102%, according to Antenna. And the streaming giant says it added 8.76 million global subscribers during its 2023 fiscal third-quarter. And some of those new subscribers may soon be able to stream games on their Netflix accounts.

Organizations: Netflix Locations: U.S

☆ This DeFi founder pulled his money out of FTX a month before it collapsed—here's his top advice for crypto traders
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On Nov. 11 2022, cryptocurrency exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy after users withdrew around $6 billion in funds from the exchange and Binance, a competing offshore crypto exchange, backed out of a deal to buy the company. He publicly raised concerns about FTX's financial health about a month before the company's multibillion-dollar implosion. At that time, the crypto craze had soared to a fever pitch and the entire crypto market was valued around $3 trillion. However, despite the hype surrounding FTX, Bhaidani says that the numbers just weren't adding up at the time. Since exchanges typically earn revenue by charging traders transactions fees, this would mean that revenue was down for the company as well, he says.

Persons: FTX, Sam Bankman, Ishan Bhaidani, wasn't, Bhaidani Organizations: CNBC, Miami Heat Locations: Manhattan, FTX

☆ 56% of workers say they're not on track to retire—here's how much money experts say you actually need
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

More than half of Americans say they're not on track to retire. Around 56% of Americans who are working full-time, part-time or are temporarily unemployed feel that they are behind on their retirement savings, according to Bankrate's September survey. And nearly 25% of workers say they haven't made contributions to their retirement accounts in at least a year. Before you determine whether you're ahead or behind on your retirement savings, it can help to have an overall goal in mind. In general, you should aim to have 10 times your preretirement income saved by the time you reach age 67, according to Fidelity.

Persons: Mark Hamrick Organizations: Fidelity, Northwestern Mutual

☆ Self-made millionaire: This couple earns $280,000 a year, but they’re making a ‘catastrophic’ money mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Self-made millionaire Ramit Sethi discovered that a couple earning six figures is making a "catastrophic" money mistake. Based on a quick overview of the couple's finances, Sethi found that the couple has zero savings and investments. With this, your initial investment grows exponentially by earning returns not only on the principal amount, but on the interest it accumulates as well. Say your initial investment is $1,000 and you earn an annualized return of 10%, the average stock market return, according to NerdWallet. That year, you'd earn 10% on your entire account total, not just your initial investment.

Persons: Ramit Sethi, Sethi, Rich, Mark Hamrick, you'd Organizations: CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ Around 30% of young people want to retire as millionaires—and over half are confident they can do it
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Young Americans are setting lofty retirement goals — and they're confident that they'll reach them. To figure out how much you may need in retirement, start by using CNBC Make It's retirement calculator. Regardless of their savings goal, most workers are confident they'll be able to save enough to retire comfortably. Your savings rate is the percentage of your pre-tax income that you put toward a retirement savings account such as a 401(k) or a Roth IRA. Ideally, you should aim for a retirement savings rate of 15%, including any employer match, according to Fidelity.

Persons: —, Zers, Bankrate, Xers, Roth, Marguerita Cheng, DON'T Organizations: Fidelity, CNBC, Blue, Wealth Locations: Bankrate, U.S, — Florida

☆ People are 'increasingly tired' of 'guilt tipping,' expert says—but no one wants to feel 'like a jerk or cheapskate'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As touch screens and pre-selected options make tipping more convenient, around 60% of Americans say they're tipping more, according to a recent LendingTree survey. Guilt tipping, explainedNearly a quarter of people say they always feel pressured to tip when the option is presented, according to LendingTree's survey. "It's happening all over the place, and people are getting increasingly tired of it," he says. "People don't want to feel like a jerk or cheapskate," he says. It's worth noting that the business doesn't always decide which tip options you're presented with.

Persons: it's, Matt Schulz, LendingTree's, Schulz, doesn't, Dan Egan Organizations: CNBC

Jae Byun, 31, earns around $115,000 teaching math and coaching basketball at a high school in Orange County, California. Now seven years in, the 31-year-old earned $114,099 for the 2021-2022 academic year between teaching and coaching during the school year, teaching summer school and coaching over the summer in California's Fullerton school district. My parents taught me the value of money and that money doesn't grow on trees. Jae Byun"My parents taught me the value of money and that money doesn't grow on trees," Byun says. For the two summer months, he taught summer school and coached summer programs.

Persons: Jae Byun, didn't, Byun, Tristan Pelletier, Orange County Byun, I've, they've, weren't, Byun didn't, he's, Roth Organizations: CNBC, University of California, UC Irvine, California State University, Fullerton, Concordia University, U.S, National Education Association, Roth IRA Locations: Irvine, Orange County , California, California's Fullerton, Orange County, South Korea, Fullerton , California, U.S, California, Mississippi

This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.

Organizations: CNBC

☆ Here’s the credit score you need to buy a home—it’s not a perfect 850
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

If a low credit score is keeping you from buying a home, you're not alone. To qualify for a conventional loan, the most commonly used mortgage loan, you'll typically need at least a credit score of 620, Experian says. Here are the credit score ranges that qualify as poor, fair, good, very good and exceptional, according to Experian. "The score is a measure of risk, so the lower your score, the more risk the lender is taking with you," Opperman says. "The higher your score, the lower the risk, so a lender will charge you less interest the higher your score gets."

Persons: Melinda Opperman, Experian, Opperman Organizations: Survey, CNBC

☆ Mark Cuban lost nearly $900,000 to crypto hackers—how investors can avoid similar scams
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tech billionaire Mark Cuban recently lost nearly $900,000 worth of crypto to a scam that could happen to any crypto owner. On Friday, apparent hackers drained Cuban's digital wallet of around $870,000 worth of various types of cryptocurrencies, including various stablecoins, SuperRare and Ethereum Name Service tokens, according to crypto news outlet DL News. However, Cuban says he believes he downloaded a fraudulent version of the popular app that he found in a Google search, according to DL News. That's one reason financial experts advise against putting more money into crypto than you're willing to potentially lose. Before the hackers made off with more of Cubans digital funds, he says he was able to transfer his remaining virtual assets to Coinbase, per DL News.

Persons: Mark Cuban, Kenny Estes, they're Organizations: Tech, Cuban, CNBC Locations: MetaMask

☆ Most Americans aren't interested in AI tools like ChatGPT for money advice—why that's probably a good thing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nearly 60% of Americans say they're not interested at all in using AI tools to help them manage their money, according to a new CNBC Your Money survey conducted by Survey Monkey. In fact, only about 4% say they've already used AI to help them with their finances. Americans are using artificially intelligent chatbots like ChatGPT to boost their resumes and accelerate their side hustles , but it doesn't look like they're turning to the tool for financial advice. Publicly traded companies publish quarterly earning reports, which can be a good source of information about the financial health of a company. Also, OpenAI warns users that ChatGPT may write "plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers" and the tool isn't intended to give advice.

Persons: they're, Douglas Boneparth, it's, OpenAI, Warren Buffett Organizations: CNBC, Survey, Publicly Locations: U.S

☆ The 10 most expensive U.S. states to retire in 2023—California isn’t No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

And now, the state overall ranks as the most expensive place to retire in the U.S., according to recent Bankrate data. New York moved up to the top spot from ninth place on last year's list of the most expensive states to retire. California ranks as the second-most expensive state to retire for the second year in a row, according to Bankrate. The Golden State doesn't tax Social Security benefits, but applies income taxes to withdrawals from other sources. Here are the top 10 most expensive U.S. states to retire in 2023, according to Bankrate.

Persons: Bankrate, — it’s Organizations: Tax Foundation, Council for Community, Economic Research, Fiscal, Security, State Locations: York City, U.S, New York, NYC, California

☆ This self-made millionaire and her fiancé never fight about money—here’s their secret
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Just ask Vivian Tu, a self-made millionaire and the founder of YourRichBFF. Tu and her partner have been together for six years and never fight about money, she tells CNBC Make It. "We have probably one serious fight every single year and not once has it been about money," she says. With this approach, Tu and her fiancé each have their own separate bank accounts, plus a joint account they both deposit into. They use the joint account to pay for their shared expenses, such as utility bills, mortgage payments and groceries, she says.

Persons: Vivian Tu Organizations: CNBC

☆ SEC orders LA-based company to pay $6.1 million for alleged sale of NFTs as unregistered securities–what investors should know
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

On Monday, the SEC fined Impact Theory, a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, $6.1 million, alleging the NFTs sold by the company were unregistered crypto asset securities, per an August 28 press release. The SEC alleges Impact Theory told investors who purchased them that they would "profit from their purchases" if the company was successful down the road. Impact Theory reportedly raised about $30 million through its NFT sales. Impact Theory hasn't admitted or denied the SEC's allegations, but has agreed to a cease-and-desist order. The company will also destroy any remaining NFTs in its possession and return funds to investors who purchased NFTs, according to the SEC's press release.

Persons: hasn't Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC Locations: Los Angeles

Search resuls for: "Cheyenne DeVon"

25 mentions found