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☆ Influencers are playing a big role in the 2024 election. There’s no way to tell who’s getting paid for their endorsements
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Clare Duffy | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Angelo was paid by a Democratic political action committee for the post, a fact that’s clearly noted in the caption. Campaigning moves to social mediaIn 2024, political content posted by social media creators has become just as important as traditional celebrity endorsements — if not more. Together, the two organizations paid 15 social media creators to produce content encouraging Latinos to vote. Election advertisements are overseen by a different agency, the Federal Elections Commission, which lacks a similar disclosure rule for individuals who are paid to make endorsements on social media. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has since 2020 allowed paid political content from influencers, so long as the organization paying for it is registered in its ad library.

Persons: ” influencer Mikey Angelo, who’s, Angelo, they’ve, ’, they’re, “, ”, Krysten Stein, Jake Paul, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Paul, Tim Walz, Matt Nelson, Walz, Nelson, Paul, Kamala Harris ’, Harris, “ It’s, Danielle Butterfield, Butterfield, ” Butterfield, Influencers, Trump’s, Axios, Jack Posobiec, Riley Gaines, Tana Mongeau, Mongeau, she’d, ” Mongeau, they’d, Mitchell Katz, Ellen Weintraub, Shana Broussard, George W, Bush, aren’t, TikTok, Somos, Ari Cohn, ” Cohn, Robert Weissman, ” Weissman, Cate Domino, Domino Organizations: New, New York CNN, Democratic, influencers, Commission, Pew Research Center, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College, YouTube, Convention, USA, Somos, CNN, NCAA, Democratic National Committee, Republican National Committee, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Elections Commission, FEC, Facebook, Public Citizen Locations: New York, Trump

☆ Democrats aim to show a judge how pro-Trump Georgia election board could spark certification ‘chaos’
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Disputes across the country are brewing over the role of local election boards and how much power they have to question – or even throw out – election results. In Georgia, for instance, Trump-backed members of the state election board recently passed controversial rules that could allow local election boards responsible for certifying results to conduct investigations that threaten to delay certification. One of the Georgia rules, the “Reasonable Inquiry Rule,” would allow election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results. The petitioners in the case argue that the rule would give partisan board members a wide ability to cast doubt on, or even reject, election results. In some cases, the threat of legal action has been enough to deter officials from pursuing challenges to the certification process.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, ”, Ben Berwick, ” “, ” Berwick, –, Mike Pence, Robert Froman, Joe Biden, Froman, ” Froman, State Francisco Aguilar, Aguilar, Gideon Cohn, Postar, “ It’s, ” Cohn, Trump, Ronna McDaniel Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump, Democratic National Committee, Georgia Democratic Party, Democratic, Democracy, Republicans, Georgia Republicans, Republican National Committee, Republican, Michigan Department of State, Detroit News, ACLU, State, Arizona voters, Institute for Responsive Government, Republican National, Commonwealth and Pennsylvania Department of State Locations: Georgia , Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Georgia, Kalamazoo County , Michigan, Michigan, canvassers, Washoe, Washoe County, Reno, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, North Carolina, Michigan’s, Wayne County, Detroit, Otero County , New Mexico

☆ Buying a home in retirement: Here’s what it takes for retirees to get a mortgage
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Lenders’ chief focus will be on your ability to repay your mortgage with your various sources of non-paycheck income. “When you qualify for a mortgage, it’s all based on your income,” said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage. That ratio falls to between 43% and 45% if you’re taking out a jumbo loan, she added. What you should consider before taking out a mortgageEven before seeking a mortgage, get a good grasp on your expected monthly income and expenses in retirement. To get the truest reading on what makes financial sense, compare mortgage expenses to your investment returns on an after-tax basis, Stork noted.

Persons: ”, Jim Stork, homebuyers, you’ve, Melissa Cohn, we’ll, Fannie Mae, ” Cohn, Cohn, Mark Luscombe, Cohen, Lori Trawinski, Trawinski, you’re, Stork, ” Stork Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Association of Realtors, William, Mortgage, Social Security, Wolters, Kluwer, Accounting, AARP Locations: New York, Illinois, Florida

☆ Adjustable-rate mortgages are making a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Meanwhile, the average rate for a kind of adjustable rate mortgage — a 5/1 ARM — dropped to 6.33% from 6.49%. (Freddie Mac, which provides an average that CNN covers weekly, does not track interest rates for adjustable rate mortgages). When Treasury yields go up, so do mortgage rates; when they go down, mortgage rates tend to follow. Fixed rate vs ARMWhile the overwhelming share of loans are still fixed-rate mortgages, ARMs are becoming more attractive in the current higher-rate environment. Generally, homeowners with higher mortgage rates will pay more in interest rather than principal for a longer time than those with lower interest rates.

Persons: —, Freddie Mac, ”, Bob Broeksmit, Melissa Cohn, Cohn, National Association of Home Builders —, ” Cohn, Kaylin Dillon, Jay Zigmont, ’ ” Zigmont, you’re Organizations: DC CNN, Mortgage, Association, CNN, “, ARM, Fed, Federal Reserve, William, Treasury, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Realtors, National Association of Home Builders, Childfree Locations: Washington, Israel, Kansas, Mississippi

Google was the first big tech company to say it would impose new labels on deceptive AI-generated political advertisements that could fake a candidate's voice or actions. The pressure on the social media companies comes as both lawmakers are helping to lead a charge to regulate AI-generated political ads. Google has already said that starting in mid-November it will require a clear disclaimer on any AI-generated election ads that alter people or events on YouTube and other Google products. This policy applies both in the U.S. and in other countries where the company verifies election ads. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta doesn’t have a rule specific to AI-generated political ads but has a policy restricting “faked, manipulated or transformed” audio and imagery used for misinformation.

Persons: Tom Hanks hawking, Pope Francis, Rand Paul, Mark Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, ”, Sen, Amy Klobuchar, Yvette Clarke, didn't, Clarke, Klobuchar, “, ” Klobuchar, Republican Sen, Josh Hawley of, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Anthony Fauci, Ron DeSantis, Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Ari Cohn, haven't, ” Cohn, Ali Swenson Organizations: Sen, Capitol, Google, Facebook, Democratic, Associated Press, Klobuchar, U.S ., Twitter, Meta, Senate, YouTube, Republican, Republican National Committee, GOP, Florida Gov, Administration, Commission, Public Citizen Locations: Minnesota, York, U.S, Josh Hawley of Missouri, United States

☆ What mortgage rates over 7% mean for the housing market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington, DC CNN —An already miserably unaffordable housing market is getting more expensive. As mortgage rates top 7% — the highest they’ve been in 21 years according to Freddie Mac — home buyers face ballooning costs. “The fact that we are seeing rates at these highs is having an impact on the housing market,” Freedman said. “That’s bad news for mortgage rates which correspondingly may rise to 8%,” he said. “We thought mortgage rates would be much lower by now,” she said.

Persons: Freddie Mac, “, ”, Bess Freedman, Brown Harris Stevens, Freedman, ” Freedman, Buyers, ” Lawrence Yun, Yun, Jessica Lautz, we’d, Melissa Cohn, Cohn, “ Banks, ” Cohn Organizations: DC CNN, Federal, National Association of Realtors, NAR, “, Fed, William, Mortgage, ” Fed, Treasury Locations: Washington

☆ 15-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgage: How Do You Choose?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Aly J. Yale | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

15-year mortgage rates vs. 30-year mortgage ratesHowever, mortgage rates vary by term length, too. Pros and cons of a 15-year mortgageA 15-year mortgage has some perks. “A 15-year mortgage would be ill-advised if a customer is tight on their budget,” says Chuck Meier, mortgage director at Sunrise Banks. “You can make the 15-year payment on a monthly basis, receiving the benefits of a 15-year mortgage,” Lindner says. “If the higher payment becomes a challenge, you can revert to the lower 30-year mortgage payment.”

Persons: Aly J, Freddie Mac, Melissa Cohn, you’re, ”, Chuck Meier, ” Cohn, Scott Lindner, ” Lindner Organizations: Yale, it’s, PMI, William, Sunrise Banks, TD Bank Locations: —

☆ As hawkish Fed pricing goes away, bullish dollar calls fade
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Karen Brettell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The moves come as investors rush for safe havens and adjust for a less aggressive Fed in the wake of the bank failures. “The market is basically saying that the Fed is done here,” said Mazen Issa, senior FX strategist at TD Securities in New York. Some banks, including Goldman Sachs and NatWest Markets, have also said they no longer expect the Fed to raise rates this month. Traders are also pricing for the Fed to cut rates this year, with the fed funds rate expected to fall to 3.80% in December, from 4.57% now. “From a dollar perspective, that’s very important because the resetting of Fed expectations ever higher was a big part of the dollar rally we had seen before these moves,” he added.

☆ Here's what you can do now to be ready to buy a home this spring
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Mortgage rates have been ticking down, yet remain volatile. If you are ready and able to buy a home, the day-to-day movements of rates should matter less than finding a home you can afford. Borrowers can also lower monthly payments by paying more upfront to buy down their mortgage rate. Buyers can then use that money to buy down the interest rate on their mortgage and reduce their payments. Mortgage rates are trending down, but it’s not going to be a perfect downward curve, said Melissa Cohn, regional vice president of William Raveis Mortgage.

☆ Salesforce under siege from top activist hedge fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Software giant Salesforce (CRM), one of the 30 stocks in the venerable Dow Jones Industrial Average, had a miserable 2022. Now the company is under attack from a big hedge fund that wants to shake things up at the company that owns Slack. A source close to the situation said that Elliott Management took a multi-billion dollar stake in Salesforce. Elliott would not divulge the size of its position in Salesforce to CNN Business, but the company did confirm its investment. Salesforce also has to contend with tough competition from the likes of Oracle (ORCL), German software giant SAP (SAP) and Microsoft (MSFT), which has a top Slack rival in Teams.

☆ What is Hive? I tried the latest Twitter alternative to gain steam
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This week, Hive Social garnered the top spot in the social networking category on the US App Store. As I tried to download the Hive app on my Apple device, however, I was greeted with a series of errors. Hive Social, which lists just two employees on LinkedIn, did not respond to CNN Business’ requests for an interview or further comment. On its website, Hive Social also outlines goals for keeping the community respectful. To be fair, Hive started in 2019 and never sought to be a Twitter clone or to welcome a sudden influx of disgruntled Twitter users.

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