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Big retailers’ fortunes are diverging as the holiday shopping season gets underway. On Wednesday, Target cited “lingering softness in discretionary categories” as a top factor in its disappointing third-quarter sales, as many budget-conscious shoppers continue to focus on necessities. It’s the latest sign that discounts will be the driving force this holiday season, as they’ve been for much of this year. “We’re starting to get back to normal here.”U.S. retail sales rose 0.4% overall in October, federal data showed last month, beating analysts’ forecasts. In the meantime, the steady expansion of e-commerce looks set to continue this holiday season.

Persons: ”, Brad Thomas, they’ve, TJ Maxx, John David Rainey, “ We’re, “ They’re, they’re, ” Thomas, Matthew Shay, TransUnion, Neil Saunders, Saunders, Helene, Milton, who’ve, ” Saunders Organizations: Target, Walmart, KeyBanc, Marshalls, CNBC, “, National Retail Federation, GlobalData, NBC

“I don’t think that Black Twitter is going to exist within the next couple of years,” said Jonathan Johnson, a 29-year-old behavioral therapist in Houston and a longtime Twitter and X user. “Social media is only important because of the social part, and if you don’t have that, people aren’t going to use” the app. Like many others, Black users have been eyeing an exit from the app since 2022, but users told NBC News that this mass exodus feels more permanent. He criticized the functionality of the app and said it will suffer without a mass of Black users. “It feels like a very welcoming, safe space,” said Pariss Chandler, the organizer of Black Tech Twitter and the founder of the recruitment platform Black Tech Pipeline.

Persons: ”, Jonathan Johnson, Mike Brown’s, Donald Trump, “, Ashon Crawley, Johnson, ” Elon, Musk, “ I’m, ” Crawley, Emily Liu, ” Liu, Gabrielle Union, Don Lemon, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Johnson, Pariss Chandler, Chandler, “ It’s, ” Chandler, they’re, Rudy Fraser, Fraser, “ there’s, Bluesky, Bluesky’s, Blacksky Organizations: Twitter, University of Virginia, NBC News, Bluesky, Meta, Republican, “ Department, Government, Black Tech Twitter, Black Tech Pipeline Locations: Houston, Similarweb, Bluesky, Los Angeles, Crawley, Still

U.S. consumers collectively owe an eye-popping $1.17 trillion in credit card debt — a record — according to estimates the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released this week. But while there are still major financial risks for carrying hefty balances, the researchers said the data suggests that “rising debt burdens remain manageable” for the typical consumer. Prices are still going up, but they’re not going up as fast, and incomes are once again going up at a faster rate than expenses. Earnings growth has averaged 6.2% per year since the pandemic began, compared to the cumulative debt balance rising 4% per year. “Especially for higher-risk borrowers, credit card and auto loan delinquencies are the highest in a dozen years, and that’s with unemployment at 4%.

Persons: ’, Donald Trump, they’re, Greg McBride What’s, TransUnion, That’s, ”, Greg McBride, “, McBride Organizations: ’ paychecks, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York Fed, Commerce Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bankrate Locations: ’ paychecks . U.S

Inflation is drifting down in fits and starts, and so are restaurant menu prices. Diners are more likely to notice stabilizing menu prices at quick-service restaurants than at sit-down ones. But the rate at which all eateries changed their menu prices between the second and third quarters this year plummeted by 26%, the company said. Quick-service restaurants have benefited from slower growth in labor costs, Square found. The company estimates annual inflation faced by quick-service operators at 3.6% as of September, versus 4.3% for restaurants with table service.

Persons: ”, Kelly Esten, Ara Kharazian, Donald Trump, Joe Brusuelas, Trump Organizations: National Restaurant Association, “, Lightspeed Commerce, Wine Trade Alliance, RSM

After leaving the workforce during the pandemic because she couldn’t find affordable child care, Longenecker said her family has been economizing. But her husband recently got a new job that pays more per hour and with lower health care costs. Her husband’s side gig has been “flourishing,” giving them steady monthly income and a glimpse of a future beyond waiting tables. Her monthly retirement income of around $7,600 is comfortable, but homeowners insurance, utilities and long-term care costs are weighing on her. Keys said Harris has put forth clearer economic policies, like her plan to offer first-time homebuyers $25,000 in downpayment assistance.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, Stefanie Longenecker, Longenecker, she’s, I’m, they’re, ”, ” Longenecker, Stefany Serna, He’s, “ We’ve, ” Serna, Serna, “, Serna isn’t, Lucy Haverfield, ” Haverfield, Hurricane Milton, Helene, Milton, Trump, “ I’m, Nancy Breland, hasn’t, Breland, “ I’ve, Otis Keys, ” Keys, Keys, Becky Melvin, Trump’s “, multibillionaire Tesla, Elon Musk, —, Melvin Organizations: NBC, Biden, Pa ., Trump, YouTube, ” Times, Social, Social Security, UPS, Teamsters Locations: Palmyra, Pa, Palmyra , Pennsylvania, China, Coral Gables , Florida, Alva , Florida, Hurricane, Florida, Alva, Fla, Canada, Georgia, Dallas, Jacksonville, America, Jacksonville , Florida

☆ Harris’ small business pitch resonates in Georgia’s most diverse county. Can it win her the state?
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms J-J-_Mccorvey.Jpg | J.J. Mccorvey | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

ATLANTA — The election could be decided in Georgia’s fastest-growing and most ethnically diverse county. Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic pitch has heavily emphasized small-business owners, and those in Gwinnett County — one of the “Decider” counties NBC News is tracking — acknowledge they could use more support. So far, many like what Harris is offering, though some remain undecided just over a week before Election Day. The county is exceptionally diverse, with no single ethnic group comprising more than a third of residents, according to 2020 census data. She also kicked off an “Economic Opportunity Tour” in Atlanta this summer, highlighting the administration’s economic accomplishments for Black communities.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Harris, Roberto Correa, Beto’s Tacos, Chris Knowle, Beto's Tacos Roberto Correa, ” Correa, Correa, hasn’t, ”, Fred Hicks, Democratic Sen, Raphael Warnock’s, Elijah Nouvelage, ’, It’s, “, Jerry Parrish, They’ve, Roberto Corea, Tacos Trump, Biden, Laken Riley, ” Trump, Ron Tyler Jr, Tyler, Harris “, Charlamagne, God, Roland Martin, Sharon Catter, Catter, Kris Janovitz, ” Catter, Tad Leithead, Leithead Organizations: ATLANTA, NBC, Democratic, Getty, Gwinnett, Center for American Progress, Metro Atlanta Chamber, University of Georgia, U.S, Trump, Tyler Studios, Payus, Disney, Netflix, Black, Waffle, Microsoft, Target, Quality, Biden Locations: Gwinnett County, Atlanta, Beto’s, Suwanee, Mexico, Georgia, —, AFP, Gwinnett, Duluth, America

Ashley Aldous Pangborn, 35, said she was glad friends persuaded her to set up a GoFundMe campaign after Helene filled her family’s Homosassa, Florida, home with 28 inches of water. Ashley Aldous Pangborn and her family have been living in short-term rentals for the last few weeks. Ashley Aldous Pangborn, Homosassa, Fla. GoFundMe’s Hurricane Helene Relief Hub features thousands of fundraisers that it says it has determined are authentic. Ashley Aldous PangbornPangborn said she received the initial $750 relief payment FEMA provides to disaster survivors.

Persons: Helene, Milton, Biden, Donald Trump, crowdfunding, Ashley Aldous Pangborn, Idalia, ” Pangborn, Hurricane Helene, Ashley Aldous Pangborn Pangborn, Pangborn, she’s, “, ”, GoFundMe, who’ve Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Hurricane Locations: Asheville, North Carolina, Florida, Homosassa, Fla, Milton, North Carolina’s, Smoky

Around 400,000 claims worth $10 billion are being processed for eligible business owners who applied for tax refunds under the Covid-era Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program, the IRS said Thursday. He also highlighted recently announced tax relief for those in affected regions, including filing and payment extensions for individuals and businesses. For taxpayers with fully processed ERC claims whose mail routes have been disrupted, the U.S. The tax program allows businesses to claim up to $26,000 per employee on its payroll. “It’s past time to eliminate this fraud-ridden pandemic-era policy so we can concentrate on getting our fiscal house in order.”The tax program was originally projected to cost the government $55 billion.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, Mike Martinez, ” Martinez, Maia Toll, Andrew Celwyn, Emily Nichols, —, Helene, Toll, Helene lobbed, they’re, ”, Sen, Thom Tillis, Tillis, “ Organizations: NBC News, ERC, IRS, U.S . Postal Service, Small Business Administration, Asheville, Intuit, SBA Locations: Hurricane, Asheville , North Carolina, Asheville, N.C, North Carolina, Philadelphia

Instead, she estimates she’s lost upward of $15,000 since Hurricane Helene hit her Bryson City, North Carolina, bakery and vacation rental a week ago. Floodwaters receded quickly this week from downtown Bryson City, N.C. Courtesy Gianna CarsonA view of Bryson City shortly after Helene swept through, swamping local storefronts. The Folkestone Inn, a 10-room hotel in Bryson City, lost more than $10,000 within three days as at least 32 people canceled reservations through October, said co-owner Toni Rowe. Isaac Herrin lost most of the inventory in his boutique retail shop, Selah Collection, to flooding last week.

Persons: Gianna Carson’s, she’s, Hurricane Helene, who’ve, Gianna Carson, Helene, Gianna Carson Bryson, Carson, “ I’ve, ” I’ve, Bryson, Karen Proctor, Proctor, Toni Rowe, Isaac Herrin, ”, Herrin, Airbnb, Vrbo, ” Herrin Organizations: Hurricane, Yellowstone —, Chamber of Commerce Locations: Bryson City , North Carolina, Swain County, Smoky, Bryson City, N.C, Gianna Carson Bryson City, Swain’s, Asheville, Buncombe County, Swain, Folkestone, Bryson, n.c, “, Hendersonville, Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee

Otis Keys II, 41, The Colony, Texas UPS driver grappling with smaller average paychecks despite a new union contract. When Otis Keys II hit top-level pay for his role at UPS in 2019, he expected to start checking items off his financial bucket list. That’s not what happened, even after the Teamsters union he belongs to negotiated a historic new contract last summer. “There’s a lot of guys that actually had to take a hard layoff and sit home.”Primary source of income: Keys drives full time for UPS. A UPS spokesperson said feeder drivers “are the best compensated in the industry” and “their total pay and benefits package is valued at nearly double our competitors’.”Otis Keys II is a feeder truck driver at UPS.

Persons: Otis Keys, Kamala Harris, —, “, ”, Keys, he’s, Kara Deniz, ” Otis Keys, ” Keys, “ I’m, that’s, ’, “ sneakerholic, “ I’ve, Tesla, Elon Musk, Trump, Trump “, Harris Organizations: NBC, UPS, Teamsters, Fort, Texas, The, Utilities, Dallas, Democratic, Trump, Republican Locations: Colony, Texas, The, Dallas, Fort Worth, U.S, Arlington, New York, America, Tx, “

But many people are still wondering, what does a rate cut mean for my money? For those who’ve been waiting it out, the rate cut “will instill some hope in folks,” said Elizabeth Renter, senior economist at NerdWallet. Consider your (improved) debt repayment optionsThis week’s rate cut was good news for those struggling to unload themselves of credit card debt. They’re a popular savings instrument when interest rates are high, and as most economists expected, CD rates have already started declining since the Fed’s interest rate cut. “This rate cut is not something that should trigger you to go make any drastic changes to the overall direction of your portfolio,” he added.

Persons: Jerome Powell, ”, Elizabeth Renter, Michele Raneri, “, “ It’s, Rodney Lake, It’s, cardholders, Now’s, Lake, don’t, Freddie Mac, ” Renter, they’ve, Raneri, Lee Baker, there’s, Bankrate, Baker, it’s, —, “ Don’t Organizations: NerdWallet, TransUnion, Federal Trade Commission, GW Investment, George Washington University School of Business, Apex Financial Services, P Locations: U.S

She, like 2,000 other state residents, is awaiting approval for aid through a community advocacy program. Resumed funding for LIHEAP is dependent on an appropriations bill used to fund the government. “We had calls during our latest heat wave, and our agencies just don’t have the LIHEAP funding,” Sarensen said. Unlike those so-called entitlements, LIHEAP funding can be depleted without helping everyone who qualifies. Neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor former President Donald Trump has mentioned direct utility or weatherization aid in their campaigns for the White House.

Persons: Cathy McCorkle, she’s, ”, “, won’t, Mark Wolfe, “ There’s, Wolfe, LIHEAP, Bridget Bennett, Brian Sarensen, Sarensen, ” Sarensen, That’s, “ It’s, Stephanie Ashley, We’ve, Ashley, “ We’ve, We’re, we’re, ” “, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Karen Lusson Organizations: U.S, Low Income, Energy Assistance, National Energy Assistance, Association, Center for Energy, Opera, Washington, Getty Images, Commerce Department, Law, SNAP, Washington , D.C, House Republicans, White, U.S . Treasury Department, National Consumer Law Locations: Mount Holly , North Carolina, San Diego, Death Valley, Calif, Washington, Phoenix, Oregon, North Carolina, Washington ,

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the share of Americans who were absent from work because of child care difficulties matched the all-time record for August. At the same time, employment in child care services has not been nearly enough to match the demand, according to Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, who highlighted the statistic in a note following Friday’s job report. The issue largely stems from the havoc created by the pandemic, which prompted many child care facilities to shut down, Pollak said. Consumer payments for child care are up at least 32% since 2019, a recent Bank of America study found. Child care advocates say that almost 10% of the state’s day care sites or home-based programs have shuttered since the pandemic.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sen, JD Vance, Vance, Kamala Harris, Julia Pollak, Natalia Lebedinskaia, ” Pollak, Pollak, “, ”, Trump, Ohio, Charlie Kirk, he’d, Harris, ” Vance, Tim Walz, Hannah Anderson, Kirk, Vance “, ” Anderson Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, GOP, Child Care, NBC News, of America, BLS, Economic, of New, Minnesota Gov, Economic Policy Institute Locations: Ohio, of New York, United States, Georgia

The Federal Reserve is gearing up to cut interest rates as soon as next month, which could bring relief to people with mortgages, credit cards and car loans. Certificates of deposit — fixed-rate bank accounts with term limits — are a go-to when interest rates are high. With interest rates coming down, the idea is just pay and save as much as you can right now. There’s no bad time to do that, but when the central bank lowers interest rates, it can be even more valuable. “It’s tempting to say, ‘Well, when interest rates go down, stocks are going to do well, because people are switching from low-return to higher-return assets,’” she said.

Persons: Mark Hamrick, “, ”, Hamrick, Rodney Lake, Laura Veldkamp, Veldkamp, Jude Boudreaux, now’s, ” Jude Boudreaux, you’re, ” Boudreaux, ” DON’T, Jonathan Smoke, Cox, Edmunds, Ivan Drury Organizations: Federal, GW Investment, George Washington University School of Business, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, Chipping, Columbia Business, Philadelphia Fed, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, Fed Locations: U.S, Orleans, New Orleans, Edmunds

☆ Homebuying is hard in these counties that could decide the election, but it's harder in the U.S. overall
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms J-J-_Mccorvey.Jpg | J.J. Mccorvey | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Market volatility in Dane County, Wisconsin, a largely Democratic, college-educated part of a solidly purple state, boosted its difficulty score to 78 on NBC News’ index. Average homebuying difficulty in the U.S. overall ranks at 84, up from 54 in 2020. At the Republican National Convention earlier this month, giant screens flashed comparisons of average mortgage rates under the Trump and Biden administrations. But one Gwinnett County resident said softer demand isn’t keeping him up at night. For house hunters in Gwinnett County, Scott said, “that would make life a lot better.”

Persons: Dane, They’ve, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Biden, ”, Lisa Scott, Scott, Mannie Marte, Marte, who’s, Harry Truman, Harris Organizations: Democratic, NBC, Republican National Convention, Trump, Biden, Gwinnett, Private, Getty, Phoenix, Voters, Federal, Commerce Department Locations: Dane County , Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Dane, U.S, Gwinnett County , Georgia, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett, Lilburn, Atlanta, Marte, Reno, Washoe County, Erie, Maricopa County , Arizona, Gwinnett County

Romona Smith, 20, Nashville, Tennessee Undergraduate subsidizing her college costs with shifts at Kroger and McDonald’s. “Me working wasn’t enough,” said Smith, who described the latter experience as strengthening her resolve. Living situation: Spending the summer rent-free with her college roommate and family in their five-bedroom home in Corona. Romona Smith, 20, NashvilleSmith is pursuing a double major in social work and psychology, along with a certification as a registered behavior technician to work with people with ADHD or autism. With her out-of-pocket tuition set to hit nearly $5,000 this fall, Smith wants to avoid another financial Hail Mary.

Persons: Romona Smith, Trump, ”, Smith, “, “ I’m, it’s, she’ll, —, who’s, I’m, Nashville Smith, She’s, she’s, Kamala Harris, Z, ” Smith, Mary, “ I’ve, haven’t, don’t Organizations: NBC, Kroger, McDonald’s, Tennessee State University, Pell, Seattle native’s, Democratic, Bank of America, American Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, Nashville, Corona , California, Corona ., Tennessee, “

Shannon Penney, 37, New York City Recently finished her first year as a registered nurse making $120,000 a year. Has built up robust savings, but costs for her dog and mental health care can still squeeze her budget. New job has given her a window into the inequalities of the health care system. Primary source of income: Working full-time as a registered nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital making $120,000 annually. Budget pain points: Penney said her mental health care costs have gone up since she switched to nursing.

Persons: Shannon Penney, Penney, ”, “, ” Shannon Penney, —, — Penney, she’d, She’s, Roth, Bankrate, ’, ” Penney Organizations: NBC, Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Presbyterian Hospital, Federal Reserve, Deloitte Locations: New York City, NewYork, Manhattan, ”, Westchester , New York

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