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☆ Are your bank deposits FDIC-insured? What to know in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank closures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Liu Guanguan | Getty ImagesThe unexpected shutdowns of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have prompted new questions about the level of protection for bank deposits that many consumers have not asked since the 2008 financial crisis. The limit for FDIC coverage is $250,000 per depositor, per bank, in each account ownership category. For example, a married couple with a business may have up to $250,000 insured in an account in one spouse's name, up to $250,000 insured in an account in the other spouse's name and up to $250,000 insured in a business account. How to check, boost FDIC coverageIf you want to know whether your deposits are FDIC-insured, check your statement, Jenkin said. The majority of Americans are going to be covered by FDIC insurance.

☆ Biden's budget pushes to renew bigger child tax credit payments for families
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden's proposed budget for fiscal 2024 includes a host of proposals aimed at helping families. That includes one key proposal — the reinstatement of the enhanced child tax credit that temporarily gave qualifying parents up to $3,600 per child for 2021 through the American Rescue Plan. Biden's plan calls for raising the current maximum child credit from $2,000 per child to $3,600 per child under age 6 or to $3,000 per child ages 6 and up. The budget also calls for permanently making the child tax credit fully refundable, which means people would still be eligible even if their tax liability was less than the credit amount. The earned income tax credit would be permanently expanded for childless workers, with the goal of keeping low-paid workers out of poverty.

☆ Biden budget calls for 'protecting and strengthening' Social Security
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Days after introducing a new plan to shore up Medicare, President Joe Biden called for "protecting and strengthening" Social Security with the introduction of his fiscal 2024 budget on Thursday. With the budget, the president reaffirmed his intentions to reject any proposed cuts to Social Security or Medicare. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have also led a plan that would make income over $250,000 subject to Social Security taxes. At the same time, the budget also indicates that the administration "looks forward to working with Congress to responsibly strengthen Social Security by ensuring high-income individuals pay their fair share." Biden has proposed raising Medicare taxes to 5%, from 3.8%, for both earned and unearned income over $400,000.

☆ Investing is 'a must' for women to achieve a secure retirement, advisor says. These 3 steps can help
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Women tend to outperform men when it comes to investing, yet some may still be at risk of falling behind. While 67% of women are gaining the confidence to invest outside of retirement accounts, that still leaves 33% who are missing that opportunity, according to Fidelity. What's more, women are more likely, at 50%, to say they're behind on retirement savings, versus 35% of men, a recent report from Goldman Sachs found. "Investing is not a 'nice to' for women; investing is a 'must,'" Francis said. Maxing out 401(k) and IRA investments should be a priority, Francis said — and beyond that, the more an investor can do, the better.

☆ Senators call for two changes to help encourage Social Security beneficiaries to claim retirement benefits later
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Many Americans claim Social Security retirement benefits at the earliest age possible but see their monthly benefit checks reduced for life for doing so. The proposed updates aiming to encourage more Americans to delay tapping Social Security benefits include changing the language the Social Security Administration uses around the claiming process and increasing the mailing of paper Social Security statements. The earliest age to claim Social Security retirement benefits is 62. More from Personal Finance:Why Social Security retirement age, payroll tax may changeExperts argue Social Security retirement age shouldn't pass 67Return on waiting to claim Social Security is 'huge'"When to claim Social Security benefits is a critical decision for older Americans planning their retirement," the senators stated in a letter to the Social Security Administration. Social Security beneficiaries are entitled to full benefits once they reach their full retirement age – 66 to 67, depending on their date of birth.

☆ As Social Security reform talks heat up, changes to the retirement age, payroll tax may be on the table
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A recent Congressional Budget Office report projected Social Security's combined funds may run out in 2033, two years sooner than the Social Security actuaries estimated last year. Raising retirement age may be a 20% benefit cutThe Social Security full retirement age is gradually changing to 67, based on changes enacted in 1983. Lawmakers are considering raising the full retirement age again to age 70. Current beneficiaries and near retirees would likely be spared from any retirement age changes. Warren and Sanders are calling for reapplying the Social Security payroll tax to income over $250,000, while also taxing certain business and investment income at 12.4%.

☆ U.S. financial system vulnerable to bond market stress, Fed's Logan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Logan, who holds a vote in this year's Federal Open Market Committee monetary policy meetings, did not comment on the outlook for monetary policy and the economy in her prepared remarks. She spoke amid ongoing concern about how financial markets, most notably the sector that trades U.S. government debt, will respond to the next chapter of stress. That said, a semi-annual monetary policy report released by the Fed on Friday sounded a somewhat sanguine note on market risk at the current moment. Trading in the Treasury market has been "orderly," although that particular market was more challenged on the liquidity front compared to others, it said. "The public and private sectors must work together to enhance market resilience so that these episodes will be far less frequent going forward," Logan said.

☆ Fed's Logan says financial system vulnerable to bond market stress
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Logan, who holds a vote on this year’s Federal Open Market Committee monetary policy meetings, did not comment on the outlook for monetary policy and the economy in her prepared remarks. Before joining the Dallas Fed last year as its leader, Logan was a key official at the New York Fed designing and implementing the monetary policy directives of the FOMC. Those increases coupled with the Fed’s ongoing efforts to shed bonds to reduce its market footprint, have raised questions about what authorities might do to support markets in the future. A paper this week from the New York Fed said the official sector needs to move toward finding a more formalized approach to providing support. Logan said authorities are continuing to work on methods to formalize how they might intervene and to shore up underlying market strength.

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 3, 2023. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell on Friday after touching a four-month high in the previous session but stayed above the 4% level. Nine of the 11 major S&P sectors were higher, with communication services (.SPLRCL) and technology (.SPLRCT) indexes leading gains. Apple Inc rose 1.9% after Morgan Stanley said the stock could rally more than 20% this year on potential hardware subscription. Dell Technologies Inc (DELL.N) slipped 0.9% after it forecast current-quarter revenue and profit below Wall Street estimates, hit by an ongoing demand slump in its PC business.

☆ Futures rise as yields retreat from highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell on Friday after touching a four-month high in the previous session but stayed above the 4% level. Central bank officials including Bostic and Fed Dallas President Lorie Logan are scheduled to speak later in the day. ET, Dow e-minis were up 82 points, or 0.25%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 13 points, or 0.33%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 35 points, or 0.29%. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE.N) rose 2.3% after the laptop maker gave an upbeat full-year earnings forecast. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Huge hunger cliff' looms, warns expert: Average recipient to get $90 less in food stamps as Covid aid ends
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch now"That's a really tight budget if you're talking about low-income families," said Ellen Vollinger, SNAP director at the Food Research and Action Center. The Food Research and Action Center has advocated for congressional legislation to address the problem. Food bank braces for increased demandLos Angeles County Regional Food Bank workers help with food distribution in Willowbrook, California, on April 29, 2021. The food bank has been increasing its food purchases in recent weeks to anticipate increased demand for food assistance, Flood said. In the aftermath of the pandemic's onset in 2020, the food bank was serving 1 million county residents, Flood said.

☆ High home prices, mortgage rates make it tough to be a first-time homebuyer now. Here's why location matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A new Bankrate ranking found the Austin, Texas, metro area is the best for first-time home purchasers. Prospective buyers looking to secure the purchase of their first home this spring will still face a difficult market. A new Bankrate ranking found the Austin, Texas, metro area is the best for first-time purchasers, while the worst is Washington, D.C. Austin's high ranking was "surprising," given that affordability dragged down its score, noted Jeff Ostrowski, analyst at Bankrate. "Affordability is a challenge in Austin, but it's not as challenging as in a lot of the California markets or in places where wages just haven't kept up with home prices," Ostrowski said.

☆ How representation of Black artists in galleries, museums is changing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"There's a lot more support for Black artists that kind of came out of George Floyd's murder and institutions realizing that they need to do more," Peterson said. Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty ImagesThe market for work by Black American artists grew by nearly 400% between 2008 and 2021, according to a recent report from art market website ArtNet. Acquisitions of work by Black American artists peaked in 2015, two years after the start of the Black Lives Matter movement. "My impression is there are vastly increased number of solo shows and group shows dedicated to Black artists in London, in Paris, in New York, across the United States," Elliott said. Works from established artists like Kerry James Marshall that depict Black figures are influencing the work of new artists and creating a lineage, Elliott noted.

☆ As new data shows inflation rose in January, here's what consumers can expect next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While the inflation rate is poised to subside this year, "it will not be a straight line," Raymond James chief economist Eugenio Aleman told CNBC.com at the time. The Federal Reserve is tasked with getting inflation under control, while trying to avoid a deep economic recession. What the latest inflation measure showsThe personal consumption expenditures price index, or PCEPI, is the central bank's preferred measure as it seeks to bring inflation down to a 2% target. Based on Friday's data, it's "almost a certainty" the central bank will raise rates by 25 basis points in March, and maybe even higher, Luther said. A period of below 2% inflation would be needed to see prices subside back to where they were, Luther said.

☆ As emergency savings drop and credit card debt rises, an 'ugly stew is brewing,' warns advocate
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Valentinrussanov | E+ | Getty ImagesHigh inflation is leading to reduced savings and higher credit card debt — and there are some signs households may be reaching a tipping point under increased financial pressures. A new survey from Bankrate finds 39% of individuals surveyed in January said their emergency savings are less than they were last year. Still, slightly more than half of respondents — 51% — said they have more emergency savings than credit card debt. The remaining 13% have no credit card debt nor any emergency savings. Bankrate's survey found 45% of millennials, 44% of Gen Xers and 38% of Gen Zers have more credit card debt than money in savings.

☆ A 'baby bond' bill to give every child $1,000 at birth has been reintroduced in Congress. How it would work
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The policy is aimed at narrowing the wealth gap, which has grown dramatically in the past 50 years, according to the lawmakers. The idea of baby bonds is getting traction in some states. Baby bond legislation has passed in California, Connecticut and Washington, D.C. Another eight states have introduced legislation, according to the Urban Institute, including Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin, Washington, Delaware, Nevada and Massachusetts. A national policy may reduce the wealthy disparity between young white and Black Americans to a ratio of 1 to 4, according to the research. Estimates have found young white Americans have 16 times the wealth of young Black Americans, based on median incomes.

☆ Gas, airfares, car insurance: How transportation costs are impacting high inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty ImagesMeanwhile, fuel oil dipped 1.2% in January but was up 27.7% for the past 12 months. While high gas prices made headlines in 2022, prompting gas tax holidays in some states, those prices have subsided from last year's highs. Gas prices "did rise in January and that was mostly due to the weather," said Andrew Gross, spokesperson at AAA. Other transportation costs are in fluxNew vehicles are up 5.8% over the past 12 months ending Jan. 30, and up 0.2% for the month. However, used cars and trucks, a category that surged during record high inflation, are now down 11.6% for the past 12 months and down 1.9% for January.

☆ Economists still worry recession could be on the way. But here's how a soft landing may still be possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"We are still on the path to lower inflation rates," House said. Economists said they still expect a recession following the new January inflation data. But the Federal Reserve lacks tools to prompt that area to cool off, he said. The new data shows slowing disinflation, he said, while the Federal Reserve will probably have to hold rates higher for longer. A 'Goldilocks scenario' could bring a soft landingThere is still hope, however, that the central bank may execute a so-called "soft landing," according to House.

☆ Treasury yields fall as investors digest latest inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Treasury yields declined on Wednesday as investors digested January's consumer price index report and looked ahead to further economic data and remarks from Federal Reserve speakers slated for the week. On Tuesday, the latest reading of the consumer price index, which tracks price changes for a range of goods and services, came in higher than expected and showed that inflation rose by 0.5% in January. Speaking at the New York Bank Association after the release of the CPI report, New York Fed President John Williams suggested that the Fed's battle with inflation was not yet over. The Fed has been hiking interest rates in an effort to cool the economy and ease inflation. On Wednesday, investors will be following the release of retail sales figures and awaiting the release of the producer price index report, as well as fresh comments from Fed officials on Thursday.

☆ Gold slips as U.S. inflation data heightens rate-hike jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold was down 0.5% at $1,845.96 per ounce, as of 0538 GMT, after falling to its lowest since early January on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures fell 0.5% to $1,856.60. Rising interest rates discourage investors from placing money in non-yielding assets such as gold. Fed officials said on Tuesday the U.S. central bank would need to keep gradually raising interest rates to beat inflation. Money markets expect the Fed's target rate to peak at 5.263% in July from a current range of 4.50% to 4.75%.

☆ Dollar finds friends after sticky U.S. inflation readout
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The dollar found some support on Wednesday after stubbornly high U.S. inflation suggested interest rates are going to remain high for longer than investors had expected. The U.S. dollar climbed to a six-week high of 133.30 yen and sat not far below that at 132.73 early in the Asia session. "Inflation remains too high," Commonwealth Bank of Australia strategist Joe Capurso said. There is not much good news for (the Fed) that is looking for inflation to head down much further towards its 2% target." Federal Reserve officials said the U.S. central bank will need to keep gradually raising interest rates to beat inflation.

☆ Here's the breakdown of the inflation report for January — in one chart
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

High inflation has followed the U.S. economy into 2023, as consumers continued to see high prices in January. Inflation rose 0.5% for the month and 6.4% over the past 12 months, according to consumer price index data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday. Both results were higher than some economists' expectations, which had predicted 0.4% for the month and 6.2% year over year. Almost half of Americans think we're already in a recessionThe CPI measures the average change in consumer prices based on a broad basket of goods and services. Other areas that saw a monthly decline in prices include used cars and trucks, medical care, and airline fares.

The Fed's policy rate is currently in a 4.50%-4.75% target range. By the Fed's preferred measure, inflation is still running at a 5.0% annual rate. Harker last week flagged the prospect of rate cuts in 2024 should inflation continue to ease. However, following the CPI release on Tuesday, traders of interest rate futures now see the Fed raising borrowing costs three more times, bringing the policy rate to the 5.25%-5.50% range by July, if not June. "My own view is that, given the risks, we shouldn't lock in on a peak interest rate or a precise path of rates," she said.

☆ Fed must be ready to hike rates for longer than now expected, Logan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Fed last year lifted interest rates further and faster than any time since the 1980s to fight inflation that, by the central bank's preferred measure, has run for two years at about triple its 2% target. Key to that, Logan said on Tuesday, will be substantial further slowing in wage growth and better "balance" in what is now an "incredibly strong" labor market. Logan also said she will need to see "convincing" signs that inflation is dropping sustainably and in a timely manner toward the 2% target. There are also risks, she said, of going too far and weakening the labor market more than necessary in pursuit of slowing inflation. "My own view is that, given the risks, we shouldn't lock in on a peak interest rate or a precise path of rates," she said.

☆ As Social Security's full retirement age moves to 67, some experts say it should not go higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Pekic | E+ | Getty ImagesMore than 1 million people recently took to the streets in France to protest an increase in the country's standard retirement age. The full retirement age for Social Security, when workers are eligible for 100% of the benefits they've earned, is transitioning to age 67. Based on their proposal, people born in 1978 or later would have a full retirement age of 70. watch nowThe Republicans also propose raising Medicare's eligibility age to coincide with the Social Security full retirement age and then indexing that age to life expectancy. "I think that's about as far as you can go," Munnell said of the age 67 full retirement age that is getting phased in now.

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