DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The most auspicious year for Chinese births is almost over. For dragon babies, the competition is just getting started.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Dragon babies are, for the most part, intensely desired and prized by their parents. Seah said dragon babies will also have a tougher time looking for jobs after graduation. AdvertisementThe study also found that Chinese dragon babies were 2.3% less likely to gain admission to local universities in Singapore. But the latest crop of dragon babies may have it easier, with competition evening out as birth rates drop. Dragon babies might have once been subject to great pressure to exceed expectations, but Gietel-Basten says he'd be "surprised" if that same level of pressure would be applied to 2024's dragon babies as they grow older.

Persons: Jackson Koh, Koh, it'll, It's, Fatih Aktas, —, Cheng Ong, Melissa Anne Lim, Lim, Kelvin Seah, Seah, Stuart Gietel, he'd, Basten, that's, Chen Qibao, Lee Hsien Loong, Lee, Qian Wenlan, Qian Organizations: Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, Getty, Singapore's Department of Statistics, National University of Singapore, NUS, Business, Singapore —, Hong Kong University of Science, Technology, Publishing, Getty Images, National Bureau of Statistics, Singaporean Locations: Singapore, Asia, Fatih, Anadolu, China, Basten, Getty Images China, China's, Xinhua, Seoul, South Korea

☆ You're 'wired' to overspend during the holidays, expert says — here's what to do about it
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The holiday season is a time to give thanks, reflect on the past year, and spend time with family and friends. However, if you're not careful, it can also be a time you overspend on holiday purchases. About 83% of Americans plan to buy gifts for friends and family this holiday season, according to a NerdWallet poll. Meanwhile, 28% of people are still paying off credit card debt from the 2023 holiday season, NerdWallet found. They are "wired" to be consumers, said Brad Klontz, a psychologist, certified financial planner and behavioral finance expert.

Persons: NerdWallet, Brad Klontz, hasn't, Klontz, Andrea Woroch Organizations: CNBC's, CNBC, Financial Wellness, Board, Finance

☆ 15 up-and-coming AI-powered fintech startups, according to top VCs
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Bianca Chan | Michelle Abrego | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

AdvertisementBusiness Insider asked 27 venture-capital investors to nominate the most promising fintechs. Here are the top 15 AI fintechs, according to VCs. Earlier this year, Business Insider asked dozens of VCs to identify the most promising fintechs to watch. Indeed, it is difficult to point to one area of finance where AI startups aren't threatening to change the way people bank, invest, save, and work. Here are 15 of the most promising AI fintechs to watch, according to top VCs.

Persons: fintechs Organizations: Wall, Business

☆ Trump voters could fuel holiday spending, while Harris supporters may pull back
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-29 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In a world where sentiment drives purchasing decisions, these differences in opinion could shape how much people end up spending this holiday season. "It's very hard being a millennial and having to worry about buying a house, affording groceries, rent, all that stuff. Meanwhile, Trump voter Armando Duarte, a 62-year-old retired utility worker from Fort Lee, New Jersey, told CNBC he's feeling a lot better about the holiday shopping season since Trump won. In GOP-won states, shipping volumes increased by 50.4% after the election, while Democrat-won states saw volumes decrease by an average of 11.2%. Only two blue states — Illinois and Minnesota — saw shipping volumes increase after the election, while all others saw rates fall.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Harris, Amanda Davila, I'm, Davila, Trump, Armando Duarte, Duarte, Jobs, Meir Statman, University's Organizations: CNBC, Trump, Santa, University's Leavey School of Business, Shipping, GOP, Democrat Locations: Texas , Michigan , New Jersey , New York , Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia, New York City, Fort Lee , New Jersey, — Illinois, Minnesota

The tariffs would be a significant escalation of Trump’s previous proposal, which was already a major increase on more targeted tariffs enacted during Trump’s first administration and kept in place by President Joe Biden. Canada is similarly considering its own options, including possible tariffs on U.S. goods, according to The Associated Press. America’s biggest import from Canada is oil — and any increase in energy prices would likely be felt throughout the economy. And in her statement reacting to Trump’s posts, Mexico’s Sheinbaum stated caravans of migrants were no longer reaching the border. And now he’s talking about tariffs to punish Mexico and Canada for not enforcing drugs and migrants across the border.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Trump’s, Joe Biden, Claudia Sheinbaum, ” Ernie Tedeschi, Biden, Corie Barry, “, ” Barry, ”, Kayleigh McEnany, Dan Crenshaw, doesn’t, Steve Forbes, Mexico’s Sheinbaum, Douglas Irwin, mingles, you’re, ” Irwin Organizations: Yale, NBC News, Associated Press, America’s, Canada —, NBC, National Retail Federation, ”, Trump, ” Fox News, Fox News, Centers for Disease Control, U.S . Drug, Administration, U.S . Customs, Border Patrol, Dartmouth University Locations: Mexico, Canada, U.S, China, Texas

☆ 36-year-old quit 6-figure Wall Street job—now he earns $1,000 an hour working from home as a tutor: 'More fulfilling than I ever could have imagined'
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

When Steve Menking started working on Wall Street in his early 20s, he thought he found a career for life. Instead, shortly after his 25th birthday, Menking jokes that he had a "quarter-life crisis" while working as an equities trader at SMB Capital. In 2023, Menking earned more than $500,000 through private tutoring, a number he's on track to match in 2024. "It's been better and more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined," he says. Here's how Menking left finance for a career in education — and found a job that pays six figures and allows him to work from home.

Persons: Steve Menking, Menking, He's, It's Organizations: SMB, CNBC, Education Locations: Connecticut, New York, —

☆ Neom is a '50-plus-year plan,' says Saudi Arabia's finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Neom is one element, and its finance minister said the project is a "very long-term program." Saudi Arabia's finance minister has described the kingdom's ambitious Neom project as a "very long-term program" and returns should not be expected in the coming years. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia forecast a $26.8 billion deficit for 2025, or about 2.3% of GDP, in its Budget statement on Tuesday. The Saudi economy has contracted in recent years as the changes take place and global oil prices have declined. NeomIn 2022, Saudi Arabia was the fastest-growing G20 economy, according to the IMF.

Persons: Mohammed Al Aljaadan, Neom, Aljaadan Organizations: Reuters, IMF, Saudi Locations: Saudi Arabia, Neom, Saudi, Yemen, Saudi's

☆ Opinion | The Inverted Morality of MAGA
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-28 | by ( David Brooks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He built a successful investment firm by supporting successful young businesses like Staples. But as Noah Millman writes on Substack, people in the MAGA movement take a different view of Romney. Millman’s underlying point is it’s not sufficient to say that Trump is leading a band of morally challenged people to power. The people I regard as upright and admirable MAGA regards as morally disgraceful, and the people I regard as corrupt and selfish MAGA regards as heroic. The crucial distinction is that some of us have an institutional mind-set while the MAGA mind-set is anti-institutional.

Persons: Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, Noah Millman, MAGA, Romney compliantly, Trump Organizations: Staples, Republican Locations: Romney, Washington

☆ Renters struggle to build wealth, report finds. Here's how they can boost financial well-being
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | Ana Teresa Solá Is A Personal Finance Reporter For Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

But while renters face unique affordability challenges, there are still steps they can take to improve their financial standing. Renters generally face financial challenges such as lower income, higher debt, less savings and lower rates of asset ownership, the report noted. Across income levels, renters are less likely than homeowners to own assets including cars, retirement accounts and securities, among others, the report found. Here are some of the financial challenges renter households in three sample income brackets face, according to the Aspen Institute, and ways they can build wealth. A hypothetical family in this category “first needs financial stability to meet the precondition for wealth building,” the Aspen report said.

Persons: That’s, Janneke Ratcliffe, ”, Ratcliffe, Clifford Cornell, “, ” Cornell, Shaun Williams, ” Williams, Williams, you’re Organizations: Aspen Institute, Urban Institute, Aspen, Paragon Capital Management, Cornell, “ Locations: U.S, Washington ,, New York City, Denver

Even though the sale doesn’t officially start until Nov. 29, some of the best early Black Friday deals are already live. Below, I rounded up the best early Black Friday deals so far, each of which is highly rated and at least 20% off. SKIP AHEAD Best early Black Friday deals | More early Black Friday sales | How I picked the best early Black Friday deals | Why trust NBC Select? The best early Black Friday deals of 2024I found, vetted and wrote about every deal I recommend below. The best early Black Friday salesHere are the best early Black Friday sales to know about.

Persons: I’ve, “, ”, Rebecca Rodriguez, Rodriguez, It's, It’s, Josh Rios, Lemon, Harry Rabinowitz, Jenni Kayne, Billie, Olive, Jones, TikTok Organizations: NBC, Alexa, Amazon, Garmin, beechwood, Walmart, JCPenney, Adidas, Google, Samsung, Casper, Wellness, Facebook, Twitter Locations: carabiner, Samsonite, grippy

I frequently cover all of Target’s sales throughout the year and carefully curate a list of the best deals that are truly worthwhile. I combed through the website and found notable deals from popular brands, highly rated options and NBC Select staff favorites. SKIP AHEAD Best Black Friday Target deals | More Black Friday Target sales | Why trust NBC Select? Best Black Friday Target deals4.8-star average rating from 3,316 reviews at TargetThis Apple iPad is our pick for the best overall tablet due to its functionality and price. Best Black Friday Target salesHere are the best Black Friday Target sales to know about.

Persons: ”, Harry Rabinowitz, Rebecca Rodriguez, TikTok Organizations: Target, NBC, Garmin, Facebook, Twitter Locations: woofers

☆ Fed's preferred inflation gauge rises to 2.3% annually, meeting expectations
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Jeff Cox | Jeff Cox Is A Finance Editor With Cnbc.Com Where He Covers All Aspects Of The Markets | Monitors Coverage Of The Financial Markets | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The personal consumption expenditures price index, a broad measure that the Fed prefers as its inflation gauge, increased 0.2% on the month and showed a 12-month inflation rate of 2.3%. Both were in line with the Dow Jones consensus forecast, though the annual rate was higher than the 2.1% level in September. The annual rate was 0.1 percentage point above the prior month. Odds of a quarter percentage point reduction in the central bank’s key borrowing rate were at 66% Wednesday morning, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch measure. The release follows consecutive rate cuts by the Fed in September and November totaling three quarters of a percentage point.

Persons: Dow, Stocks Organizations: Federal, Commerce Department, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Treasury, Fed, Labor

While richer people are expanding their footprint in the holiday travel mix, lower-paid ones are shrinking theirs: Households making under $50,000 are set to make up just 23% of travelers, down from 28% a year ago, Deloitte found. Indeed, the luxury travel network Virtuoso said it’s seen seasonal bookings surge 37% since last year among its high-end clientele. Some 64% of Americans plan to take more than one trip this holiday season, Deloitte found, up from 57% in 2023. “These travel choices may suggest that people are looking to save money, likely choosing cheaper options to keep their travel costs down,” the researchers wrote. Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for Bankrate, said there are signs that “inflation continues to strain holiday travelers in a big way.” The consumer finance company found 86% of households making less than $100,000 annually expect to change their holiday travel plans due to cost increases (although a hefty 77% of six-figure earners said the same).

Persons: ”, Kate Ferrara, Jan Freitag, Jonathan Kletzel, Hopper, Misty Belles, they’ll, PwC, Ted Rossman, Bankrate, travers Organizations: Deloitte, “, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Shoppers Locations: Mexico, Caribbean, Europe

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. Employment tax recordsBusinesses should keep employment tax records, or payroll records, for at least four years after the last completed tax filing. Tips for organizing and storing recordsThe IRS clearly outlines the guidelines around how long you should keep your tax records. When you're ready to get rid of financial documents or tax records, shredding is the best method.

Persons: you've, Tom Taulli, filers, you'll, Matthew Jenkins, Tanza, Morgan, Read Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, IRS, CFA, CFP, Noble, Finance, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Fidelity, BI, Elon University Locations: TheStreet

☆ 56% of Americans say their parents never discussed money with them. How experts recommend getting the conversation started
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As families gather for Thanksgiving this year, money is one topic that likely won't be discussed. Yet experts say it's a perfect time to start the conversation, particularly with aging parents. More than half of Americans — 56% — say their parents never discussed money with them, according to a recent Fidelity survey of 1,900 adults ages 18 and up. For the wealth they do have, most Americans say they accumulated it on their own, with 80% identifying as self-made and only 5% saying they inherited it, Fidelity found. 1 sign of successYet experts say that not having a plan in place can leave individuals and their families vulnerable when unexpected events happen.

Persons: —, David Peterson, Peterson, Warren Buffett, MaryAnne Gucciardi, Gucciardi, there's Organizations: Fidelity, Finance Locations: Cambridge , Massachusetts

For the past year, comparing short-term CD rates vs. long-term CD rates showed that short-term CDs had better rates overall. Even the best long-term CD rates were starting to dip under the 4% mark, going into the 3.90% APY range. For example, Synchrony Bank's best CD rate is the Synchrony 9 Month CD, which offers 4.05% APY. Long-term CD rates are still lower than short-term CD rates overall. If the risk of incurring early withdrawal penalties in a long-term CD is too much, you can open a CD ladder with a long-term CD in it to mitigate that risk.

Persons: Synchrony, we're, Jerome Powell, Donald Trump, Kit Pulliam, They’ve, Kit Organizations: Federal Reserve, America First Credit, Credit Union, Dow Credit Union, Federal, Pulliam, Business, Tax, MSN, Vanderbilt University Locations: America

☆ This personal finance educator says budgeting is ‘toxic’ — try ‘intuitive’ spending instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

You're going to feel that shame because you're not reaching those sorts of arbitrary goals that are being set." Try 'intuitive' spending insteadAccording to Miranda, the toxicity of budgeting stems from a capitalistic culture geared toward making more money and accumulating assets, rather than focusing on the quality of life of individuals. Instead of scrimping and saving your money, Miranda recommended "conscious spending," as an alternative. "It's like an intuitive or mindful approach to spending and using their money." "As long as we understand how our debt products work and the consequences of different decisions that we make around debt."

Persons: Dana Miranda, Miranda, Sheida Isabel Elmi, it's Organizations: CNBC, Research, University of Minnesota, Aspen Institute Financial Security

☆ Get ready to pay more at Chipotle
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Nora Redmond | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chipotle's sales rose 6% last quarter, showing resilience amid fast food price hikes. AdvertisementDespite the potential for higher menu prices, Chipotle remains a better value option for customers than similar alternatives, Rymer said, per the Journal. Inflation has not been kind to fast food prices. AdvertisementUnlike some fast food firms, whose sales have taken a tumble as customers have cut back, Chipotle has shown resilience. Chipotle did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside regular working hours.

Persons: Adam Rymer, Chipotle, Rymer, Brian Niccol, Niccol, Scott Boatwright Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Wall, Starbucks, McDonald's, KFC, Revenue, Business Locations: Chipotle, Olive

☆ Britain's finance watchdog requires 'fundamental reform,' UK Conservative MP says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | 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 EmailBritain's finance watchdog requires 'fundamental reform,' UK Conservative MP saysBob Blackman, U.K. Conservative MP for Harrow East, weighs in on parliamentarians' calls for "fundamental reform" of the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority following a highly critical report.

Persons: Bob Blackman Organizations: Conservative, Harrow East, Authority

☆ Elon Musk publicized the names of government employees he wants to cut. It’s terrifying federal workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Hadas Gold | Rene Marsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Several current federal employees told CNN they’re afraid their lives will be forever changed – including physically threatened – as Musk makes behind-the-scenes bureaucrats into personal targets. “These tactics are aimed at sowing terror and fear at federal employees,” said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 800,000 of the 2.3 million civilian federal employees. CNN reached out to all four federal employees who either declined comment or were unable to be reached. Cummings said she already knows of federal employees who “have dedicated their lives to civil service,” already quitting their jobs in anticipation of what’s to come. Ramaswamy did not directly respond to questions about singling out individual federal employees but told CNN: “Most federal employees, like most human beings, are fundamentally good people and deserve to be treated with respect, but the real problem is the bureaucracy.”“Our opponent is not any particular individual.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, –, Musk, CNN they’re, ”, Everett Kelley, “ It’s, “, ‘, Mary “ Missy ” Cummings, Tesla, ’, Biden, ” Musk, emojis, ” Kelley, it’s, Missy Cummings, Cummings, Musk’s, Ramaswamy, ” Cummings, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, American Federation of Government Employees, George Mason University, Traffic Safety Administration, Civil, US International Development Finance Corporation, Musk’s Department, Government, of, Tesla Motors, Department of Health, Human Services, HHS, Health, Department of Housing, Urban, DOE, HUD, Twitter, US Navy

☆ Say hello to your new coworker: Autonomous AI agents are coming to banks
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-27 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Demand for AI agents is giving birth to a new class of startups and VCs hungry to invest in them. It was a topic of conversation at the Evident AI Symposium in New York on Thursday. To take AI agents a step further, technologists and startup investors are fueling a shift to so-called multi-agent systems that coordinate several AI agents to complete more complex tasks more autonomously. Well, that's still being worked out, according to a number of tech executives at the Evident AI Symposium Thursday. Heitsenrether, speaking at the Evident AI conference, told the audience that, over time, she expects AI to be seamlessly embedded in an employee's workflow.

Persons: Danny Goldman's, Michael Lacorazza, Mako, It's, Jamie Dimon, Teresa Heitsenrether, Wall, they're, Gabriel Stengel, Kristin Milchanowski, Ganesh Organizations: Finance, Mako, Khosla Ventures, Bank, Goldman, JPMorgan, BMO Financial Group, of Cambridge Locations: New York, OpenAI

I combed through discounts to find the best early Walmart Black Friday deals actually worth shopping. SKIP AHEAD Best Walmart early Black Friday deals | More Walmart early Black Friday sales | Why trust NBC Select? Best Walmart Early Black Friday dealsI found, vetted and wrote about every deal I recommend below. Best Walmart early Black Friday salesHere are the best Walmart early Black Friday sales to know about. To find the best early Walmart Black Friday deals, I searched through discounts to roundup products from previous coverage, NBC Select staff favorites, and highly-rated products from brands that we know and trust.

Persons: I’ve, Harry Rabinowitz —, Lindsay Schneider, Apple Airtag, Harry Rabinowitz, Carote, TikTok Organizations: Walmart, Black, 6AM, Walmart Plus, NBC, Walmart Apple, Fujifilm, Samsung, Amazon Alexa, Root, Apple ., Apple, Microsoft, Google, Walmart NBC, Facebook, Twitter

Over 18,000 people have registered online to run for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships in Mexico’s contentious new selection process, officials said Monday. The ruling party pushed through a constitutional reform in September to make all federal judges stand for election, replacing the system where court employees and lawyers mainly move up through the ranks. Now, candidates for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships need only a law degree, a grade point average of 3.2, “five years of professional experience” and five letters of recommendation from neighbors or friends. According to the plan, evaluation committees will have just over a month to review thousands of resumes and whittle the field to about 10 candidates or less for each of the 881 judgeships and nine seats on the Supreme Court. Some critics argue that the current justice system, which is riddled with nepotism, corruption and a lack of accountability, needs to be changed.

Persons: ”, Arturo Zaldivar, Claudia Sheinbaum, whittle, Sergio Méndez Silva, “, there’s, Minerva Martínez Garza Organizations: Supreme, Foundation for Justice Locations: Nuevo, Mexico

Here are nine key senators to watch in the nomination battles. The incoming majority leader is nobody’s idea of an ultra-MAGA Republican, but he understands his assignment: advance the Trump agenda. Does he choose to be a heat shield for members who quietly want to buck Trump without doing so publicly? The answers will set the tone for a long-awaited new era facing the Senate GOP. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.McConnell is the ultimate free agent as he relinquishes the job of Senate Republican leader after a record 18 years.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, JD Vance, Sen, Susan Collins, Trump, Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Murkowski, Trump’s, That’s Lisa Murkowski’s, Wade, John Thune, Mitch McConnell, Ky, McConnell, Will McConnell, MAGA, He's, Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Thom Tillis, Tillis, won’t, Bill Cassidy, Cassidy, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, ’, John Curtis, Mitt Romney, Curtis, Utah GOP Sen, Mike Lee, He’s, ”, Carlos Curbelo, “ I’m, ” Curtis, Will Curtis, Romney, John Fetterman, Fetterman, “, that’s, Mehmet Oz, “ He’s, they’re, I’m, ” Sen, Jon Ossoff, He’ll Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, Republicans, Trump, Democratic, Collins, MAGA Republican, GOP, AG, NATO, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions, Human Services, Utah GOP, NBC News, Capitol, NBC Locations: Maine, Alaska, Roe, Russia, Trump's, North Carolina, Utah, R, Florida, Trump, Israel, Gaza, Georgia

☆ Workday stock slips on light quarterly forecast
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-26 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For the fiscal fourth quarter, Workday called for an adjusted operating margin of 25% on $2.03 billion in subscription revenue. Analysts polled by StreetAccount were looking for a 25.5% margin and $2.04 billion in subscription revenue. Subscription revenue totaled $1.96 billion, up around 16%, consistent with the $1.96 billion consensus among analysts surveyed by StreetAccount. In October Workday told employees that Doug Robinson, a co-president, will retireDuring the quarter, Workday acquired contract lifecycle management software startup Evisort. Workday's finance chief, Zane Rowe, called for $8.8 billion in fiscal year 2026 subscription revenue, good for 14% growth.

Persons: Carl Eschenbach, StreetAccount, Rowe, Rob Enslin, Doug Robinson, Zane Rowe Organizations: Allen & Company Sun Valley, U.S ., Google, SAP Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, U.S

Search resuls for: "Finance"

25 mentions found