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☆ Debt ceiling worries deepen as early June U.S. default reinforced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office report, issued Friday morning, confirms Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's earlier warnings that a default could come as early as June 1. Congress' budget scorekeeper also noted that the federal government's debt payments "will remain uncertain throughout May, even if the Treasury ultimately runs out of funds in early June." She also said she remained optimistic that the debt limit problem would be resolved. A senior Treasury official told Reuters she would do that with board members of the Bank Policy Institute lobby group. Democratic Representative Abigail Spanberger said members of the U.S. Congress ought to have their paychecks withheld until the debt limit problem is resolved.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's top ad exec details his plans to grab market share from TV rivals with flexible offerings and 6 new measurement deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf shared plans to grab market share at the TV upfront. WBD left money on the table at the 2022 upfront and faces a soft ad market. When it comes to WBD's Premiere package of top ad inventory, for example, ad sales chief Jon Steinlauf emphasized how advertisers could customize the mix of programming to meet their wants. Discovery debuted at an inopportune time, just a few weeks ahead of the biggest TV sales event of the year. WBD dove into its 2022 TV upfront negotiations without the benefit of time to share information across its predecessor companies, causing some blowback among top advertisers.

☆ Tesla's price cuts and hikes explained: Why it seems like Elon Musk can't make up his mind on pricing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The latest price hikes could mean Tesla is done lathering on the discounts for now. Elon Musk is changing his mind about Tesla pricing – again. Recent hikes are a sign to investors that Musk is likely done price-slashing for now. Even with this hike, base Model Y prices are down 24% since January and base Model 3 prices are down 14% over the same period. "When you lease, you can really bypass a lot of the problems that come with pricing," Drury said.

☆ Repo Men Haggle With Harley-Davidson Over Recovery Fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( John Keilman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/repo-men-haggle-with-harley-davidson-over-recovery-fees-a731a4fa

☆ Harley-Davidson Struggles With Repossessing Bikes From Owners Late With Payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( John Keilman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ How to haggle with your college over financial aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Dayun Park | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In some cases, filing an official financial aid appeal may even delay the deadline for putting down a deposit. Here, according to college financial aid and admissions officers, consultants and students, are the steps to take:Email, don’t call, and handle it yourself. “If there has been a significant reduction in income compared to your application, inform the school’s financial aid office; in some cases, financial aid can increase,” said Phil Asbury, Director of Financial Aid of Northwestern University in Illinois. The opportunity to increase need-based aid depends on the accuracy of your documented financial change and the financial ability of the school to make a change,” John Leach, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and University Financial Aid at Emory University, told CNN. Northwestern has a “priority deadline” so that the financial office can notify students early, but students can still apply for financial aid all year round.

A real estate investment fund recently defaulted on $750 million of mortgages for two Los Angeles skyscrapers. And a big New York landlord is trying to extend the deadline for paying down a loan for a Park Avenue office tower. Office districts in nearly every U.S. city have been under great stress since the pandemic emptied workplaces and made working from home common. But in recent months, the crisis has entered a tense phase that could damage local economies and cause financial hits to real estate investors and scores of banks. Lenders are increasingly reluctant to make new loans to owners of office buildings, especially after the collapse of two banks last month.

☆ The Four Things to Haggle Over When Buying a Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Veronica Dagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Home buyers might have better luck saving thousands of dollars by focusing their haggling skills on items other than the home’s purchase price. The price of the home is a major detail, especially as mortgage rates move up. But given that the housing market remains competitive in several parts of the country, home buyers hoping to negotiate down a seller’s asking price might risk losing their bid.

Nestle (NESN.S) and Hershey (HSY.N) said they paid the LID premium. But when the COVID pandemic cratered demand, global cocoa prices plunged before they built up a cushion. Ivory Coast and Ghana say companies should pay both premiums. Industry data from the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) shows cocoa output in Ivory Coast rose to record levels in the 2020/21 season. Of the roughly 2 million tonnes of cocoa Ivory Coast produces each year, between 20-30% is grown illegally in protected forests by an estimated 1.3 million people, many of them children.

☆ Clients like Taylor Swift and 'Euphoria' love my realistic airbrush tattoos. Here's how I built my business.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The way tattoos on-screen are commonly done in the entertainment industry is with a sticker. I didn't set out to airbrush tattoos, or to work in film and TV at allI started airbrushing when I was 8. Almost as soon as I started my tattoo business, I was in high demand. We started to get calls for A$AP Rocky, Zayn Malik, Chris Brown and moreI started developing my realistic airbrush tattoo business for film and television in 2009. I was credited this time, for my airbrush work on Fezco's Grandma, Kitty, on episode 1.

☆ Most new car buyers are now paying less than the sticker price. But they're still paying top dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Americans can once again buy cars for less than sticker price. A year ago, record tight inventories meant 80% of buyers were paying more than the manufacturers’ suggested retail price (MSRP), or sticker price, according to data from Edmunds. For decades, car buyers had been able to negotiate a discount. After paying an average of $700 above MSRP in the spring, buyers paid an average of $300 less than sticker in December. There are signs that things will get better for new car buyers in the months ahead as inventories continue to build.

☆ Electric cars are killing the car dealership as we know it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The dealership model, in which retailers buy from automakers and sell vehicles to consumers, has been protected for nearly a century by robust franchise laws. Thanks to the disruption caused by EVs, car shoppers of all kinds can expect to spend less time wandering dealership lots, talking with salespeople, and haggling over pricing. Companies like GM and Ford are trying to strike a balance between direct sales and the dealership model. Still, two-thirds of Ford dealers have signed on for the program, according to CEO Jim Farley. With the launch of the Cadillac Lyric, GM used a digital retail network that allows car shoppers to complete transactions entirely online, in the dealership, or a hybrid of both.

☆ Do You Get the Best Prices Trading Stocks?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Alexander Osipovich | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

One morning in September, Phil Hanson clicked a button on his TD Ameritrade screen and sold 100 shares of Immunovant Inc. It was among the millions of trades made by individual investors that day. The Houston resident’s order didn’t go to the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq Inc., where buyers and sellers haggle over the company’s shares.

☆ Ford's CEO wants to end haggling for electric car sales — and he's gotten two-thirds of US dealers to agree
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

1,920 Ford dealers have signed on for a controversial EV sales program. They say the EV sales requirements set by Ford violate franchise laws with illegal pricing requirements and unlawful allocation systems. There are two tiers to the EV sales program: Certified Elite and Certified. In the elite track, dealers are required to invest up to $1.2 million in facility upgrades and training for staff. On the certified track, the investment requirement is lower – $500,000 – but caps allotted EV sales at the dealership to 25 per year.

[1/2] A man holds a smartphone with a sign that reads: "I need tickets" ahead of a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match in Doha, Qatar, November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Charlotte BruneauDOHA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Ashraf Ali arrived at Stadium 974 six hours ahead of the Argentina-Poland World Cup match and, in desperation, raised a hand-written sign: "We need tickets." Other ticketless soccer fans are increasingly gathering at crowded stadium perimeters in Doha during the World Cup to haggle with hawkers, quietly pushing match tickets for popular matches up to 10 times face value. SPECIAL LAWQatar passed a special law for the World Cup that grants FIFA exclusive rights to sell the tickets. "FIFA's ultimate objectives are to prioritise the safety and security of all fans and to enforce a fair pricing scheme for World Cup tickets," a spokesperson told Reuters.

☆ Eni’s $6 bln Neptune swoop will be a haggle-fest
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Eni (ENI.MI) is hunting for a bargain in the North Sea. Italy’s $52 billion oil major is mulling a bid for oil and gas producer Neptune Energy, Reuters reported on Wednesday, for an equity value of around $5 billion to $6 billion. Given Neptune’s owners CVC Capital Partners, Carlyle (CG.O) and China Investment Corporation last year wanted to list the business for $10 billion, Eni may have to haggle a bit. The UK government recently extended its windfall tax on North Sea drillers to 2028. And the Italian group’s own North Sea expertise may help it argue that the mooted offer price is generous.

☆ European Energy Ministers Set to Clash Over Proposed Gas-Price Cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pipes at facilities of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Lubmin, northern Germany. European Union countries earlier this year agreed to voluntary plans to reduce their gas consumption. BRUSSELS—European Union energy ministers are gathering to haggle Thursday over details of a new proposal from the bloc’s executive body for an emergency cap on the price of natural gas. The meeting convenes as EU diplomats struggle to agree on a separate, international plan to cap prices paid for Russian oil around the world.

☆ Six airlines have been ordered to collectively refund passengers more than $600 million over flight delays and cancellations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Department of Transportation (DoT) has ordered six airlines to provide refunds to passengers. The refunds total more than $600 million among the airlines in question. The DoT also said it was considering penalties of $7.25 million for delays in providing refunds. The airline paid back $222 million in required refunds and is now facing a potential $2.2 million penalty from the department. US transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said: "When a flight gets canceled, passengers seeking refunds should be paid back promptly.

Frontier Airlines leads the list of airlines targeted by the DOT, with the Denver-based carrier set to pay $222 million in refunds and an additional $2.2 million fine. “When a flight gets canceled, passengers seeking refunds should be paid back promptly," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said in a statement. "Whenever that doesn’t happen, we will act to hold airlines accountable on behalf of American travelers and get passengers their money back. Those dismal rates are largely a consequence of the pandemic and the airlines pivoting to respond to travel restrictions and lockdowns. And as the pandemic waned, airlines were caught flat-footed by the soaring demand from travelers eager to get out of town.

☆ COP27 climate summit: Here's what to watch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Given countries’ current promises, Earth’s temperature will climb to between 2.1 and 2.9 degrees Celsius by 2100. “No country has a right to be delinquent,” US Climate Envoy John Kerry told reporters in October. It is likely loss and damage will have space on the official COP27 agenda this year. And US officials often stress they want to also unlock private investments to help countries transition to renewables and deal with climate effects. Getty ImagesCOP27 is intended to hold countries’ feet to the fire on fossil fuel emissions and gin up new ambition on the climate crisis.

Netflix Inc. is rolling out an ad-supported tier of service in a dozen countries as it continues talks with major studios, capping a seven-month sprint between the streaming giant’s announcement about entering the ad business and the product’s debut. The Los Gatos, Calif., company has so far secured big-name advertisers for its initial launch and hired new senior ad industry executives to help develop its business, but it continues to haggle with several major studios for the right to run ads against their content in the new service or put their content on the ad tier, according to people familiar with the matter. The service is scheduled to launch Thursday in the U.S.

☆ New cars are still selling for over MSRP. Here's how to avoid sticker shock
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A couple browses a car's sticker price. For example, Mercedes-Benz purchasers paid between 2% to 4% more than the sticker price. On top of that, the average price of used cars has been steadily dropping, even if that was coming down from a very high point. In August, the average used car sold for $28,061, a 4% year-over-year decline but still up nearly 40% from December 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The recent decline is a function of used car sales slowing, down 9% in August from a year earlier, making it even more likely you might get a good deal on a used car lot.

How to shop for a mortgage in 5 stepsIf you plan to use a mortgage loan to buy a house, comparing your options is critical to getting the best deal. "Your credit score determines the rate you get, and the higher the score is, the better the rate becomes." With mortgages, you have two options: a fixed interest rate or a variable interest rate, also called an adjustable rate. Insider's Featured Mortgage Lenders Rocket Mortgage by Quicken LoansAmeriSave Mortgage Corporation MortgagesNew American Funding Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. It could help save you significantly on your interest rate, payment, and long-term costs as a homeowner.

☆ There are 3 types of employees. Here’s the rarest one—and why psychologists say they outperform everyone else
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-17 | by ( Bill Sanders | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Since they assume that no one else will look out for them, they place their own interests first and last. A rarity in the workplace, according to Grant, their style is more typical of the way we treat family and friends. Givers pay it forwardIn any given field, you'll find givers near the top of their career ladder. "Successful givers are every bit as ambitious as takers and matchers," Grant writes in his book. In short, it's important to distinguish between passive giving and negotiated giving: Passive givers are giving in to avoid conflict, en route to stunted deals and lowered expectations.

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