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☆ Save like a boomer: Younger generations have a chance to make high interest rates work for them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Interest rates on traditionally "safer" investments like Treasury bonds are high. Economist Thomas Hogan of the American Institute for Economic Research recently pointed out this upside to the interest rates and how it is helping Americans. "Now, interest rates on US Treasury bonds are at the highest in more than a decade, giving savers a safe, stable place to store their money." If long-term interest rates remain elevated because of higher term premiums, there may be less need to raise the fed funds rate. However, to the extent that strength in the economy is behind the increase in long-term interest rates, the FOMC may need to do more."

Persons: —, Thomas Hogan, Hogan, Jerome Powell, Kevin Dietsch, Tim Hayes, Lorie Logan, Logan Organizations: Service, Treasury, American Institute for Economic Research, Federal, NDR, U.S, Supreme, Dallas Locations: Israel

☆ The 'ideal booking window' for holiday airfare is closing, economist says. 'Travelers are going to miss out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

D3sign | Moment | Getty ImagesIf you have yet to purchase your fall and winter holiday travel and are hoping for a bargain airfare, time is running out. "Travelers are going to miss out on the opportunity to save when they wait too long," said Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper. In early October, 85% of Hopper app users who intended to book holiday travel had yet to do so, according to a survey of 500 people. In the last few days before Christmas, travelers could see price jumps of about $40 a day, Hopper anticipates. Fares will likely become increasingly competitive as travelers wait, "judging by the number of people traveling this year," said Elizabeth Ayoola, a personal finance writer at NerdWallet.

Persons: Hayley Berg, Hopper, Berg, airfare, Elizabeth Ayoola Organizations: Travelers, Finance, Air, Getty

For now, the White House plans to seize upon the dysfunction for as long as it lasts. The two declared candidates for the speakership, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Steve Scalise of Louisiana, each have their own history with the Biden White House. White House officials have been steadfast in trying to highlight the broader economic progress since the height of the pandemic and when inflation had soared to record highs. Gas prices remain one of the data points that White House officials are watching most closely and with heightened sensitivity. House Republicans, it’s time for you to do your job,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, he’s, Biden, ”, nothing’s, ” Biden, Andrew Bates, “, can’t, Jim Jordan of, Steve Scalise, Jordan, Scalise, White, It’s, Roosevelt, let’s Organizations: CNN, Republican, Ukraine, House, GOP, Republicans, Biden White, nonfunctioning, Kyiv, White, Biden, Democratic, House Republicans Locations: New York, Washington, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Louisiana, Ukraine, United States, America

☆ Opinion | The Hope at the Bottom of the ‘Child Care Cliff’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

So I called Kathryn Anne Edwards, an economist and economic policy consultant, to see if there’s an argument that might change people’s minds about the utter necessity of more robust government child care funding — or if I should lose all hope in the possibility of a shift in the way that child care is thought about, discussed and sustained in the United States. labor force participation is midway through a historic decline. In Edwards’s phrasing, it “has been frozen in time for 25 years.” When you see headlines about how we’re at all-time highs for women’s labor force participation, Edwards suggests, that’s misleading. When you look at the actual level of increase since the 1990s, labor force participation among women has barely budged, and without a policy shift, we shouldn’t expect it to go up much in the coming years. The second thing that could force Congress to act on child care is that the birthrate is on the decline in the United States, Edwards said.

Persons: Kathryn Anne Edwards, Edwards, ”, ” Edwards, “, Peter G Organizations: Social, Peterson Foundation, Social Security Locations: United States

☆ Affordable Housing Crisis in US West: Why It's Hard to Build New Homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Kyle Paoletta | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

The solution to keep prices under control seems fairly simple: Just build more housing. For a time, sprawl boosted housing supply and accommodated newcomers to the West: Nearly 60 million more people live in the region now compared with the 1950s. Running out of landWhen the economy crashed in 2008, housing construction screeched to a halt. All this red tape has caused a serious slowdown in much-needed housing construction. Build, build, buildDespite the unique challenges of building in the paradoxically wide-open West, some cities have been able to break through.

Persons: Mike Segrest, Megan Lawson, Kyle Stevens, Carrier Johnson, “, Lawson, Land Management . Nevada Sen, Catherine Cortez Masto, Kyle Roerink, Hillary Schieve, Schieve, Howard Blackson, Kyle Paoletta's Organizations: Forest Service, Southern Ute, Marin Headlands, Bureau, Land Management ., Water Network, Biggest, Biggest Little City, Housing Administration, Harper's Magazine, New York Magazine, Oasis Locations: Colorado, Durango ., it's, Animas, San Juan Mountains, Durango, Las Vegas, Montana, Houston, Minneapolis, Rocky, Phoenix, Denver, Mississippi, San Diego, San Jose , California, Marin County, San Francisco, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Jackson , Wyoming, California, Land Management . Nevada, Vegas, Reno , Nevada, Reno, Cumulatively, Biggest Little, Summit, Washington

☆ A Dishy Tell-All About Emily Weiss’s Glossier
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Hunter Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

GLOSSY: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss’s Glossier, by Marisa MeltzerA Glossier brick and mortar opened in my neighborhood last fall, and because that neighborhood is Williamsburg, I could comfortably declare it to be the brand’s time of death. Here lies Glossier, the millennial pink tombstone’s black etching would read, makeup for pretty people. That the Williamsburg Glossier is neighbored by retail stores for Parachute (bedding), Mejuri (jewelry) and Warby Parker (glasses) does not feel coincidental; all the formerly online-only direct-to-consumer brands are arranged on North Sixth Street in a neat little row. But when the first permanent Glossier showroom opened in SoHo in 2016, it was the cool girl’s place to go after work. Its founder, Emily Weiss, remains the star student in a class of girl bosses who have either imploded or flamed out.

Persons: Emily Weiss’s Glossier, Marisa Meltzer, Glossier, Warby Parker, Beyoncé, ingeniously, Emily Weiss, Audrey Gelman, clawing, Weiss Organizations: Sixth, Social Locations: Williamsburg, SoHo, Cobble Hill

☆ Euro jumps on inflation while dollar braces for jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The lettering Euro can be seen on a 1 euro coin, taken on 10 August 2023, in Baden-Württemberg, Rottweil. The euro stood at a 15-year high on the yen on Thursday on signs of sticky inflation in Europe, while the dollar was squeezed ahead of consumption, inflation and jobs data that could add to evidence of a softening economy. Annual inflation in Germany and Spain barely slowed in August, against expectations, data on Wednesday showed. Europe-wide inflation data is also due later on Thursday, as is U.S. personal consumption data and core PCE — which is the Federal Reserve's favored inflation gauge. It has been steadying with traders wary of the risk of official intervention, and was last at 146.07 per dollar.

Persons: Sterling Organizations: Traders, China PMI, Federal, Commerce Department, ANZ Bank ., New Zealand, Aussie Locations: Baden, Europe, Germany, Spain, Asia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, United States

☆ Dollar General's messy stores are haunting the retailer as it takes a $95 million hit on inventory markdowns and deploys 'smart teams' to clean up
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Alex Bitter | Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dollar General is trying to cut down on excess inventory to tame its messy stores. "We believe it will drive traffic and also more quickly reduce excess inventory," Owen said on the call. To clean up its stores, Dollar General is also deploying "smart teams," or groups of employees who move between multiple stores to organize excess inventory, Owen said. Aisles at many Dollar General stores have been clogged with everything from dog food to school supplies over the last few years. That's led to multiple problems, such as local fire marshals closing Dollar General stores because merchandise is blocking fire exits.

Persons: Jeff Owen, Owen, Neil Saunders, That's Organizations: Service, Dollar, GlobalData Retail, Employees Locations: Wall, Silicon, Texas

☆ Climate change: Extreme water stress affects a quarter of humanity and it's poised to get worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The biggest change in water demand will occur in sub-Saharan Africa according to the report, which projects a 163% increase in water demand by 2050. In North America and Europe, water demand has plateaued, helped by investment in water use efficiency measures. In the US, six states experience extremely high water stress, according to the report. People collect drinking water from in Cape Town on January 19, 2018, during a water crisis which saw the city nearly run dry. The report suggests various measures to prevent water stress spilling into a water crisis.

Persons: ”, Samantha Kuzma, “ I’ve, ” Kuzma, Will Lanzoni, Kuzma, “, Charles, Rodger Bosch, Dieter Gerten, – Organizations: CNN, Ocean Program, UN, Getty, Potsdam Institute, Climate Impact Research Locations: Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Lake Mead, Boulder City , Nevada, East, North Africa, Africa, Saharan Africa, North America, Europe, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Charles Iceland, Cape Town, AFP, Vegas, Singapore

☆ What Japanese potato chip maker Calbee learned from a potato shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —What happens when Asia’s biggest potato chip maker runs out of potatoes? Pepsi (PEP) controls about 24% of the region’s potato chip market, while Calbee has about 12%, according to data from Euromonitor International. But the area was ravaged by drought in 2021, and the firm’s domestic potato supply fell by 8% and 14% in the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years, respectively. Calbee tried to make up for the shortfall by importing more from the United States, which normally accounts for the remaining 10% of its potato supply. “Staying available on shelves is essential, not just to compete with other potato chip brands but also with other types of snacks.”

Persons: ”, Makoto Ehara, Noriko Hayashi, Calbee, Ehara, it’s, Keiei Sho, Sho, Emil Fazira Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Pepsi, Euromonitor, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Walmart Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Asia, Brazil, Ukraine, Japan, Hokkaido, United States, Pacific Northwest, ”, America, Europe, China, Indonesia, Asia Pacific

☆ Don't give the Fed credit for crushing inflation, Nobel economist Paul Krugman says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Inflation hasn't cooled because of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate hikes, Paul Krugman says. Still, the US economy might be in worse shape today if the Fed hadn't raised rates, Krugman says. Those forces plateaued more than a year ago, but have only been reflected in recent months due to lags in inflation measures, Krugman said. "This suggests to me that the Fed may have done the right thing for the wrong reasons," Krugman said. He explained that surprisingly resilient US demand could indicate the Fed stopped the economy overheating and inflation surging by raising rates, which allowed recombobulation to relieve pricing pressures.

Persons: Paul Krugman, it's, Krugman, —, recombobulation Organizations: Service, New York Times, Fed, Princeton, MIT Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ The economy is doing exactly what we need to avoid a recession and keep booming
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Recent data reveals inflation is cooling, the labor market is slowing, and a recession may not come after all. Inflation data released Wednesday showed that inflation is coming down fast. The Fed may be pleased by this data, though a rate hike may still be on the table later this month. Other measures also show that the job market is still very healthy. The Fed may be happy to see slower job growth and the prime-age labor force participation rate rising, Bunker said.

Persons: doesn't, Julia Pollak, Nick Bunker, Bunker, Jerome Powell, Bill Adams, Pollak, " Pollak, Powell Organizations: Service, Labor, Survey, North America, Federal, Consumer, CPI, National Federation of Independent Business, Congress, Fed, Comerica Bank, Comerica Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ The job market slowed down a bit in June, with 209,000 jobs added
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US jobs market saw less jobs added in June than in May. The unemployment rate fell from 3.7% in May to 3.6% in June. After the unemployment rate soared from 3.4% in April to 3.7% in May, the rate dropped. June's unemployment rate was 3.6%, equivalent to the forecast of 3.6%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics published new job openings and quits data on Thursday.

Persons: —, Mark Hamrick, Bankrate, that's, Nick Bunker Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor, Labor Statistics, North America

☆ A $7 billion startup wanted to build patient-friendly healthcare. Its bet on buzzy weight-loss drugs is testing that vision.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Blake Dodge | Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Patient complaints go beyond the Wegovy shortageKaitlyn's complaints echo an array of issues faced by other Ro patients seeking weight-loss drugs. The patients Insider interviewed asked to be identified by their first names to protect their privacy. In this chat log, a Ro weight-loss patient sends messages to the startup asking to cancel the program. Reitano told Insider that around 90% of Ro patients got a response within 24 hours. "Until these DTC companies generally start getting into the muck of healthcare, they're not going to have a material impact," Parker told Insider.

Persons: Ro, Zachariah Reitano, Reitano, Li Ran, Robyn Phelps, Kaitlyn, She'd, didn't, she's, couldn't, Max Kerwick, drugstores, Max, Ro's, aren't, hasn't, Florian Gaertner, it's, TJ Parker, they're, Parker Organizations: New York, Getty, Better Business Bureau, Nordisk, Better Business, CareMetx, Ro, TechCrunch Locations: Xinhua, New York, New York City

☆ Millennials aren't as rich as they were a year ago. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The average millennial's net worth grew from $64,000 to $111,000 between the first quarter of 2020 and 2022. But just two years later, as of the first quarter of 2022, the average millennials' net worth surged to $111,000. As of the fourth quarter of last year — the most recent measure – millennials' average net worth had fallen to roughly $106,000. And what are the key factors that could impact millennials' wealth trajectory in the years to come? According to Ricketts, millennials' net worth has "plateaued" — rather than notably declined — over the past year.

Persons: —, Millennials, Matt Schulz, Schulz, Lowell Ricketts, Louis Fed, Ricketts, millennials, Gen Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve, St, Fed Locations: millennials

The drain in hard currency sparked panic earlier in the year, with Bolivians forming lines outside banks to withdraw dollars. Bond yields spiked sharply and in May the government was forced to sell half of its $2.6 billion gold reserves to raise cash. A major drought in Argentina has hammered grains output and reserves, imperiling a $44 billion debt deal with the International Monetary Fund. "The model is now shifting towards a very big state, a tax-and-spend approach," he said. "It has calmed people a bit... but that amount (gained from the gold reserves sale), $1.3 billion, is not enough for Bolivia," said local financial analyst Jaime Dunn.

Persons: Read, LA, Evo Morales, Jose Gabriel Espinoza, Marcelo Montenegro, Alberto Ramos, Goldman Sachs, spender, Jaime Dunn, Reuters Graphics Espinoza, Morales, Raúl Cortés Fernández, Daniel Ramos, Adam Jourdan, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Departmental Association of Coca Producers, LA PAZ, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, Bolivian, Graphics, Banco, Reuters Graphics, MAS, Thomson Locations: La Paz, Bolivia, Bolivian, America, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Colombia

☆ A new book reveals how Amazon used 'shady' strategies at its bookstores to drive up Prime subscriptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jason Del Rey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The following excerpt reveals how Amazon attempted to utilize its physical bookstores to bolster Amazon Prime and its other digital subscription services — in sometimes unethical ways. Among them were bookstores, under the name Amazon Books, which first opened to the public in 2015. Prior to the pandemic, store customers could view one of the free trial offers on a screen in front of them. Amazon spokesperson Jordan Deagle told me that there was no corporate mandate to increase sign-ups for free trials of Amazon subscriptions. The e-commerce giant just couldn't break away from its digital DNA, even in a physical store setting.

Persons: Jason Del Rey, Amazon's, Chris Garlock, Garlock, Jordan Deagle, Deagle, Tony Hoggett, Insider's Eugene Kim Organizations: Walmart, Morning, Amazon, Amazon Prime, East Coast, Amazon Books, Tesco, Harper Business, HarperCollins Publishers, Federal Trade Commission, FTC

☆ Goldman Sachs: Despite slowing macroeconomic conditions, these 50 stocks are poised to increase their profitability faster than the rest of the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In a recent report, Goldman Sachs identified 50 stocks expected to grow their profitability. The median stock should increase profitability by 13% over the next year, well above the S&P 500. But according to a recent report from Goldman Sachs, it may seem that the worst of this profits recession is now behind us. 50 stocks with the highest-consensus ROE growthIn the report, Kostin and his team identified a basket of 50 stocks expected to have the highest ROE growth in the market over the next 12 months. The 50 stocks Goldman Sachs believes will increase their returns on equity the most over the next 12 months are below, along with their ticker, sector, and consensus ROE growth expectations.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, ROE, Kostin Organizations: Wall Street, Kostin, Federal Reserve Locations: ROE

☆ Here's the inflation breakdown for May 2023, in one chart
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The CPI is a key barometer of inflation, measuring prices of anything from fruits and vegetables to haircuts and concert tickets. Where consumers saw inflation, deflation in MayConsumers saw gasoline prices decline 5.6% between April and May, according to the CPI report. "Energy prices at this time last year were just absurd," Leer said. watch nowBut food and energy prices can be volatile. "The progress on core inflation has stalled out in recent months," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.

Persons: Michael M, Leer, Greg McBride, They're, Ben Bernanke, Olivier Blanchard Organizations: Lincoln Market, Santiago, Getty, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumers, CPI, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, U.S . Federal Reserve, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Bankrate Locations: Prospect, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S, Ukraine

☆ US telecom companies say not in talks with Amazon for wireless services
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 2 (Reuters) - Major U.S. wireless carriers on Friday said they not in talks with Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) to offer low-cost wireless services to its Prime members. "AT&T is not in discussions with Amazon to resell wireless services," a company spokesperson said. Verizon spokesperson the company "is not in negotiations with Amazon regarding the resale of (Verizon's) wireless network. Brandon Nispel of KeyBanc Capital Markets said Dish Network, a relatively new entrant in wireless, could be the most likely partner for Amazon. They also rallied in May after a Wall Street Journal report that Dish was in talks to sell its wireless plans through Amazon.

Persons: Christopher Ali, Brandon Nispel, Michael Ashley Schulman, Yuvraj Malik, Aditya Soni, Tanya Jain, Akash Sriram, David Shepardson, Sheila Dang, Nivedita Bhattacharjee Organizations: Major U.S, Amazon.com Inc, Wireless, Bloomberg News, Amazon, Dish Network, Verizon, Mobile, Penn State University, AT, KeyBanc, Journal, U.S, Running, Capital Advisors, Thomson Locations: Major, Bengaluru, Washington, Dallas

☆ Office Workers Hate the Commute, Not the Office - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Farhad Manjoo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk says we should all get off our duffs and go back to the office. Factory workers, service workers and construction workers can’t work from home, so why do people in the “laptop classes” think they should be able to do so? Musk isn’t alone among corporate executives in seeing employees’ reluctance to return to the office as a genuine economic problem. Companies have tried carrots — redesigning offices — and they’ve tried sticks, like reversing remote work policies at the same time they announce huge layoffs. Remote work looks like it’s turning from a pandemic necessity into a permanent feature of the American workplace.

☆ How do you solve a problem like AI? Tax it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The chances of “generative AI” being put back in its box are very small. Goldman Sachs economists estimate that 18% of work could be automated globally, and that 7% of the U.S. workforce might be substituted by AI. Moreover, while AI will create profit windfalls, many countries don’t tax those as effectively as they ought to. But a dollar of saved costs for a company creates only 21 cents in corporate income tax revenue. Capital gains are still taxed below the level of income in most countries.

☆ CEOs thought the return to office debate was over. It looks like they were wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Other companies, too, could see reverberations if they enact similar policies, especially if the mandates feel arbitrary, human resources professionals say. That's why companies that want to bring workers back to the office need to focus on reconfiguring workspaces to foster additional collaboration. If your company hasn't yet, maybe don't 'mandate'Many companies are still ironing out their return-to-office policies. JustAnswer, an online source for professional information, has seen a 49% increase in questions related to return-to-office mandates and/or policies in its Employment Law category compared with May 2022. Companies should also evaluate whether across-the-board policies make sense, or whether in-office mandates should be implemented for certain functions only, Kogut said.

☆ Hedge funds bet consumers will rein in U.S. spending - Goldman Sachs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. consumer spending plateaued in March, a sign that Americans may have become more averse to higher prices, data released last week showed. In Europe, stocks saw net buying by hedge funds for a fourth straight month in April, driven mainly by hedge funds buying to exit short positions in macro economic sectors, the Goldman Sachs note said. Goldman added that developed markets in Asia, especially Japan, saw net buying from hedge funds. Japanese stocks saw net buying by hedge funds for a fourth straight month and the largest level of notional net buying in two years, the note said. Global hedge funds that focus on buying and selling stocks posted a 0.58% increase in asset weighted returns, said the note.

☆ Landlords pumped billions into apartment buildings during the pandemic. That bet could now go horribly wrong.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Big money investors pumped billions into buying up apartment buildings in the pandemic era. But fault lines have emerged for investors who paid top dollar for assets that depended on substantial rent increases and persistent low interest rates to achieve profitability. In those years, investors purchased $355.5 billion and $299.2 billion worth of apartment buildings, according to MSCI — unprecedented sums that far surpassed the previous $194 billion record of multifamily sales in 2019. "It's early, but it's going to become a bigger story, especially if interest rates stay high and lending standards are tight," said Alan Todd, the head of commercial-mortgage-backed-securities strategy at BofA Global Research. As these short-term debts come due, they will be difficult to swap with commensurately sized loans today, because of the falling values, higher interest rates, and lender caution.

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