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☆ The 6 best credit cards to use for Costco purchases in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Juan Ruiz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Let’s take a look at what types of credit cards Costco accepts and the best credit cards for Costco purchases, whether you’re looking for financing, cash back or travel rewards. The best credit cards for Costco in 2023How did we choose our best credit cards when shopping at Costco in 2023? Best for Costco loyalists: Costco Anywhere Visa Card by CitiUse this credit card to earn bonus cash back on gasoline purchases, both at Costco and other gas stations. Best for travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardEarn travel rewards on your Costco purchases with the Capital One Venture card. These premium Chase cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

Persons: it’s, It’s, cardholders, Read, Cash Organizations: CNN, American Express, Costco, Getty, Mastercard, American, Google, Samsung, Citi, EV, Read CNN, Wells, Costco Wholesale Clubs, Capital One Venture, One Venture, Venture, Capital, Chase, Sapphire, Ink Business, Ink, Cash, Citi Travel, Card, Citi Prestige ® Locations: drugstores

☆ Behind Prime Day's rosy headlines are mixed signals for back-to-school season. These retail stocks will fare the best
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The National Retail Federation is predicting record spending , whether students are heading back to elementary school, high school or college. Bracing for higher prices as wages fall Baked into that outlook was an expectation held by the vast majority of respondents, 82%, that prices will be higher this year than in 2022. As in the KPMG survey, the gain largely reflected the perception that prices will be higher this year. In the JLL poll, Walmart , Target and Amazon were among the top three retailers parents planned to shop, by a wide margin. Stifel reiterated its price target of $163 for Walmart, saying, "We continue to see more upside than downside from current levels."

Persons: Paul Ashworth, Staples, Mark Astrachan, Astrachan, Stifel, Corey Tarlowe, Tarlowe Organizations: Prime, National Retail Federation, KPMG, Big, Capital Economics, Consumers, Walmart, Target, Old Navy, Kohl's, Macy's, Costco, Adobe Analytics, Jefferies, Amazon, Walmart U.S, Bed Locations: American

☆ Some San Francisco Safeway stores added gates barring shoppers from leaving unless they scan a receipt. It's an anti-theft measure that has spread across the UK.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Safeway has installed receipt-scanning gates at some supermarkets in the San Francisco Bay Area. The technology has already been rolled out at multiple UK retailers, and shoppers are skeptical. A Reddit post from this spring, meanwhile, showed the gates at another Safeway location in San Francisco. Security gates at self checkouts is more common in the UKAcross the Atlantic in the UK, a handful of retailers already use the receipt-scanning gates at self-checkout areas. Some people have compared the security gates to Costco's receipt-checking system.

Persons: that's, Primark, Betty Yu, Alex Bitter Organizations: Safeway, San Francisco Bay Area, Service, California Safeway, San Francisco Chronicle, University of California, Daily, Morrisons, Costco, Sun, Twitter, Walgreens, CBS, KPIX, Area Locations: San Francisco Bay, Wall, Silicon, Bay, Berkeley, San Francisco ., Edinburgh, San Francisco

☆ Why Americans are obsessed with peanut butter
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Natalie Rice | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Skippy was the leading peanut butter brand in the U.S. until 1980, a title that now belongs to Jif. Pond, that became the first brand to commercially develop peanut butter in 1920, sparking the way we eat peanut butter today. "We've launched certain innovations specifically in Asian markets to help enable that type of cooking use for peanut butter. Domestically, Americans eat an average of 4.25 pounds of peanut butter per capita, a figure that increased temporarily during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the National Peanut Board. As the family came together in the middle of the day, we saw that it introduced this love and affection for peanut butter to children who will hopefully carry that love and affection for peanut butter into [their] lifetime," he added.

Persons: Skippy, Joseph Rosefield, Peter Pan, Matt Smith, Circana, Costco's Kirkland, Smucker's, Jif, Smith, Rebecca Scheidler, they've, Ryan Christofferson, Christofferson, aren't, they're, Bob Parker, It's, it's, We've, Parker, Domestically, —, Scheidler Organizations: Equity Research, Stifel Financial Corp, Hormel Foods Corp, Post, Holdings, Foods, Hormel Foods, Spam, Unilever, Peanut Board, FDA, Hormel, National Peanut Board Locations: Jif, U.S, Chicago, Smucker, Uncrustables, Longmont , Colorado, McCalla , Alabama, Mexico, Canada, China

☆ I'm an AI software engineer and I predict that most AI startups being funded today will die
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Julie Bort | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

An AI engineer says most people don't understand what AI can really do and what it can't, yet. Those working in AI understand when startup claims are realistic and when they're mostly hype. Generative AI is just way, way overhyped right now and that means that many of the AI startups getting VC funding today are going to fail. Today's AI can't really do what so many startups say their apps can do because AI can't reliably predict things. So, how can you tell if an AI startup's technology will work or if it and the company will likely fail?

Persons: OpenAI, I've Organizations: salespeople, Amazon, Costco, Walmart Locations: San Francisco, Seattle , New York

☆ Another earnings season begins, but investors are already looking beyond it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —As the second-quarter earnings season kicks off this week, investors want answers on the health of the United States’ companies and its economy. The projected second-quarter earnings decline for companies listed in the S&P 500 is roughly 7.6% compared to the prior year, according to FactSet. That would be the third consecutive quarter of declines and the largest earnings decline reported by the broad-based index since a roughly 32% loss during the second quarter of 2020. But investors will be looking even more closely at what companies forecast for their financial performance and the broader economy. Energy secretary vows to replenish Strategic Petroleum ReserveEnergy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the United States will refill the depleted Strategic Petroleum Reserve, reports my colleague Matt Egan.

Persons: It’s, ”, Paul Eitelman, What’s, Steve Wyett, Jennifer Granholm, Matt Egan, Joe Biden, “, ” Granholm, Biden, Granholm, ” Read, Danielle Wiener, ” Jared Bernstein, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, United, Wealth Management, Gross, North America, Russell Investments, Macy’s, Costco, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, BOK Financial, Energy, Strategic Petroleum Reserve Energy, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, CNN, The Energy Department, Bronner, of Labor Statistics, of Economic Advisers Locations: New York, United States, Wells Fargo, BlackRock, Ukraine, That’s

☆ Here's a rapid-fire update on all 35 stocks in our portfolio — including 2 rating changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Here's a rapid-fire update on all 35 stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, the portfolio we use for the CNBC Investing Club. Coterra Energy (CTRA): At roughly 10 times forward earnings, Jim said he'd classify Coterra shares as dirt cheap. Estee Lauder (EL): We're downgrading Estee Lauder to a 2 rating Wednesday, meaning we're no longer recommending investors buy the stock at current levels. But we're sticking with Estee Lauder because eventually we expect China's economy to turn around, and with it EL's stock price. The semiconductor firm, which has seen its stock price nearly triple this year, is reportedly considering taking a long-term stake in chip designer Arm Holdings.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Jim, he's, We're, Walt Disney, Bob Iger, we're, Estee Lauder, Emerson, Locker, Mary Dillon's, Locker's financials, Eli Lilly, Vimal Kapur, Johnson, Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley's, he'd, Palo, Laxman Narasimhan, Bud, Stanley Black, Decker, TJX's, Wells Fargo, We've, Wynn, Jim Cramer, Jim Cramer Rob Kim Organizations: Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust, CNBC, Club, Apple, Devices, AMD, Investors, Bausch Health, KKR, Costco Wholesale, Costco, Coterra Energy, ESPN, The, Disney, Emerson, National Instruments, Rockwell Automation, Ford, United Auto Workers, GE Healthcare, Halliburton, HAL, Honeywell International, Honeywell, Johnson, Linde, LIN, Novo Nordisk, Meta, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Nvidia, Arm Holdings, Palo Alto Networks, Palo Alto, Natural Resources, Procter & Gamble, Constellation Brands, TJX, Wynn Resorts, WYNN, Jim Cramer's Charitable Locations: India, Israel, California, U.S, Corona, Wells, Las Vegas , Boston, Macao

Washington, DC CNN —Florida is America’s inflation hotspot, thanks to a persistent problem with sky-high housing costs. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area has the highest inflation rate of metro areas with more than 2.5 million residents, with a 9% inflation rate for the 12 months ended in April. Urban Hawaii had the second lowest inflation rate at 2% — mirroring the Federal Reserve’s target for its preferred inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures index. A vexing inflation problem in the Sunshine StateIn Florida, the state’s growing population has been pushing up inflation — particularly via housing costs. Even though the Twin Cities’ inflation rate is currently the lowest among major cities, it might not feel that way to residents, Schipper said.

Persons: That’s, ”, Amanda Phalin, Phalin, “, ” Phalin, Paul, Tyler Schipper, Thomas, Schipper, “ You’re, Latoya Rogers, Kaiji Chen Organizations: DC CNN, Fort, Consumer, Labor Department, Urban, Sunshine State, University of Florida, Labor, Tampa, University of St, of Labor Statistics, CPI, Twin, Federal Reserve Bank of, Fed, Cub, Costco, Sam’s, Atlanta, Emory University Locations: Washington, Florida, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Clearwater, Minneapolis, Urban Hawaii, Sunshine State In Florida, New York, Tampa Bay, “, Twin Cities, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis ’, Midwest, Minnesota, Cities, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, —

☆ All the major retailers have started using Meta's new Threads platform — except Costco
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

All of the largest retailers have activated their accounts, with the notable exception of Costco. That's not to say Costco doesn't have a presence on Threads — it's just not official. Dozens of Costco fan pages have already activated their accounts and are racking up thousands of followers. Unless Threads shows it can drive those two behaviors, it seems the famously frugal Costco will be content to sit this one out. Look no further than its official Twitter account, which contains zero posts and a bio reading, "Our Twitter account is currently inactive.

Persons: That's, Costco execs Organizations: Costco, Service, Twitter, Walmart, Kroger, Facebook Locations: Meta, Wall, Silicon

☆ Instacart shoppers are camping out in parking lots to compete for orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Instacart shoppers said that they are waiting around for hours in parking lots just to claim orders. Insider spoke with five Instacart shoppers across the country about their recent experiences picking and delivering orders on the app. "Overwhelmingly, shoppers say they choose to earn income through the Instacart platform because of the freedom and independence they get with a flexible schedule," Instacart told Insider. Insider sourceBundling orders helps Instacart, but shoppers say that they're a burdenBatch orders — when Instacart combines multiple shoppers' orders — are another source of frustration for workers. "Multi-order batches have been a part of our earnings structure for many years and represent only a small number of full-service batches," Instacart told Insider.

Persons: It's, —, Caroline, Instacart, Jim, Alex Bitter Organizations: Service, Instacart, Costco Locations: Utah, Caroline, Indiana, Maryland, Illinois

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Levi Strauss, Biogen, Alibaba and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Levi Strauss & Co. label is seen on jeans in a store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, U.S., February 15, 2022. Check out the companies making the biggest moves before the bell:Levi Strauss — The apparel retailer fell 7.7% after slashing its profit outlook for the year postmarket Thursday. Levi now expects adjusted earnings per share of $1.10 to $1.20 for the year, down from $1.30 to $1.40 previously. Alibaba — U.S. listed shares of the Chinese ecommerce retailer gained about 3% before the opening bell. First Solar - Shares added 1.7% after the solar company secured a five-year revolving credit and guarantee facility worth $1 billion.

Persons: Levi Strauss, Levi, Alibaba, Ant, Wanxiang, JPMorgan Chase, Tesla, Twitter, —, Jesse Pound, Sarah Min Organizations: Woodbury, and Drug Administration, Medicare, Reuters, Ant Group, JPMorgan, Bloom, Bloom Energy, RBC Capital Markets, Costco —, Costco, Meta Locations: Central Valley , New York, U.S, Alibaba —, China, Shanghai

☆ Here's why this health care Club stock is a top performer in the portfolio Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Here's why this health care Club stock is a top performer in the portfolio FridayOil services stocks were trending higher Friday, boosting Club stocks Halliburton and Pioneer. There's also been a nice move in shares of Nvidia as investors continue to buy the dip in the AI leader. Meanwhile Costco stock trended lower on the back of a weaker June sales report.

Persons: There's Organizations: Halliburton, Pioneer, Nvidia, Costco

☆ Top 10 things to watch in the stock market Friday including a jobs shocker
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Paramount (PARA) downgraded to underperform from peer perform (sell from hold), with a $14 price target by Wolfe Research. Wells Fargo reiterates Club name Disney (DIS) as a Signature Pick with a $147 price target but cuts its earnings-per-share (EPS) estimates. Morgan Stanley raises its price target on Ford (F) to $16 from $14 and General Motors to $41 from $38 on higher earnings estimates. Ferrari (RACE) remains Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas' Top Pick as he raises his RACE price target to $340 from $310. MoffettNathanson raises its price target on card companies: Mastercard (MA) to $490 from $460 and Visa (V) to $320 from $290.

Persons: Nonfarm, Bond, Leqembi, fave Eli Lilly, donanemab, Eli Lilly, Baird, downgrades Wells, Wolfe, Morgan Stanley, Wells, JPMorgan downgrades, Elon Musk's, Mark Zuckerberg's, Ferrari, Adam Jonas, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: FDA, Medicare, Medicaid Services, fave, Costco, Food, U.S, Wolfe Research, downgrades, JPMorgan, WFC, Humana, Dow, Meta, Paramount, Disney, Ford, Motors, Mastercard, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC Locations: United States, downgrades Wells Fargo

☆ Costco is telling Instacart shoppers: Stop lurking in the parking lot while you wait for orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Alex Bitter | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Costco locations are asking Instacart workers to wait outside of their parking lots. "I'm sure there are some people who are doing dumb stuff in parking lots," one commenter on the Reddit post said. Instacart does not require shoppers to wait in a store's parking lot to be eligible for an order. "Shoppers who are shopping an active batch may utilize the Costco parking lot," Instacart said. "Access to batches extends beyond each Costco parking lot," the company said.

Persons: —, we're, Instacart, Alex Bitter, Dominick Reuter Organizations: Costco, Costco doesn't, Walmart, Target, Service, Shoppers, dreuter Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Costco still has 3 ways to shop without a membership even as the retailer cracks down on card-sharing — but the math still favors paying the fee
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Costco says more shoppers are sharing cards at self-checkout, so it's clamping down on checking IDs. There are still ways to shop without a membership: online, with a gift card, or as a member's guest. Still, there are a few ways to shop Costco's selection without paying the fee. In that scenario, the $60 membership fee basically pays for itself after just two trips. Use a Costco gift card without a membershipAnother popular workaround is to use a Costco gift card, known as a Shop Card, which allows shoppers to access the warehouse to use the funds.

Persons: — Organizations: Costco, Service, Netflix, Gold Star, Walmart Locations: Instacart

However, we can't afford to — and I'm convinced my impulse spending habits are a big reason why. Now, I'm changing those habits to save more money in the working years we have left. I'm convinced impulse spending set us back yearsI've recently spent a lot of time wondering what we could have done differently to make an early retirement a reality. As I think about it, I keep coming back to one thing: impulse spending. Now, I'm changing my spending habits for the betterRecently, I have put some safeguards to help me avoid this unnecessary type of spending.

Persons: I'm, —, I've, it's Organizations: Service, Costco

☆ What’s open and closed on July 4
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Here’s what will be open and closed. Postal servicesThe US Postal Service will be closed on Tuesday and won’t be delivering mail. Normal FedEx services will be closed. However, FedEx Office will be open with modified hours and FedEx Custom Critical will be open. All United Postal Service operations will be closed except for UPS Express Critical.

Persons: won’t Organizations: New, New York CNN, Kroger, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, New York Stock Exchange, US Postal Service, Normal FedEx, FedEx Office, FedEx, United Postal Service, UPS Locations: New York, Independence

☆ Luxury retail workers earn about $45,000 per year to sell handbags and jewelry that can cost more than their take-home pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Luxury brands are increasingly having trouble finding and retaining talent for high-touch sales roles. Entry-level associates earn about $35,000 base pay per year, plus about $10,000 commission. On average, luxury retail sales associates earn about $35,000 base pay per year, plus about $10,000 commission, per Glassdoor data. A job at Gucci required three years of luxury fashion experience and the ability to "maintain an active, accurate, neat and organized client book," per BoF. Do you work in luxury retail?

Persons: —, salespeople, Sandy Sholl, there's, Teddy Bear, Jessica Cloutier, Nordstrom's, Cloutier, Neiman Marcus, Sukeena Rao, Dominick Organizations: Service, Target, Walmart, MadaLuxe, Business, Gucci, SMCP, Saks Fifth Locations: Costco, Patagonia

☆ The stock market's gains are almost entirely concentrated in the 'Magnificent 7' - and that could mean a crash is coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Have you heard of the Magnificent Seven? This handful of Big Tech stocks have accounted for nearly all the market's gains in 2023. The names that make up the so-called Magnificent Seven are now the seven biggest US-listed stocks. Are you buying or selling the Magnificent Seven? Strategists from Goldman Sachs made the case for names they think will be low in volatility and high in returns.

Persons: I'm Phil Rosen, It's, you'll, let's, Tesla, there's, Minerva, Kathleen Brooks, John Hussman, Hussman, ANGELA WEISS, Goldman Sachs, Russell, Xi Jinping, Everyone's, Cleo Capital's Sarah Kunst, Phil Rosen, Max Adams, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Twitter, LinkedIn, Lionsgate, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta, Microsoft, Big Tech, Apple, Hussman Investment Trust, Getty, PLC, Costco Locations: New York, London

☆ 5 surprising travel deals you can get at Costco: From car rentals to African safaris
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Car rentalsJonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesCostco Travel offers members exclusive rates on car-rental brands including Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise. You can search by brand or find the best deal using the retailer's low price finder search tool, which allows you to narrow down search results by car type, number of passengers, and luggage amount. Costco's rental car program also features additional member perks like the ability to book an additional driver at select locations, "book now, pay at the counter" options, zero cancellation fees, and an annual 2% award for executive members.

Persons: Jonathan Wiggs Organizations: Boston Globe, Getty, Costco Travel, Alamo, Budget Locations: Avis

The best identity theft protection service is one that meets your needs at the price you're willing to pay. Here's how we rate identity theft protection services. How we rate identity theft protection servicesIdentity theft protection services are rated on a scale from 1-5 stars, with five being the best. Some credit card companies have identity theft protection services that are only available to their cardholders, such as American Express CreditSecure. What to know about identity theft protection service ratingsOur system for rating identity theft protection services balances the price of the service with the features that the service provides.

Persons: you'll, It's, Price Organizations: Express, Costco

☆ Costco Makes It Harder to Share Membership Cards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Ngai Yeung | ) 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/costco-makes-it-harder-to-share-membership-cards-d4bbcd94

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: costco

☆ Costco CFO says that only a 'really small percent' of members misuse their cards, 'but when you're dealing with millions of transactions' it adds up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Its CFO told The WSJ that only a "really small percent" misuse their cards but this can quickly build up. Membership fees make up almost 2% of Costco's total revenues. "But when you're dealing with millions of transactions, even a very small percentage is something you would want to correct." Membership fees made up almost 2% of Costco's total revenues in the three months to May 7. The retailer last raised its membership fees in 2017, when they went up by around 10%.

Persons: —, Richard Galanti, Galanti Organizations: Costco, Service, Wall Street, Star Locations: Puerto Rico

☆ Costco is taking a page out of Netflix's playbook and cracking down on shared membership cards. Wall Street is thrilled.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Costco is cracking down on shoppers that borrow a friend of family's membership card at checkout. Netflix stock has jumped more than 20% since its password sharing crackdown began in the US in late-May. "Our membership policy states that our membership cards are not transferable and since expanding our self-service checkout, we've noticed that non-member shoppers have been using membership cards that do not belong to them," Costco said in a statement. This strategic move allows Costco to increase its membership revenue without necessarily raising its annual membership fee," Sundaram said. So far, Wall Street is receptive of Costco's recent crackdown, with the stock up about 2% since the policy crackdown was revealed on Tuesday.

Persons: —, Costco, Arun Sundaram, Sundaram Organizations: Costco, Netflix, Service, Research

☆ Costco is cracking down on sharing membership cards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Since Costco has expanded self-checkout, the company has noticed that non-members have been sneaking in to use membership cards that don’t belong to them. “We don’t feel it’s right that nonmembers receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” Costco said in a statement. Costco members pay either $60 for a regular membership or $120 for an executive card every year to shop at clubs. Any changes to membership growth could hurt Costco. Netflix has also recently cracked down on members sharing passwords.

Persons: ” Costco, Costco Organizations: New, New York CNN, Costco, Sam’s Club, Netflix Locations: New York

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