DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

"Consumers need to understand that the cavalry isn't coming anytime soon, so the best thing you can do is take things into your own hands when it comes to lowering credit card interest rates," said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. But that hasn't deterred credit card issuers from offering generous terms on balance transfer cards, Rossman said. But right now, it's kind of a Goldilocks environment for credit card issuers." It's also an ideal time for consumers to take advantage of all the options credit card issuers are offering. A balance transfer credit card moves your outstanding debt from one or more credit cards onto a new card, typically with a lower interest rate.

Persons: Matt Schulz, Michele Raneri, APRs aren't, Schulz, Ted Rossman, Rossman, It's Organizations: Federal Reserve, TransUnion, CNBC, Finance, Treasury Department, Federal Reserve Bank of New Locations: U.S, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

☆ TikTok is the top social-media app Americans trust for news, according to new data
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Dan Whateley | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewCongress is terrified that TikTok could be deployed as a disinformation tool to shape Americans' views of current events in China's favor. Respondents who said they consumed news also tended to be less concerned about the accuracy of the news information they found on TikTok compared to other social apps. According to Pew's survey, 25% of X users said that getting news was a "major" reason they used the platform, and 15% of TikTok users also reported that getting news was a "major" reason for why they're on TikTok. Meanwhile, TikTok is also leaving users feeling the least "worn out" by the amount of news they see on the platform compared to the other apps. The news content that reaches TikTok users is often not from accounts run by traditional news organizations like The New York Times or the Washington Post.

Persons: —, It's, TikTok, Instagram, Joe Biden, ByteDance, Donald Trump, it's, influencers, Kelsey Russell Organizations: Service, Pew Research Center, Business, Facebook, The New York Times, Washington Post Locations: China, Israel, TikTok

☆ The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady — here's what that means for your money
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will leave interest rates unchanged. The central bank projected it would cut interest rates once in 2024, down from an estimate of three in March. For consumers already strained by the high cost of living, there is an added toll from persistently high borrowing costs. The Fed responded with a series of interest rate hikes that took its benchmark rate to the highest level in decades. The spike in interest rates caused most consumer borrowing costs to skyrocket, and now, more Americans are falling behind on their payments.

Persons: Greg McBride, that's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Finance, U.S

☆ 36% of Americans think real estate is the best long-term investment. Here's the easiest way to get started
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Some Americans believe that real estate is the best long-term investment. If you're among them, real estate investment trusts, or REITs, might be the easiest way to tap the market. About 36% of surveyed Americans ranked real estate as the top long-term investment, more than cited stocks or mutual funds (22%), gold (18%), and savings accounts or certificates of deposits (13%), according to a recent survey by Gallup, a global analytics and advisory firm. A REIT is a publicly traded company that invests in different types of income-producing residential or commercial real estate. In many cases, you can buy shares of publicly traded REITs like you would a stock, or shares of a REIT mutual fund or exchange-traded fund.

Persons: Stacy Francis, Francis Organizations: Gallup, Finance, Francis Financial, CNBC Financial Locations: New York City

☆ Trump campaign launches TikTok account as Truth Social stock dips
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's TikTok rollout came as his own social media company, Trump Media, took a financial tumble in the wake of the historic verdict that convicted the former president on 34 felony counts in his Manhattan hush money trial. Trump launched Truth Social in early 2022 as an alternative, "non-woke" social media platform after he was banned from sites like Twitter and Facebook following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Since then, Trump Media has gone public and the former president now holds a 65% stake in the company. Trump is several months later than his Democratic opponent, President Joe Biden, whose reelection campaign launched on TikTok in February. "We will get President Trump's winning message to every voter possible.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump's, Trump, Joe Biden, outpacing, Karoline Leavitt, Trump's, Biden, CNBC's, TikTok Organizations: Trump, Trump Media, Truth, Twitter, Facebook, Democratic, TikTok, Biden, NBC News Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan

☆ As TikTok layoffs hit, let-go staffers reflect on what one described as an 'abrupt end to a very chaotic ride'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. "I'm just really disappointed," one laid-off TikTok employee told Business Insider. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementA second let-go employee who had worked at the company amid political attacks and business-strategy shifts described the layoffs as "an abrupt end to a very chaotic ride." AdvertisementLet-go TikTok staffers wondered, why now?

Persons: —, I'm, Adam Presser, Zenia Mucha, Pappas, Presser, Mucha, ByteDance, TikTok Organizations: Service, Business, Big Tech, Google Locations: Brazil, France

☆ U.S. court to hear challenges to potential TikTok ban in September
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Under the appeals court schedule, the creators, TikTok and ByteDance must file legal briefs by June 20 and the Justice Department by July 26, with reply briefs due by Aug. 15. TikTok and the Justice Department have sought a ruling by Dec. 6 in order to seek review from the Supreme Court if needed. The law, signed by President Joe Biden on April 24, gives ByteDance until Jan. 19 to sell TikTok or face a ban. The White House says it wants to see Chinese-based ownership ended on national security grounds, but not a ban on TikTok. The law prohibits app stores like Apple and Alphabet's Google from offering TikTok and bars internet hosting services from supporting TikTok unless ByteDance divests TikTok.

Persons: TikTok, ByteDance, Joe Biden Organizations: U.S, Capitol, TikTok's, Appeals, District of Columbia, Justice Department, Apple, Google Locations: Washington ,, U.S, China, TikTok's U.S

☆ TikTok Is About to Become Even More Powerful Thanks to Millennials
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Emilie Friedlander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

"I have friends that say that TikTok Shop has ruined the app," Casey Lewis, a trends researcher, said. "It can be good — especially as TikTok moves to TikTok Shop — if they're able to capitalize on this shift and sell products more effectively to older users." Just because something is going viral on TikTok doesn't necessarily mean Gen Z is behind it. The same could be said of Gen Z, which would explain the generations' shared fascination with a time before smartphones and round-the-clock news. The Gen Z users I spoke with didn't seem particularly concerned about an influx of olds.

Persons: Keara Sullivan, Zers, Rushmore, Sullivan, Ryan Broderick, Adam Bumas, Broderick, TikTok, —, Cory Doctorow, it's, Kevin Munger, Doctorow, Casey Lewis, Lewis hasn't, Gen Zers, Jonathan Gelfond, Taylor Lorenz, Lorenz, Munger, Gen Z, Lewis, Stanley, Alpha, Zers —, Gen Alpha, hasn't, millennials, Jason Parham, Leslie Horn Petersen, she's, Gen, didn't, I've, Emilie Friedlander Organizations: New, Pew Research Center, Facebook, Senate, Microsoft, Penn State, Little League, Business, QVC, UC Santa Barbara, The Washington Post, YouTube Locations: New York, tfym, millennials, Brooklyn, Philadelphia

☆ From discovery to purchase: here's how to activate the full funnel on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Sponsor Post | Sponsored Tiktok For Business | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In fact, 65% of TikTok users are likely to buy a product that they previously saw on TikTok in the future,[1] and 61% of users have made a purchase either directly on TikTok or online after seeing an ad on TikTok. It's been a pleasure to work with the team at TikTok to develop our content and targeting strategy. The campaign's final phase focused on conversions and utilized TikTok's newest conversion product, Video Shopping Ads. To read more about the impact that short-form video platforms like TikTok have across the marketing funnel, dive into this report from research organization WARC. Sources:1 TikTok Marketing Science EUI TikTok for Full Funnel Research 2023 conducted by Material2 TikTok Marketing Science Global Shopping Ad Products Study 2022 conducted by Material February 2022 (n=17,937).

Persons: we've, It's, Tom Donegan, Sephora, PureGym, Brand, ghd, There's Organizations: PureGym, ghd, Brand, Insider Studios Locations: TikTok, Spain, ghd France, France, creatives

☆ Billionaire real estate investor Frank McCourt wants to buy TikTok — but he's not interested in the algorithm
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewReal estate mogul Frank McCourt is the latest person to raise his hand to try to acquire TikTok's US business. Related stories"We thought this was a really fantastic opportunity to accelerate the creation of an alternative internet," McCourt told the Associated Press. McCourt wants to change TikTok's basic business to an open-source model that allows users and creators more control over their data. McCourt told the New York Times that he doesn't want the algorithm. "We doubt very much that China would sell TikTok with the algorithm," McCourt told the Times.

Persons: —, Frank McCourt, McCourt, Kirkland, Ellis, TikTok, Forbes, Tim Berners, Lee, TikTok . McCourt, Eric Schmidt, Steven Mnuchin, he's Organizations: Service, Guggenheim Securities, Business, Associated Press, Liberty, Los Angeles Dodgers, Big Tech, New York Times, Times Locations: China

☆ TikTok begins automatically labeling AI-generated content
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Josephine Rozzelle | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok is starting to automatically label videos and images made with artificial intelligence, the company said on Thursday. AI-generated content on the app will now be tagged with "Content Credentials," a digital watermarking technology from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, TikTok said in a press release. "Content Credentials attach metadata to content, which we can use to instantly recognize and label [AI-generated content]," TikTok said. TikTok already labels content made with its in-app AI effects and requires creators to label any content they produce containing realistic AI. This latest move will expand automatic labeling to AI-generated content uploaded from other platforms.

Persons: TikTok, OpenAI, Joe Biden Organizations: Coalition, Adobe, Microsoft, Meta, Google, U.S . Locations: U.S, Culver City , California

☆ This chart shows just how absurd Trump Media's valuation is
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's well known that Trump Media stock trades at a premium valuation, but one chart shows just how absurd it is. AdvertisementA lot has been written about Trump Media and Technology Group's premium valuation, but one chart really helps put it into perspective. The social media company, founded by former President Donald Trump, has a market valuation of nearly $7 billion. Another way to value the profitless Trump Media is to compare its current market valuation to its monthly active user base. Since Trump Media's recent stock surge,that valuation has surged to $1,309 per Truth Social user, and at its peak in March, each Truth Social user was worth $1,794.

Persons: Donald Trump's, —, Donald Trump, Michael Cembalest, Alex W, Cembalest, Steve Sosnick, MAGA, Sosnick Organizations: Trump Media, Service, Technology, Truth, MSNBC, JPMorgan, Trump, Interactive Brokers Locations: 1,590x

☆ Investors want to see a sale of TikTok, says Carnegie's Peter Harrell
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | 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 EmailInvestors want to see a sale of TikTok, says Carnegie's Peter HarrellPeter Harrell, Carnegie fellow, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss TikTok's future in the U.S. as the social media company sues to block the potential ban.

Persons: Carnegie's Peter Harrell Peter Harrell Organizations: Investors, Carnegie Locations: U.S

☆ TikTok is taking the US government to court in a showdown of free speech vs. national security
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . And the knock-on effects extend beyond TikTok, impacting everything from President Joe Biden's reelection campaign to Apple and Tesla . AdvertisementTikTok, Tyler Le/BIThe TikTok-US government fight pits two pillars of American society against each other: free speech and national security. 3 things in businessDeliormanli/Getty, Olivier Verriest/Getty, Andrei Akushevich/Getty, Tyler Le/BIIn other newsAdvertisementWhat's happening todayToday's earnings: Airbnb, Uber, and other companies are reporting .

Persons: —, swiping, Tyler Le, ByteDance, Dan Whateley, Geoff Weiss, Joe Biden's, It'll, TikTok, hasn't, haven't, Fallon, Jane Fraser isn't, Fraser, Piper Sandler, Michael Kantrowitz, Josh Edelson, Isabel Fernandez, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Getty, Olivier Verriest, Andrei Akushevich, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Business, Service, Apple, Chinese Communist Party, Big Tech, Getty, Pujol, Associated Press, Facebook Locations: France, China, Beijing, Citadel, Millennium, AFP, New York, London

☆ TikTok sued the U.S. government to block a ban. Here’s what happens now
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the platform through an executive order in 2020, laying out the path to a potential ban. Prior to the passage of the law, TikTok spent more than $2 billion on an initiative called "Project Texas" to better protect U.S. user data from foreign influence. It's also different from past attempts to ban TikTok since the bill has bipartisan support, which can influence the courts, Hans said. Regardless of what happens in the circuit court, Hans said there's a real possibility the case ends up getting elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court. WATCH: Here's what to know about TikTok lawsuit

Persons: Shou Zi Chew, Online Harms, Evelyn Hockstein, Joe Biden, TikTok, Donald Trump, Gus Hurwitz, Hurwitz, ByteDance, Gautam Hans, Hans, It's, Hans said, there's, Shou Chew, Steven Mnuchin, CNBC's David Faber, Mnuchin Organizations: Energy, Commerce, Safeguard, Online, Capitol, Reuters, U.S, U.S ., Appeals, Circuit, Center for Technology, Innovation, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law, CNBC, Cornell Law School, Supreme Locations: Washington, Texas, U.S, TikTok, China

☆ TikTok is taking the US to court to stop its ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Dan Whateley | Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

TikTok is suing the US government over its new law that forces a sale or ban of the app. AdvertisementTikTok promised to fight its ban in the US — and now the social-media giant has made it official. TikTok has denied both of these claims, and the US government has yet to present evidence that either action has occurred. Legal scholars told Business Insider that well-articulated First Amendment arguments tend to prevail in court, but Congress' national-security concerns could ultimately win out. Hans, an associate clinical professor of law at Cornell Law School and associate director of its First-Amendment clinic, told BI.

Persons: TikTok, —, ByteDance, Joe Biden, G.S, Hans, Matthew Schettenhelm, Schettenhelm Organizations: Service, Chinese Communist Party, Foreign, Business, Cornell Law School, Appeals, DC Circuit, Bloomberg Intelligence Locations: China, Russia, Beijing, India

☆ TikTok sues U.S. government, says ban violates First Amendment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Angela Yang | Savannah Sellers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Circuit, argues that the bill, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates constitutional protections of free speech. Now, legal proceedings will pause that timeline, meaning it could be years before a ban goes into effect. Tuesday's lawsuit is the latest development in what has become a multi-year effort by the U.S. government to effectively ban TikTok. Efforts to rein in the popular video-sharing app have persisted since 2020 under both the Trump and Biden administrations. The federal government and dozens of states have already banned the use of TikTok on government-owned devices.

Persons: TikTok, Joe Biden Organizations: United, U.S ., Appeals, Foreign, The, Justice, Justice Department, U.S, Trump, Biden Locations: United States, U.S

"It is becoming clearer and clearer that the Fed isn't going to lower interest rates anytime soon," said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. "If Americans want lower interest rates, they're going to have to do it themselves." What determines your credit card rateSince most credit cards have a variable rate, there's a direct connection to the Fed's benchmark. It's also an ideal time for consumers to take advantage of all the options credit card issuers are offering. A balance transfer credit card moves your outstanding debt from one or more credit cards onto a new card, typically with a lower interest rate.

Persons: —, Matt Schulz, Michele Raneri, aren't, Schulz, Ted Rossman, Rossman, It's Organizations: Federal Reserve, TransUnion, Finance, Treasury Department Locations: U.S

☆ Black creators were instrumental in building TikTok. Now they fear they'll be hit the hardest by a ban.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But largely, TikTok is a place Black creators found where they could thrive and reach new audiences and customers for their growing businesses. It wasn't that the content wasn't good, Ford said, it was that Instagram "just wasn't a place for Black creators, minority creators, to excel." Some Black creators suspected their Black Lives Matter content was suppressed in 2020 after George Floyd's death ignited a wave of protests. AdvertisementBlack TikTokers have also expressed an "undertone of anti-Blackness" in the platform's algorithm, where white creators benefited from the trends started by Black creators. AdvertisementThis is disheartening, Black creators told BI, because so many top trends and ideas come from their community.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, TikTok, Tenyse Williams, It's, Funmi Ford, Ford, Nya, I've, Étienne, Keith Lee, entrepreneurialism, Kahlil Dumas, Dumas, George Floyd's, Jalaiah Harmon, Black TikTokers, Williams, Imani Bashir, Bashir, We're, isn't Organizations: Service, Senate, Business, Consulting, University of Central, Columbia University, George Washington University, Pew Research Center, An, Free, Black, New York Times, Forbes, YouTube, BI Locations: University of Central Florida, Instagram, An Oxford, Atlanta

☆ An important student loan forgiveness deadline is hours away — and it takes under 15 minutes to apply
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

urbazonSome student loan borrowers have until the end of Tuesday to take advantage of an opportunity to get their debt forgiven sooner than they would have otherwise. If these borrowers are enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan, it can mean that they're also on multiple different timelines to forgiveness. "This will ensure folks get the maximum number of months of credit towards student debt cancellation," Fox said. Usually, a student loan consolidation restarts a borrower's forgiveness timeline to zero, making it a terrible move for those working toward cancellation. You can apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan at StudentAid.gov or with your loan servicer.

Persons: Jane Fox, Fox, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz Organizations: Biden, Finance, Cash, Family, Parent, Perkins, CNBC

☆ I went to one of the first TikTok Live studios. Here's what it was like and what the livestreamers do.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNoah Cameron Maydale and Francesca Batley do livestreaming on TikTok for a living. Maydale (who goes by @knowasound, or just Noah, on TikTok) and Batley, whose stage name is Fairie (@fairiefairie on TikTok), are two of the first creators to join a relatively new program started by TikTok agency GravitasQ. TikTok livestreaming in the UK has been growing faster than the company's ads business, company filings show. In-person live studios are a recent addition to TikTok's strategy and one that the company has been developing with select agencies. Here's what it looked like and what Fairie and Noah were doing there at the end of April.

Persons: —, Noah Cameron Maydale, Francesca Batley, @knowasound, Noah, TikTok, Dipesh Pattni, Pattni, Fairie, Emilia Harker, Sitesh, they'd, I'm, Fairie's, livestreamers, you've Organizations: Service, Business, Tesco Locations: livestreaming, Hemel Hempstead, London, Batley

☆ Germany's far-right AfD party is finding success on TikTok — as its popularity among young voters grows
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Cardboard stands with the AfD logo lie on the chairs in the Wiesenhalle before the start of the AfD Brandenburg state party conference. Traditionally, young voters are seen as more left-leaning, but the voting data suggests some divergences, with experts pointing to social media and what they describe as online echo chambers. A study published earlier this month showed that over half of those aged 14-29 in Germany use social media to stay updated about news and politics. But Berendsen told CNBC that it is one of the social media platforms where the tunnel-effect can be an issue. An AfD spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that its videos and texts posted on social media are tailored to young people.

Persons: Monika Skolimowska, Infratest Dimap, Eva Berendsen, Anne Frank, Baerbock, Maximilian Krah, TikTok, Berendsen Organizations: Getty, Russia, Anne, CNBC Locations: Hesse, Germany

☆ ByteDance would rather close down TikTok in the US than sell it if it fails to fight potential US ban in court, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

ByteDance would rather close down TikTok in the US than sell it, Reuters reported, citing four unnamed sources. AdvertisementByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, would rather close down TikTok in the US than sell it if legal means to fight a proposed US ban fail, Reuters reported, citing four unnamed sources. The deadline to sell the app is set for January 19, 2025, but an extension is possible if ByteDance demonstrates progress toward a sale. AdvertisementIt follows a report in The Information earlier this week that said ByteDance was exploring options to sell a majority stake in TikTok's US business. ByteDance has said that the rumors that it plans to sell TikTok "are untrue."

Persons: Joe Biden, ByteDance, —, TikTok, divests, Shou Zi Chew Organizations: Reuters, Service Locations: China

☆ I'm Gen Z and spent 7 hours a week on TikTok. I deleted the app and now have more time to do actually fun things.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I created my TikTok account at the pandemic's start while stuck at home with nothing to do. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. What was true for me, at least, was that TikTok took hours away from my day. A better work-life balanceOther Gen Z TikTok addicts who spoke to the Journal shared similar concerns. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, TikTok, it's, It's, Alistair Barr, there's, Zuckerberg, Z, Keilah Bruce, Gautam Mengi, Will, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Street Journal, Elon, Twitter, Wall Street

☆ What happens if TikTok is sold without the algorithm that drives the 'For You' page? It might not be so bad.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

If ByteDance is actually forced to sell TikTok, it might not include the app's algorithm. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . What if the TikTok algorithm doesn't really matter that much? There's also another thing that could be a drag on TikTok that doesn't even have to do with the algorithm. Selling TikTok without the algorithm — whatever that actually means — is not ideal, but it might not be the one thing that sends TikTok down a path toward MySpace status.

Persons: TikTok, —, ByteDance, that's, Bon, Meta, you've, Elon Musk, There's Organizations: Service, Ferrari Locations: Elon

Search resuls for: "TikTok's"

25 mentions found