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☆ Long Covid disabled them. Then they met a ‘broken’ Social Security disability process
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Morgan Stephens | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

And two Congressional bills addressing the long Covid crisis — The “Covid-19 Long Haulers Act,” which would’ve collected data on long Covid patients with the goal of creating better care and treatment, and “The Care For Long Covid Act” would’ve improved research, centralized data and resources for people with Long Covid — died without making it out of committee. Disabled by long Covid since March 2020, she lives with her spouse and their 7-year-old son in Portland, Ore. “We didn’t design our life to be a single-income household.”Other long Covid patients have rearranged their finances, too. His company’s private long-term disability insurance pays a smaller percentage of the monthly benefit payout when federal disability pays a portion. “They’re not only dealing with long Covid complications, but they’re dealing with financial complications,” she said of her clients.

The HUD is cutting annual mortgage insurance premiums on FHA mortgages from 0.85% to 0.55% for most new borrowers. The new FHA mortgage insurance rates are set to go into effect on March 20. But in March, FHA borrowers will be able to take advantage of lower annual mortgage insurance rates. New FHA MIP chartThese lower annual MIP rates will be available to those getting a new FHA mortgage on or after March 20, 2023. When getting an FHA mortgage, borrowers pay both an upfront and annual mortgage insurance fee.

☆ Biden admin cuts some mortgage fees amid housing affordability crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The move affects mortgage insurance premiums paid by new borrowers who take out loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration. But for homebuyers struggling to enter the housing market, there are some loans like FHA that come with required mortgage insurance. But for borrowers unable to enter the housing market another way, FHA loans can often be the cheapest option. In addition, only a fraction of all home sales are financed with FHA loans. Only 811,362 out of 5.7 million purchase loans originated in 2021 were FHA loans, or about 14.3%, according to HUD.

☆ China’s Angry Pensioners Are Symptomatic of Deeper Problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China doesn’t have a robust social safety net—individuals pay a relatively high proportion of medical fees out of pocket. Recent protests by retirees in China over reduced healthcare benefits epitomize a thicket of interrelated problems entangling the country: an aging population, strained local government finances, an inadequate social safety net and heavy debt. The immediate trigger for the flare-up was revisions pushed through by some local governments, including the city of Wuhan, which will cut reimbursements for medical care. Some money from individual accounts contributed under a compulsory savings plan will be pooled with a public insurance fund. The move would use some of the surplus in these so-called personal accounts to meet increasing public medical needs—but elderly protesters feel like the government has taken away their savings.

☆ Is the Fed ignoring long Covid in its inflation fight?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But it’s premature to say that Covid is no longer an economic issue when long Covid has such a significant effect on America’s workforce, economists and health care officials say. Long Covid, which stems from a Covid-19 infection, is considered a chronic illness that is sometimes debilitating. As many as 30% of Americans, about 23 million people, develop long Covid after a Covid infection, said the US Department of Health and Human Services in November. “Long Covid has harmed the workforce,” said the report, compiled by the New York State Insurance Fund. Caregiving for those suffering from Covid or long Covid is also affecting the labor imbalance, said Giacomo Santangelo, an economics professor at Fordham University.

☆ Long Covid has an ‘underappreciated’ role in labor shortage, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Long Covid is keeping people out of work and may reduce on-the-job productivity for others, contributing to a labor shortage and weighing on the U.S. economy at large, according to a new study. Long Covid — also known as long-haul Covid, post-Covid or post-acute Covid syndrome — is a chronic illness that results from a Covid-19 infection. Up to 30% of Americans develop long Covid after a Covid infection, affecting as many as 23 million Americans, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in November. About 18% of people with long Covid hadn't returned to work for more than a year after contracting Covid, according to a recent study by the New York State Insurance Fund, the state's largest workers' compensation insurer. The labor force participation rate was 62.3% in December, which has shown "little net change" since early 2022 and remains a percentage point below its pre-pandemic level, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics most recent jobs report.

The article was one of a series of reports this year by the news agency on Binance's financial compliance and relationship with regulators across the world. Reuters also asked representatives of the local Binance units and affiliates about their relationship with the main Binance exchange. In Italy, Binance's public corporate filings detail just the unit's capital base and its ownership by a separate Binance company in Ireland. The Italian company, Binance Italy S.R.L., has its listed address in a block of shops and apartments in the southern city of Lecce. Just two of the Binance units analysed by Reuters offer more substantial details in their filings.

☆ Qatar's 2022 World Cup ends with modest ceremony, titans clash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

After 63 matches, the World Cup in Qatar comes to a close with reigning champions France taking on Argentina in a showpiece final with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest. France's Mbappe and Argentina's Messi, both playing for the Qatari-owned club, are also a reminder of Qatar's influence on global soccer beyond the FIFA World Cup organisation. CONTROVERSYQatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup, which has been marred by controversy, was part of a carefully built strategy by the tiny but rich state to bolster its global influence. "There is the Workers Support and Insurance Fund that will be looking into any matters relating to unfortunate deaths. And that will continue beyond the World Cup," Thawadi said.

☆ World Cup 2022: how many migrant workers have died in Qatar?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Here is a look at migrant workers' rights issues in Qatar, which is hosting the 2022 World Cup from Nov. 20-Dec. 18:WHAT IS QATAR'S RECORD ON MIGRANT WORKERS' RIGHTS? * Britain's Guardian reported last year that at least 6,500 migrant workers -- many of them working on World Cup projects -- had died in Qatar since it won the right to stage the World Cup, according to the paper's calculations from official records. * Qatari World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said that there have been three work-related fatalities and 37 non-work-related deaths among workers at World Cup 2022 sites. * In September, England's FA said families of migrant workers in Qatar who were injured or killed while constructing the infrastructure for this year's World Cup should be compensated. * The shirts worn by the Netherlands team during the World Cup will be auctioned to support migrant workers in Qatar, the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said this month.

LOS ANGELES — A Tennessee rapper who boasted about committing Covid-19 relief fraud in a music video was sentenced to over six years in prison Wednesday, prosecutors said. Baines, 33, bragged about the fraud in videos on YouTube and Instagram, according to court documents. In addition to the prison sentence, Baines was also ordered to pay $704,760 in restitution. Congress approved massive financial resources to help people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which shut down large parts of the economy. The U.S. Labor Department’s inspector general’s office has estimated that $872.5 billion in pandemic unemployment insurance funding — and at least $163 billion in pandemic unemployment insurance benefits — could have been paid improperly, some of it through fraud.

☆ Maryland bans use of TikTok, other Chinese, Russian products by state agencies after NBC News report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Sarah Fitzpatrick | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kit-Ramgopal-Byline.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The state of Maryland on Tuesday banned the use of TikTok and other Chinese and Russian products by state agencies, citing reporting by NBC News about hackers linked to the Chinese government stealing millions in Covid benefits from state governments in the U.S. “There may be no greater threat to our personal safety and our national security than the cyber vulnerabilities that support our daily lives,” said Gov. In the past, Alibaba and Alipay have declined to comment about accusations of being national security risks. WeChat has denied being a national security risk. Also in November, the state of South Dakota banned the use of TikTok by state agencies.

☆ Hackers linked to Chinese government stole millions in Covid benefits, Secret Service says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Sarah Fitzpatrick | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kit-Ramgopal-Byline.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Hackers linked to the Chinese government stole at least $20 million in U.S. Covid relief benefits, including Small Business Administration loans and unemployment insurance funds in over a dozen states, according to the Secret Service. One senior Justice Department official called it “dangerous” and said it had serious national security implications. ‘The horse is out of the barn’As soon as state governments began disbursing Covid unemployment funds in 2020, cybercriminals began to siphon off a significant percentage. China’s targets include state governments, which can have inadequate cybersecurity defenses. “The state governments don’t allocate a lot of cyber protection money to their state I.T.

☆ Ex-England player Barnes slams critics of World Cup hosts Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Former England international John Barnes slammed critics who have questioned World Cup hosts Qatar's treatment of migrant workers, saying detractors of the country had turned a blind eye to their progress on human rights. Qatar, which was awarded hosting rights for the World Cup in 2010, has faced intense criticism from human rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers. "Qatar has invited 'everyone' to the World Cup, gay or straight, but demand 'everyone' be respectful of their ways, laws and culture...," Barnes said. "The rainbow colours and OneLove armband promote something that is illegal in Qatar, even if we think it shouldn't be. Barnes added that it was hypocritical for English critics to find fault with Qatar, pointing to the treatment of Black communities in Britain.

The licenses gave FTX access to U.S. commodities derivatives markets as a regulated exchange. FTX also saw its regulatory status as a way of luring new capital from major investors, the documents show. “FTX has the cleanest brand in crypto,” the exchange proclaimed in a June document presented to investors. According to the document, FTX told the regulator it did not have the same issues as products from other providers that the agency had investigated. "We confirmed these were solely rewards based and do not involve lending (or other use) of the deposited crypto," FTX wrote.

☆ Qatar World Cup: 'Our dreams never came true.' These men helped build Qatar's tournament, now they are struggling to survive.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Aimee Lewis Pramod Acharya Sugam Pokharel | Aimee Lewis | Pramod Acharya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

It will be a historic event, the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, but one also mired in controversy. He had dreamed of watching World Cup matches from the rooftop of the hotel he had helped build. In Qatar, migrant workers can now change jobs freely without permission from their employer. However, a number of European federations have issued a joint statement saying they would campaign at the tournament on human rights and for a migrant workers center and a compensation fund for migrant workers. The motto for Qatar’s bid team in 2010 was ‘Expect Amazing.’ In many ways, this year’s World Cup has replicated that maxim.

REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File PhotoCommodity trade finance covers many types of loans, typically from banks, that facilitate global movement of goods from wheat to gasoline. Most trade finance loans are short-term, less than a year. Traders’ credit lines became strained last year when natural gas prices sky-rocketed in the fourth quarter. ‘DESIRE TO DIVERSIFY’Lending for commodity trade finance has become more diverse, with non-bank financial institutions (NBFI) stepping in. The underlying issue was the retreat of major banks from commodity financing after some 2020 defaults in the sector while Russian banks Sberbank and Gazprombank that were set to expand have now been shut out of Europe.

Commodity trade finance covers many types of loans, typically from banks, that facilitate global movement of goods from wheat to gasoline. Most trade finance loans are short-term, less than a year. The involvement of hedge funds in commodity trade finance has created a lifeline for smaller firms, deemed to be higher risk for banks due to strict capital requirements and clean energy goals. 'DESIRE TO DIVERSIFY'Lending for commodity trade finance has become more diverse, with non-bank financial institutions (NBFI) stepping in. The Swiss firm specialises in financing small to mid-sized commodity merchants and has achieved returns between 6% to 10% over the last 10 years.

☆ Binance CEO says he didn't 'master plan' FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said on Wednesday that he "did not master plan" the collapse of rival crypto exchange FTX. Zhao said in the memo that Binance employees should not buy or sell FTT. "DO NOT trade FTT tokens," Zhao wrote in the letter. Zhao said Binance plans to significantly increase its transparency, proof of reserves and insurance funds. WATCH: Crypto investors still rattled by FTX liquidity

A credit union that's federally insured will have a NCUA sign on the website or building. Credit unions federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration, or NCUA, will also be secure. The NCUA controls the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, or NCUSIF, which is a fund by all participating credit unions. A credit union has to tell its members if a specific product isn't federally insured, so you'll know what is guaranteed by the credit union and what isn't. If your credit union closes, the NCUA will transfer your money to another credit union that's federally insured.

☆ Morning Bid: Gimme Shelter
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. read moreBut with the pound falling anew against the dollar on the credit rating and IMF warnings, the real problem is in UK government bonds, or gilts. read moreWith Wall Street stocks hitting a new low for the year on Tuesday, global shares sank to two-year lows on Wednesday. Fed chairman Jerome Powell and a host of other Fed speakers are in the diary again for later on Wednesday. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Rising Rates Make Life Insurance Funded With Debt More Costly
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Leslie Scism | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rising interest rates and a falling stock market are putting new pressure on a popular strategy of borrowing to fund the purchase of multimillion-dollar life-insurance policies. Even before rates started to rise, consumers were being forced to make big payments when strategies failed to deliver the promised returns. Many sued their agents and insurers.

The Justice Department named Kevin Chambers, who had been associate deputy attorney general, as chief prosecutor for Covid-19 fraud Thursday. President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address last week that Chambers would lead the charge against major perpetrators of pandemic fraud. We may not get all the money back, but that’s not the only value in bringing these cases," he said. The U.S. government spent $5 trillion to fight Covid-19, Chambers said, "so the numbers are going to be big." In explaining the importance of prosecuting Covid-19 fraud cases, Chambers rejected the notion that stealing from the government is a victimless crime.

☆ Employer-based health insurance was a failure during the pandemic. Here's how single-payer healthcare could do better.
▼ + stars: | 2022-02-05 | by ( Paul Constant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The single-payer healthcare bill would have benefitted both employers and workers, Kalra says. But demand for single-payer insurance may be on the rise. The mass layoffs and business closures at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic demonstrated why America's private healthcare system, which largely links health insurance to employment status, is a terrible idea. Assemblyman Kalra joined the "Pitchfork Economics" podcast to talk about his CalCare proposal and make the economic case for single-payer healthcare in the United States. "One of the key indicators of whether someone died from COVID was whether they had gaps in their health insurance or not," Kalra said.

While your intentions might be good, naming a minor as a life insurance beneficiary can cause significant complications because life insurance policies can't be disbursed to minors. Instead, it is better to establish a trust for your child and name the trust as the beneficiary of your life insurance. Problems with naming a minor as your life insurance beneficiaryAs noted by AAA Life Insurance, "Minor children cannot directly receive the proceeds of a life insurance policy. Steps for establishing a life insurance trust for your childrenHere are the steps you'll need to take to establish a life insurance trust for your children. If you are concerned about providing for your child in case something happens to you, it is better to establish a trust for your child and make the trust the beneficiary of your life insurance policy.

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