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☆ LSEG, Experian shares weigh on UK's FTSE 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The financial services sector (.FTUB3020) slid 1.1% while the broader FTSE 100 (.FTSE) shed 0.1%. Shares of Experian Plc (EXPN.L) slipped after the credit data firm forecast annual organic revenue to grow between 4% and 6%, while analysts were expecting a 5.8% growth. "In early trade, the market looks to be taking a cautious approach (with Experian's shares)," said Steve Clayton, head of equity funds, Hargreaves Lansdown. Among other movers, Watches of Switzerland Group Plc (WOSG.L) slumped 7.4% on a marginal sales decline in the first quarter. Bucking the sombre mood, Sage Group Plc (SGE.L) rose 3.6% after upgrading its annual organic recurring revenue growth forecast.

☆ Lawmakers press companies that collect U.S. consumer data to reveal how they buy and sell it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In the letters, 10 lawmakers asked the companies for detailed responses on the types of sensitive information they gather, such as health, location and phone data, including apps consumers download to their devices. The companies were also asked what information they collect on minors. Last month, the subcommittee on oversight and investigations held a hearing with expert witnesses to examine "the role of data brokers in the digital economy." In that report, the regulator recommended that Congress force brokers to give consumers greater control over their data, but the "data brokers can easily circumvent existing rules and laws," the letter said. Here's the full list of data brokers who received the letter::AcxiomAtDataBabel StreetCoreLogic SolutionsEpsilon Data ManagementEquifaxExperianGravy AnalyticsInteliusKochavaLiveRampMylifeOracle AmericaPeopleConnectPlacer.aiRELXSafegraphSpokeoThomson ReutersTransUnionVerisk AnalyticsWhitepagesSubscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

☆ I blew a golden opportunity to boost my savings in my 20s—the 7 money skills I wish I'd known by 30
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

And since I lived with my parents for almost half of my 20s, my expenses were low, which meant I blew a golden opportunity to boost my retirement savings. Know how interest worksYou can't make long-term financial decisions without knowing how interest affects your money. Your credit score matters because you're less likely to qualify for loans, auto financing and credit cards if you have a low credit score. Additionally, itemized summaries of your credit score, known as credit reports, are produced by the three major U.S. credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Overdue payments can result in penalty fees, higher interest rates and a lower credit score by over 100 points, in some cases.

Medical debt like this is one kind of unsecured debt, which goes away if it isn't covered by the estate. My mother and I laughed bitterly as we sat together at the dinner table, in horrified awe at the absurdity of our essentially being billed for my father's death. Unsecured debts generally remain the property of the deceasedUnsecured loans include most credit card debt, student loans, personal loans, and medical bills. Handling a loved one's debts in the wake of their passing can feel daunting, and even retraumatizing. I discovered in the wake of my father's death just how bureaucratically difficult it is to make the biological fact of a loved one's death a legal one — especially regarding their debts.

☆ Tesla fans will stay loyal no matter what Elon Musk does
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla trumped all other automakers in terms of overall brand loyalty in a recent study. Tesla has been able to keep a loyal fanbase, but some say Elon Musk might not keep his lead forever. Tesla also won segment model loyalty awards, including luxury small utility for the Model Y, and luxury small car, for the Model 3. Still, that might only go so far as Tesla loses EV market share. Tesla held 65.4% of the EV market in 2022, according to Experian.

☆ Ford and GM can afford to put on a brave face
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Automakers General Motors(GM.N) and Ford Motor(F.N) reported operating profit well above Wall Street’s expectations in the first quarter. Their battery-powered makeovers carry risks, but 3.6 million missing car sales thanks to Covid-era shortages means their gas-guzzler cash cows can put on a brave face, thanks to plenty of unfulfilled demand. Ford and GM reported total operating profit 43% and 20% above analyst expectations this quarter, respectively, according to Refinitiv. Reuters GraphicsThis price ratchet added billions to operating profit in recent years. GM increased its expectations for full-year operating profit by $500 million, to a range of $11 billion to $13 billion.

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). People with high credit scores are generally granted lower interest rates on credit cards, personal loans, and other types of debt. Generally, companies offer low-interest credit cards and better perks to people with excellent (800 or greater) or good (670 to 799) credit. Another strategy that experts recommend is to open new credit cards to increase your overall credit limit. Dispute items on your credit reportA credit report includes full documentation of your credit history, which then gets turned into your credit score.

Students with a limited credit history are unlikely to be approved for the best credit cards, and even some student credit cards require good to excellent credit. Step is a secured credit card that has a dynamic credit limit that is attached to the bank account balance -- it operates like a debit card but it is a credit card, which is what enables the unique credit building feature. Best Credit Cards for Students With No Credit of 2023Methodology: How we chose the best credit cards for students with no creditInsider's credit cards team looked at dozens of student credit cards, secured credit cards, and starter credit cards and narrowed down the list by choosing only those that students with limited or no credit have a good chance of qualifying for. Credit Cards for Students With No Credit Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Which credit card is best for students with no credit? US Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card ReviewBest for Students Under 18Step Secured Visa CardWhile credit card accounts are only available to those aged 18 and over, the Step Secured Visa Card offers a solution for students looking to build credit who haven't yet reached legal adulthood.

☆ 6 signs you have too much debt—and how to pay it off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

For just credit card debt, the average amount is $5,910. If you aren't able to add anything to your emergency fund while covering your minimum debt payments, your debt burden is probably too high to comfortably manage. You can only afford to make minimum debt paymentsOnly making minimum payments can be a sign that your debt burden is unsustainable. You're opening new credit card accounts to help pay for older onesOne way to pay down credit card debt faster is through a balance transfer card that offers a 0% interest rate for a limited time, usually 12 to 21 months. To calculate your debt-to-income ratio, tally all of your monthly debt payments and divide that total by your monthly income, after taxes.

☆ Don't but an EV — lease one instead. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Why you might lease instead of ownMany buyers might opt to lease EVs as a way to drive electric but not fully commit to an expensive purchase — especially if they think battery technology will get better. While Teslas have always had a higher purchase rate, EV leasing overall took a tumble in 2022, according to Experian. Car buyers obviously wouldn't get the new EV purchase tax credit with a lease, but there is a sort of loophole. Lucid recently encouraged its customers to consider leasing in order to qualify for the commercial EV credit (for cars that are too expensive or don't otherwise qualify for the purchase credit). It's why companies like Tesla and Ford don't allow customers leasing their EVs to buy the vehicle once its lease contract is up.

The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates repeatedly since 2022, and that makes credit card debt expensive. With debt balances at $986 billion, Americans will pay $45 billion more in interest than they would have. Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely to have credit card debt than white Americans. At the beginning of 2022, the average credit card interest rate was 16.17%, according to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. Ways to take control of your credit card debtIf you find yourself with large credit card debt, it's a good idea to pay it off quickly.

Bad credit could mean paying more than three times as much on a $5,000 loan as someone with good credit. If the 3.5 million Americans taking out loans had bad credit, that difference in interest rate would cost them a cumulative $20 billion. The cost of borrowing money with bad credit adds up fastWe don't know exactly how many borrowers have good and bad credit, so there's no way to be sure how much more Americans with bad credit are paying on the whole. In other words, bad credit could mean Americans would cumulatively pay as much as $20 billion extra this year. A recent Credit Sesame survey of 5,000 adults in the United States also found Black and Hispanic Americans had lower average credit scores than white Americans.

☆ Courts Side With Big Companies Including Amazon and Experian in Privacy Appeals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Catherine Stupp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Big companies are winning appeals to overturn regulatory decisions that allege they violated European privacy rules, potentially carving out a path for more businesses to challenge similar sanctions. Courts in the U.K., Spain, Italy and Germany sided with companies including Experian PLC, Amazon. The court rejected the regulator’s argument that collecting personal data to create profiles for marketing purposes intrudes on privacy rights. The court said the regulator had “fundamentally misunderstood” the implications of how Experian used data, and that there were no negative effects for individuals. These recent wins will likely embolden other companies to appeal GDPR violations, said Mr. Machin of Ropes & Gray.

Pay down your credit card balancesIf you already have credit card debt, paying it off should become a priority. With credit card interest rates continuing to reach new heights, you don't want to get stuck with credit card debt if a recession hits. The credit utilization ratio, or how much of your available credit you're using, is the second most important credit factor after payment history. For that reason, it's best to get rid of credit card debt as soon as possible. You might also want to consider a 0% APR credit card (like the ones below) if you're anticipating big expenses.

☆ Automakers are using a legal loophole to get customers an extra $7,500 tax credit — and business is booming
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Automakers might pass along the commercial EV credit to customers that lease their EVs. Last summer's Inflation Reduction Act introduced rules for new and used EVs to qualify for crucial tax credits. Startup Lucid, along with at least 10 "traditional" automakers, are leveraging the commercial credit, according to data from J.D. Meanwhile, automakers are interested in leasing EVs in part due to the commercial and used EV tax credits. Being able to pass along the commercial EV credit could bring in customers that might not have otherwise considered electric.

☆ Millennials in their 30s are sitting in an economic quagmire that could stick with them through retirement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jason Lalljee | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In the long run, this generation may also be hit by cuts in Social Security benefits. In the longer run, millennials' retirement may also be affected if Social Security benefits are cut. Millennials in their 30s are accruing debt faster than their peersWhile Experian and Credit Karma research show Gen X has the highest average debt, millennials still hold a lot of debt too — and are accumulating it faster than anyone else. Millennials face looming retirement insecurityIf all of that wasn't enough, millennials' retirement situation in the future could be different from Gen X and baby boomers. Additionally, millennials' retirement safety nets are likely to be affected if they can't get full Social Security benefits.

The average cost of a financed used car has risen significantly since the pandemic began. Even if the price of a used car comes back down, you might still get hit by high interest rates. Americans' cars are worth $313 billion more than 2020Many of the used vehicles on America's roads are worth considerably more now than they were last year. That means that while many used cars likely haven't appreciated in value, newer cars have risen in value significantly. All the used cars that were financed last year are worth a collective $1.5 trillion — $313 billion more than they were worth in 2020.

Homeowners typically make their normal monthly mortgage payments and expect to pay off their homes over 30 years. One of the best mortgage lenders for refinancing is Rocket Mortgage due to its flexible loan repayment terms, fast approval process and lower credit score requirements. There are three primary methods for making extra payments – pay extra each month, make a lump sum payment or switch to bi-weekly payments. The first two methods require you to pay extra manually, but this one locks you into a quicker mortgage payoff. These strategies help borrowers pay off their homes faster and reduce the interest they'll pay.

Pros Check mark icon A check mark. Pros Check mark icon A check mark. No minimum opening deposit Check mark icon A check mark. Eligible for new accounts after your child turns 13 Check mark icon A check mark. But if you'd like to open a savings account for your child, it only lets you open one of the bank's regular savings accounts as a joint bank account.

Americans can access free credit reports from the credit bureaus every week until the end of 2023. However, since April 2020, Americans have been allowed to check their credit reports for free once per week. A Consumer Reports survey found that 34% of consumers have found an error on at least one of their credit reports. Weekly credit reports frequently asked questions (FAQ)Will checking my credit report every week lower my credit score? Because consumers can request their credit reports every week, credit monitoring services aren't nearly as necessary as they were pre-pandemic.

☆ Car buyers rejoice: Discounts are making a comeback — but you might have to ask for them
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Car buyers didn't see the end-of-year blowout sales in November and December that they had been used to in holiday seasons' past. Instead, shoppers had to settle for new and used vehicles with markups above sticker price and no wiggle room. That puts discounts now at around $1,297, about 1% higher than the same time in 2022, Deutsche Bank analysts estimated this week. Where buyers might find the best incentivesLuxury vehicles saw the highest incentives at 6.2% in January, KBB said. "There's also some loyalty cash, and there's a pretty decent amount of rebates on some of the higher end vehicles.

☆ Tesla may be losing EV market share — but it's still winning over converts from other brands
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla trumped all other automakers in terms of overall brand loyalty in a recent study. Tesla also won segment model loyalty awards, including luxury small utility for the Model Y, and luxury small car, for the Model 3. Tesla's success in 2022 was largely driven by inventory challenges among the traditional automakers, Tesla customers returning to market faster than the average buyer of other brands, and its many advantages as the EV market front-runner. Still, that might only go so far as Tesla loses EV market share. Tesla held 65.4% of the EV market in 2022, according to Experian.

Fizz Credit Builder Debit Card ReviewIt's always hard to argue with free services, and Fizz is no exception. With no fees or interest rates, the Fizz debit card offers a cost-effective method for building credit. If you have a good grip on budgeting and controlling your spending, a student credit card or a secured credit card may be a more practical option. How to Get a Fizz CardTo get the Fizz card, you need to download the Fizz app from the Apple app store. Fizz Debit Card Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)How Does Fizz Make Money?

Checking your credit score and your credit report will not impact your credit score. Understanding credit score checksChecking your own credit score does not hurt it. This may be when you make monthly credit card payments, as many credit card companies show you your credit score. Using too much credit: Your credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit you're currently using on your revolving credit accounts compared to your total available credit. "Your credit card balance should not exceed 30% of the available limit on a credit card," Haywood explains.

If you're ready to begin your home shopping journey, make sure you get a mortgage pre-approval first. A mortgage pre-approval letter is an essential step in the homebuying process. Below, CNBC Select breaks down how a mortgage pre-approval works and when you want to get one. What is mortgage pre-approval? Bottom lineA mortgage pre-approval can help you gauge how much mortgage you can afford and position yourself as a serious homebuyer.

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