Month: January 2017

In 2017, expect big opportunities in unexpected places

My prediction of the United States financial markets in 2017 is a mix of good news and bad news: When markets are chaotic, there are often large opportunities – and they are usually found in unexpected places. The biggest change in the coming year is that investing in the United States will not be an obvious choice.

Amazon or Netflix could now board the 10-part limited series on the life of Adolf Hitler.

Leading German commercial network RTL has dropped plans to back an ambitious 10-part limited series on the life of Adolf Hitler. The project, from Berlin-based UFA Fiction – producers of Deutschland 83 and Generation War – and Beta Film, whose credits include hit Italian mafia drama Gomorrah and Tom Tykwer’s upcoming period series Babylon Berlin , has been one of the most talked-about series since it was unveiled at TV market MIPCOM in 2015.

Less Than One Month Left for – Obamacare’ Shoppers

Here’s one resolution you should check off early in the year: choosing a health plan if you don’t already have one. The deadline to buy a plan under the Affordable Care Act mandate is Jan. 31. If you don’t choose a plan by the deadline and pay the first payment when it’s due, you won’t be able to get coverage this year, with few exceptions.

Tesla Gives U.K. Buyers Two Weeks to Dodge Brexit Price Increase

Tesla Motors Inc. customers in the U.K. may find their Christmas cash goes a little further than expected after the carmaker postponed a price increase by two weeks. The U.S. electric-auto manufacturer’s plans to raise prices 5 percent in the U.K. have been put off until Jan. 15 from the original beginning-of-the-year deadline, Tesla said Monday in an e-mailed statement.

Spanish Clunkers Are Relics of Bust as Madrid Stems Fumes

Fumes belching from aging cars are part of the legacy of Spain’s economic slump, as Madrid steps up its efforts to contain traffic pollution. Madrid city council last week stopped cars with even-numbered license plates from entering the central city zone for a day and also imposed speed and parking restrictions as it acted to tackle to traffic pollution made worse by high-pressure weather conditions.

Social Security: 3 Crazy (but Effective!) Ways to Get More Benefits

Social Security is a vital way for retirees to make ends meet, and making the most of your Social Security benefits is critical. Plenty of conventional strategies exist that can help you boost your benefits, from delaying before applying for Social Security to making sure that you’ve maximized your earnings throughout your 35-year career.

U.S. Firms With Most at Stake as Russian Ties Fray, in Charts

Frosty relations between the U.S. and Russia grew icier this week after President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats over hacking. While the sanctions are largely at the diplomatic level and Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wouldn’t retaliate, companies with heavy cross-border activity could have substantial sums at stake.

Spanish Clunkers Are Relics of Bust as Madrid Acts to Stem Fumes

Fumes belching from aging cars are part of the legacy of Spain’s economic slump, as Madrid steps up its efforts to contain traffic pollution. Madrid city council last week stopped cars with even-numbered license plates from entering the central city zone for a day and also imposed speed and parking restrictions as it acted to tackle to traffic pollution made worse by high-pressure weather conditions.

Lawsuit: Dude ranch owner asked chef for ‘black people food’

A federal lawsuit accuses the ex-wife of Oklahoma energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens of racial discrimination at her rural Nevada dude ranch. The lawsuit says wealthy philanthropist Madeleine Pickens told the African-American chef she recruited from the country club she owns in California to cook “black people food,” not “white people food,” at the Elko County ranch.

Kitty litter helps Wyoming bentonite past drilling slump

The market for a peculiar type of clay is looking up thanks to improved prospects for oil and gas drilling and to cat owners who use the stuff to soak up their pets’ business. Over 90 percent of all bentonite mined in the U.S. and almost half worldwide comes from beds of ancient volcanic ash in Wyoming.

Hyundai, Kia global sales fall 2 percent; miss target

Hyundai Motor and affiliate Kia Motors on Monday said their global sales dropped 2 percent to 7.88 million vehicles in 2016 from the preceding year, falling short of their target of 8.13 million vehicles. It is the first time since 1998 that the South Korean duo, which together rank fifth in global sales, posted an annual sales fall.

The NFL playoff bracket is now set

The Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions in the “Sunday Night Football” matchup and now we know all 12 seeds for when the NFL playoffs begin next weekend. By beating the Lions, the Packers won the NFC North and will host the New York Giants in the Wild Card round.

Samsung Warns of Slowing Growth in Key Markets Amid Uncertainty

In his annual New Year’s speech Monday, Samsung Vice Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Kwon Oh-hyun urged employees to learn from costly failures as the consumer electronics giant seeks to recover from 2016’s bruising debacle surrounding the Note 7 smartphone. “We should not compromise with even the tiniest problems in product quality,” Kwon said at the company’s headquarters in Suwon, South Korea.

Sears closing store and auto center in Hudson Valley

A Sears department store in the Hudson Valley is closing in the new year, putting nearly 100 people out of work. The Middletown Times Herald-Record reports that 96 jobs in the department store and auto center located at Galleria at Crystal Run will be lost, according to a notice published on the state Department of Labor website.

49ers fire Chip Kelly and GM Trent Baalke

The San Francisco 49ers fired both head coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke on Sunday after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Kelly went 2-14 in his first season as coach of the 49ers and had three years remaining on his contract.

China Box Office Growth Slowed to 3.7 Percent in 2016, Official Data Shows

Hollywood fared considerably better than the local industry, with revenue for imported films up 10.9 percent for the year. After averaging yearly growth of 35 percent for more than a decade, China’s movie ticket revenue expanded just 3.7 percent in 2016, clocking in at 45.7 billion yuan for the year, according to official data from China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television .

Police took down a Sydney crime syndicate and made ‘the…

Australian police dismantled a major cocaine smuggling ring after a two-and-a-half-year multi-agency operation undertaken with Tahiti, Australian authorities announced on Thursday. Operation Okesi, which began in July 2014, culminated in a Christmas-night seizure of 500 kilograms of cocaine in New South Wales in eastern Australia.

Warren Buffett Wisdom To Ring In the New Year

Clearly, Warren Buffett knows a thing or two about investing success, and fortunately, he isn’t shy about sharing the secrets he’s learnedover the years. His annual reports to investors are packed with folksy investing wisdom, including these gems, each of which could help make youa more successful investor in 2017.

The 2 Changes to 401(k)s in 2017 You Need to Know

There aren’t many changes to 401 s in 2017, with another year of subdued inflation keeping the regular employee contribution limits at $18,000 for those who are younger than 50 and $24,000 for those who are 50 or older. However, a couple of provisions will see some minor changes that could impact high-income workers as well as those at the lower end of the wage scale.

FCC’s 5 biggest battles for Trump’s first year

Republicans are poised to take control of the Federal Communications Commission and the agency is bracing for a shake-up. Wheeler will step down in 2017 and control is tilting to the agency’s Republican commissions after Dem Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel failed to be reconfirmed.