In the hunt for the lowest mortgage refinance rate, there are some things you can control and some you can’t. Rates moving up just when you’re about to refi? Can’t control that.
Month: February 2017
Why Your Tax Refund Is Ideal for Paying Credit Card Debt
If you’ve ever promised to pay off your credit card debt “when you have more money,” now’s your chance. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that 70% of taxpayers will get refunds this year.
Why Your Tax Refund Is Ideal for Paying Credit Card Debt
If you’ve ever promised to pay off your credit card debt “when you have more money,” now’s your chance. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that 70% of taxpayers will get refunds this year.
Week in Review, February 25
Carlos Tavares, PSA chief executive, this week laid out his vision for Opel as a global, profitable entity if General Motors agrees to sell the European brand to the French carmaker, writes Peter Campbell . He said the marque, which owns Vauxhall in the UK and has been lossmaking since the turn of the century, would be exported to markets where Peugeot and Citroen are not strong in the future.
Cigna, Humana Among Insurers Meeting with Trump on Monday
Representatives from Cigna , Humana and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association are all scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, the companies confirmed on Friday. Cigna’s CEO David Cordani and Humana CEO Bruce Broussard will attend, representatives from both companies said.
Alphabet’s Google to Shut Down Messaging App ‘Spaces’
Alphabet’s Google will shut down its messaging app “Spaces” on April 17. “Spaces” was the company’s attempt to get in on the group messaging space, allowing users to join small groups to discuss various topics. Its key feature was that it allowed users to pull in Google’s search services and YouTube videos automatically.
Tesla’s Musk Hints at Another U.S. Gigafactory
In the letter to shareholders on Thursday, Tesla announced plans to build several Gigafactories, with locations to be announced later this year. Two are expected to be in Asia and Europe.
HP Enterprise’s Struggles Might Have a Lot to Do With Microsoft
Weak demand from an unnamed “tier-1 service provider” is hurting HPE’s server sales and portends some troubling developments. Microsoft’s cloud unit is the most likely culprit.
Using ETFs to Control Volatility in International Investments
Many may be wary of overseas risks, but more are looking toward global assets to diversify away form an extended bull run at home. Through an active international exchange traded fund strategy, investors can also limit risks while gaining exposure to the growth potential of foreign economies.
FCC chairman delays implementation of internet privacy rules – CNET
Chairman Pai has asked his fellow commissioners to vote to delay implementing part of the FCC’s new privacy rules as it considers petitions that challenge the regulation. The Federal Communications Commission’s new chairman Ajit Pai is hitting the pause button on internet privacy regulations put in place during the Obama administration, which wireless and broadband companies have complained are unfair.
FCC chairman delays implementation of internet privacy rules – CNET
Chairman Pai has asked his fellow commissioners to vote to delay implementing part of the FCC’s new privacy rules as it considers petitions that challenge the regulation. The Federal Communications Commission’s new chairman Ajit Pai is hitting the pause button on internet privacy regulations put in place during the Obama administration, which wireless and broadband companies have complained are unfair.
Regulatory scrutiny may put firms without adviser text messaging policies at risk
Last December, State Farm became the most recent company to settle a multimillion-dollar class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Federal Communications Commission’s Telephone Consumer Protection Act . This follows a massive settlement by Wells Fargo in the summer of 2016 for various alleged TCPA violations for its mortgage loan practices.
Cyber Espionage Seen Expanding to Grasp Trump Policy Changes
U.S. government agencies, think tanks and political groups should expect an increase in cyber espionage as countries like Iran try to grasp changing foreign and military policies under the new Trump administration, according to an executive with cybersecurity company FireEye Inc. Nations regularly spy on one another but with President Donald Trump espousing unconventional approaches to foreign policy, there is an heightened urgency to know what shifts may occur, according to John Hultquist, FireEye’s manager of cyber espionage analysis.
Price drop
It’s the only thing they can afford to eat at the moment. “I go to the kitchen and there’s no fish, nothing,” he says.
FCC chair to block implementation of stricter broadband privacy rules
The new U.S. Federal Communications Commission chief will move to block broadband privacy rules, approved by the Obama administration, that subject broadband providers to stricter scrutiny than websites, a spokesman said on Friday, in a victory for internet providers like AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Corp. The spokesman for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Pai believes all companies in the “online space should be subject to the same rules, and the federal government should not favor one set of companies over another.” Pai plans by March 2 to delay the implementation of the rules which subject companies to stricter oversight than websites under Federal Trade Commission rules, the spokesman said.
Health Insurers Said to Meet With Trump on Obamacare Replacement
Top executives from U.S. health insurers will meet Monday with President Donald Trump at the White House as Republicans work to repeal and replace Obamacare, according to a person familiar with the situation. The list of who will be in attendance wasn’t available.
Trivago Shrugs Off New Competition From Priceline, TripAdvisor
Trivago NV, the German hotel search site that went public in December, isn’t concerned about competitive threats from rivals TripAdvisor Inc. and Priceline Group Inc., as the market is still big enough for everyone to grow. Sales are expected to increase 45 percent to around 1.1 billion euros in 2017, the Dusseldorf, Germany-based company said Friday, sending shares up as much as 4.8 percent in New York.
North America’s Biggest Auto-Parts Maker Sees Border Tax Danger
North America’s largest auto parts maker said a border adjustment tax being studied by President Donald Trump would probably hurt the automobile industry, while also increasing the odds that future factories will be located in the U.S. Canada’s Magna International Inc. said the growth of “protectionist sentiments” could hurt its operations and profitability, according to a company statement Friday. The manufacturer is closely watching a potential tax overhaul in the U.S., Chief Executive Don Walker said on a conference call with analysts and investors.
What is Porting and What Does It Mean for Your Small Business Phone?
As a small business, continuity is a challenge when you move to a new location . While the physical move will displace some of your customers until they get used to the new location, your phone number can come along with you, meaning you don’t have to get a new one.
Brief-Waterstone Financial Quarterly Earnings Per Share $0.23
WASHINGTON, Feb 24 The new U.S. Federal Communications Commission chief will move to block broadband privacy rules, approved by the Obama administration, that subject broadband providers to stricter scrutiny than websites, a spokesman said on Friday, in a victory for internet providers like AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Corp.
CN power outage halts train movement in Ontario
Feb 24 Passenger and freight train service across south-eastern Ontario were halted on Friday following a power outage at Canadian National railway’s rail traffic control center, a CN spokesman said. “Our crews have been working to restore those systems and that is fully underway.
Tommy Hilfiger just listed his ‘whimsical’ Miami mansion for…
He recently listed the property for $27.5 million, a property which includes yellow polka-dot and scratch and sniff wallpaper that Hilfiger installed. If the property gets its asking price, it will become the most expensive property to sell in the Miami-area town of Golden Beach.
These are the 18 most reliable used cars of 2017
When it comes to buying a used car, reliability is paramount. Fortunately for car buyers, J.D. Power released its 28th annual Vehicle Dependability Study this week.
Outback parent company announces dozens of restaurant closures…
Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of the Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming’s Steakhouse chains, has announced plans to close multiple restaurants. a loss of $4.3 million in the fourth quarter that it would close 43 underperforming restaurants.
Meg Whitman’s warning on border tax: ‘It actually lowers the…
Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said she is concerned about the proposed border adjustment tax being pushed by Republicans in Congress, one day after US President Donald Trump spoke favorably about it. “The border adjustment tax is not good for companies that have a relatively low margin with a supply chain that is outside the United States.
Trump again slammed Sweden’s immigration policies at CPAC 2017…
President Donald Trump on Friday doubled down on his argument that Sweden’s refugee and immigration policies were causing a crime wave, during his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference. During the speech, he noted he “took a lot of heat on Sweden” the last time he had made similar remarks, and he urged the public to again “take a look at what’s happening” in the Scandinavian country.
What to Buy (and Skip) in March
The 31 days between February and April don’t hold any major shopping holidays, but that doesn’t mean they lack their own steals and deals. Navigate through this month’s shopping with the help of our guide to what to buy in March.
Herbert Hoover’s Radio Malware Turns 90
On February 23, 1927, Babe Ruth had still to hit 60 home runs in a season. Yet President Calvin Coolidge would that day sign a bill that would establish how radio spectrum-the “economic oxygen” of the emerging information age-would still be governed 90 years later.
ISPs who don’t want competition get good news from FCC chair
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to eliminate a requirement that Charter Communications compete against other ISPs with new broadband deployments spurred by its purchase of Time Warner Cable. The FCC’s approval of the merger last year required Charter to deploy broadband with download speeds of 60Mbps to at least 2 million residential and small business locations, of which at least 1 million must be in areas served by at least one other high-speed provider.
AES Stock Up, to Acquire Independent Solar Developer FTP
Shares of AES are higher in early afternoon trading on Friday, after the electric utilities company announced that it will acquire privately held FTP Powers , the largest utility scale solar assets company in the U.S. AIMCo is partnering with AES on the acquisition.
CloudFlare Leaks Impact Uber, FitBit, Others
CloudFlare , a private multi-billion-dollar company which secures websites by filtering out hacks, accidentally leaked customer information for months, the company has said. Among the data spilled are “private messages from major dating sites, full messages from a well-known chat service, online password manager data, frames from adult video sites, and hotel bookings,” said Alphabet ‘s Google security researcher Travis Ormandy, who first reported the leak last week.
Mexico Isn’t Interested in Financial Aid From U.S.
Mexico says it doesn’t need the U.S. financial aid currently under review by President Trump, Reuters reports. Trump has ordered a review of on the assistance the U.S. has given to Mexico over the last five years.
Big Oil, Big Setbacks: Avoid These 3 ‘Super Majors’
Put aside the political noise and punditry and just focus on the numbers, especially corporate earnings reports. This rule especially applies to the turbulent energy patch, which continues to get whipsawed by rumors, hopes and fears.
Stocks Hold Lower as Dow’s Winning Streak Is Threatened
Stocks hold lower on Friday, threatening to snap a 10-day record-breaking streak for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Stocks held lower on Friday, threatening to snap a 10-day record-breaking streak for the Dow Jones Industrial Average , even as Donald Trump provided more hints as to his promised tax reforms.
Charles Barkley drops curse word on ‘Inside the NBA’
Charles Barkley accidentally used a curse word on-air when describing the New York Knicks’ play on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” During highlights of the Cavaliers’ 119-104 win over New York in Cleveland on Thursday, Barkley used a synonym for excrement in reference to the Knicks.
Standard Chartered Drops After 2016 Profit Misses Estimates
Standard Chartered Plc posted annual profit that missed analyst estimates as the bank took losses on a private-equity business it’s shutting down and said efforts to clean up conduct issues affected performance. The shares fell as much as 5.4 percent.
PSA boss ‘gives Vauxhall UK plant assurances’
Carlos Tavares, the boss of France’s PSA Group, has given assurances to the Unite union about UK plants following a potential deal to buy carmaker Vauxhall. “He [Mr Tavares] was very pro-union.
Do we need to temper expectations for growth and the agenda in Washington? — Guilfoyle
“I want the U.S. Treasury, debt management, to issue 100-year bonds as soon as possible, to take advantage of generational interest rate lows that we will not see again for hundreds of years.” — Larry Kudlow, this past December.
European Stocks Slide, Bond Rally as Investors Trim Risky Bets
European stocks retreated Friday as global investors trimmed risk positions amid questions over both the pace of Fed rate hikes and tax and spending plans from President Donald Trump. European stocks traded firmly in the red Friday as global investors trimmed risk positions amid questions over both the pace of rate hikes from the U.S. Federal Reserve and tax and spending plans from President Donald Trump.
Trader’s Daily Notebook: We’re in Limbo, but How Low Can We Go?
Intermediate and higher timeframe traders of the E-Mini S&P 500 futures may want to tune out for a moment, because what I’m about to say will likely annoy those who steadfastly make all their decisions based on a 50-day or 200-day simple moving average . OK, you’ve been warned.