Author: News Room

The governments of major economies—particularly the U.S. and China—are projected to boost their borrowing in coming years as they spend more on aging populations and a shift to clean energy, the International Monetary Fund said.  Worldwide government debt declined briefly with the end of costly pandemic-related measures, but it is expected to start climbing again this year and keep rising over the coming five years, the IMF said in its Fiscal Monitor report released Wednesday.The projected rise also partly reflects high interest payments on debt, following central banks’ interest-rate increases to combat high inflation. IMF economists cautioned that expanding government…

For investors, working with a wealth advisor who operates through an independent registered investment advisor — for short, RIA — confers eight key advantages. 1 – Fiduciary duty provides added assurance for investors Independent RIAs are held to the fiduciary standard, which means they must put their clients’ interests before their own — or anyone else’s. 2 – Transparency lets clients see exactly what they’re paying for Even beyond the fiduciary standard of trust, independent RIAs are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and to provide regular reports on their investment strategies and performance for clear insight on…

Topline Bacon, gas and health insurance are some of the biggest driving factors behind slowing inflation in the U.S., according to Labor Department inflation data released Wednesday morning. Key Facts Consumer prices rose 5% in the 12-month period ending in March, cooling to its lowest annualized increase since May 2021 and coming in below economist projections. Declining energy prices were the greatest contributor to the inflation slowdown, as energy prices slipped 6.4% as a whole from March 2022 to last month and gas dropped some 17.4% during the period. Consumers also benefited from a decline in the cost of other…

Worried the economy is teetering on the brink? I don’t blame you. Rather than running for the hills, let’s focus on recession-resistant dividend stocks. Big payout growers. We’re talking 25% to 56% dividend growth (yes, that’s no typo). The safest dividend is the one growing the fastest. Take UnitedHealth Group (UNH), the largest health insurance carrier in the US. Its business is beautifully recession resistant. As a result, UNH is one of the most consistent growth stocks out there. Mark it down for 10%+ gains, per year, every year. Gains in what? Every metric that matters. UNH’s sales soared 13%…

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FINTECH SNARK TANK Banks’ attempts to steer clear of taking positions on controversial social issues like mental health, climate change, and ESG may be hurting their ability to acquire and retain customers according to new research. Banks Get Questionable Advice on Social Issues If banks are confused by the advice they get on social issues, it’s understandable. On one hand, Boston Consulting Group claimed banks are “uniquely positioned to have a broad and sizable impact on many social challenges” and asserted, “there is a clear business case for creating solutions to address social issues, including access to…

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Tom Westbrook A surprise drop in unemployment and steady-as-she-goes hiring figures are boosting confidence among believers that the United States economy can get through this year with just relatively minor setbacks. While faster-moving surveys last week seemed to paint a picture of a March slowdown, Good Friday’s non-farm payrolls figures suggested the jobs market remains solid, with unemployment back at more than 50-year lows. It could be a case of laggy data, and to be sure market attention is on whether banks tighten up lending in the wake…

By Kate Abnett, Marwa Rashad and Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) – Political pressure is building within the European Union to tackle the daunting challenge of closing a loophole in its efforts to stop using Russian fossil fuels: liquefied (LNG). In the year since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the EU has placed sanctions on seaborne oil and coal imports from Russia. It has drastically cut reliance on Russian pipeline gas, despite not imposing sanctions on the fuel. But at the same time, EU countries have increased their overall purchases of Russian LNG, undermining the bloc’s pledge to end its…

© Reuters. By Liz Moyer Investing.com — Stocks were weighed down on Monday by fears of more Federal Reserve interest rate hikes after Friday’s relatively strong report on jobs. Here are the market movers for April 10. Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:) shares rose 8% after chip-making rival Samsung (KS:) said it was cutting production to optimize its manufacturing operations. The announcement also boosted shares of storage device maker Western Digital (NASDAQ:), up 7.6%. AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc (NYSE:) shares jumped 7% after a better-than-expected box office sales weekend for the Super Mario Brothers Movie, by Comcast’s (NASDAQ:) Universal and Nintendo.…

Oil futures rose slightly Wednesday as investors awaited a closely watched round of U.S. inflation data and the latest official update on crude inventories after industry figures were said to show an increase in stocks. The U.S. benchmark, West Texas intermediate crude, ended Tuesday at its highest since Jan. 23.Price actionMarket drivers Crude… Read the full article here

Low-income people, despite often being seen as one of the groups that would benefit the most from financial-literacy programs, are typically aware of their money problems.  Yet every April — once designated National Financial Literacy Month, and now called National Financial Capability Month — they’re met with well-meaning lessons and resources… Read the full article here