Author: News Room

Many Americans plan to save less than $5000 this year and are relying on their tax refunds to build rainy day funds, according to a recent survey. The majority of Americans (59%) saved about the same last year, according to the TaxAct survey. Financial experts recommend that consumers have roughly three to six months’ worth of living expenses in emergency savings but inflation and rising costs have made this target a challenge.  Inflation and rising costs were listed as the top financial concern for over 50% of respondents and the biggest reason why Americans are unable to build savings. This concern has…

People like to hunt for treasure along the Southern California coast. Amid the sunbathers, surfers and castle builders, it’s not uncommon to see beach hunters sweeping metal detectors over the sand. But not all the great finds are hidden underneath the sunbaked surface. Some are in plain sight, such as this awe-inspiring beach house right on the sand in Del Mar. Priced at US $14.95 million, the home combines appealing contemporary design, high-quality finishes and abundant outdoor space. The ocean-facing façade makes an immediate impression with sleek clean lines, walls of glass and sophisticated accent lights. An oceanfront patio with…

The $1 rule takes the guilt out of shopping, and helps you stop overspending to save more money toward financial independence. When I started my journey to pay off my student loan debt, I was hit with the same advice over and over again — cut out unnecessary expenses and adhere to a super-strict budget. It worked for a few months, but constantly tracking every cent and berating myself for spending on things I enjoy did not inspire me to become more financially responsible. It made saving money tedious and monotonous. I decided to do the opposite — I loosened…

Johnson & Johnson stock (NYSE: JNJ) is scheduled to report its Q1 2023 results on Tuesday, April 18. We expect J&J to report revenues and earnings slightly above the consensus estimate, and JNJ stock appears to have more room for growth. The company will likely see a slight rise in revenue led by continued market share gains for some of its drugs, including Darzalex, which will help offset the decline in Remicade sales. The company completed the acquisition of heart pump maker maker – Abiomed – last year, and it is expected to aid the top-line growth of its MedTech…

By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Jeffrey Haley, the CEO of American National Bank and Trust Company, saw the crunch coming at the start of 2023. Rising interest rates and a slowing economy to him meant that loan growth would likely fall by half as the Danville, Virginia-based community bank turned its focus to better-quality, higher-yielding credit, worrying little about volume. Then a pair of U.S. regional banks abruptly failed in mid-March. Instinct told him things would tighten further, with loan growth plunging to perhaps a quarter of what it was in 2022, when his bank’s loan book grew by…

BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese woman has become the first person to die from a type of bird flu that is rare in humans, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, but the strain does not appear to spread between people. The 56-year-old woman from the southern province of Guangdong was the third person known to have been infected with the H3N8 subtype of avian influenza, the WHO said in a statement late on Tuesday. All of the cases have been in China, with the first two cases reported last year. The Guangdong Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported…

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant (Reuters) – Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:) Co’s shares rose as much as 8.5% on Monday following a report that Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:) held preliminary talks with the U.S. shale oil producer about a possible acquisition. Shares of Pioneer were up 6.5% at $221.74, while Exxon Mobil inched up 0.2% to $115.25. The Wall Street Journal had reported the news on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Pioneer is the third-largest…

Donald Trump says there’s nothing that would make him drop out of the 2024 presidential race — even being convicted of a crime. In an interview that aired Tuesday night on Fox News, Trump was asked by Tucker Carlson: “Is there anything they could throw at you legally, that would convince you to drop out the race? If you get convicted in this case in New York, would you drop out?”  Trump… Read the full article here

Hedge-fund multibillionaire Ken Griffin, an alumnus of the undergraduate Harvard College, is hanging his name on the Ivy League institution’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences following a $300 million donation to the university. Harvard says Griffin, 54, who received his bachelor’s degree in 1989, has now given more than a half-billion dollars to his alma mater. His $150 million donation in 2014, earmarked for financial aid, was reportedly the largest gift in the undergraduate college’s history. It’s… Read the full article here

As the Supreme Court prepares for yet another controversial abortion case to come its way, the justices will pore over District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling last week to block the government’s approval of the key medication abortion drug at issue. Here are five issues that could attract the attention of the high court: Court watchers like to jump right to the heart of a dispute to consider “the merits” of a particular controversy. Judges do not. Their first step is always to determine whether a case is properly before the court. Is it a true “case or controversy” as…