Author: Press Room

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Benny Gantz has threatened to leave Israel’s government if it does not commit to a new plan for the war with Hamas and its aftermath, in an ultimatum that raises political pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.In a televised statement on Saturday evening, Gantz, an opposition figure and former general who joined Netanyahu’s coalition after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, demanded the government agree a six-point plan, including a template for Gaza’s postwar governance, by June 8.If his demands are not…

The race for the White House hogs most of the attention in a presidential election year, relegating the race for Congress to ugly stepsister status. But in recent years, we’ve all learned how important down-ballot races can be in shaping American policy. That’s especially true for the Senate, which is responsible for the confirmations of government officials and Supreme Court nominees. In this year’s battle for the Senate, like so many cycles before, we have the same competing forces: The election fundamentals favor Republicans, while candidate quality appears to favor Democrats, who currently hold a narrow majority in the chamber.…

A major expense of many retirees and pre-retirees has been increasing rapidly, but it isn’t included in the Consumer Price Index and doesn’t affect reported inflation. You’re probably aware of how auto insurance premiums increased rapidly the last few years. That substantially increased the cost of owning and operating vehicles and contributed to a higher CPI. While auto insurance is included in the CPI, homeowner’s insurance is not. Homeowner’s insurance premiums rapidly increased the last few years and increased your personal inflation rate above the reported CPI. After rising about 20% over 2022 and 2023, homeowner’s insurance is estimated to…

Owning a home has long been considered the main pillar of the American dream, but the vast majority of aspiring homeowners in the U.S. say they simply cannot afford it. A new survey released by Bankrate Wednesday found 78% of would-be homebuyers cited financial factors when asked what was holding them back from making a purchase. The most common challenges cited by respondents were insufficient income (56%), followed by home prices being too high (47%) and the inability to afford down payments and closing costs (42%).The findings come as a housing affordability crisis in the U.S. continues to escalate with…

The new rollout of FAFSA went anything but smoothly. Parents and students struggled to access the form. Others had their income reported incorrectly, leading to less aid for students who needed it most. About 47% of first-generation students weren’t able to complete FAFSA, a Study.com report found. The study surveyed 600 first-generation students to understand how the botched FAFSA rollout affected their education decisions. Of the students who were able to access FAFSA, 28% of them spent more than seven hours trying to fill it out.Unable to get the financial aid they needed, many students faced a significant amount of…

Americans are racking up more credit card debt as they continue to battle high inflation and interest rates. New data published Thursday by TransUnion shows the average debt per borrower hit $6,218 at the end of the first quarter, an 8.5% increase from one year ago.Consumers owe a collective $1.02 trillion in credit card debt. “As consumers manage expenses amidst stubbornly high inflation, demand for credit continues to be strong despite the currently relatively high interest rates,” said Paul Siegfried, senior vice president and credit card business leader at TransUnion. AMERICANS ARE CARRYING A RECORD AMOUNT OF HOUSEHOLD DEBTMost households have…

The bulls got what they wanted this week: cooler inflation data and record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday closed above 40,000 for the first time, capping off a 1.24% advance for the week. The S & P 500 and Nasdaq Composite , meanwhile, closed at all-time highs Wednesday, fueled by cooler-than-expected inflation data released before the bell that day. The indexes had tame, but mixed moves over the final two trading days of the week; both finished Friday slightly below their Wednesday peaks. For the week, the S & P 500 added 1.54% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq…

Americans are kicking the can down the road on some more-costly, traditionally financed purchases as elevated inflation and interest rates bite.Corporate executives this earnings season have lamented that customers are disinterested in shelling out on big-ticket items for their bedrooms, backyards and everywhere in between. It comes at a pivotal moment for the national economy: the average Joe has been contending with a double-whammy of high prices and borrowing costs, while economists and policymakers are trying to gauge the impact this has made.This matters because it adds to a growing picture of consumer spending finally slowing down, as experts long…

It was once hyped as a worthy rival to Nike. But at present, Under Armour, founded by a 23-year-old former college athlete, is struggling to “just do it.” Instead, the brand that’s championed on the basketball court by Stephen Curry and on the golf course by Jordan Spieth, is now struggling — badly — to find its footing in an increasingly competitive and crowded sportwear marketplace for regular folks, where younger shoppers are more googly-eyed over newer entrants like Hoka and On running shoes. Under Armour’s annual sales have been sluggish at best for the past several years, while its…

 Shiba Inu (SHIB), one of the most talked-about cryptocurrencies, has hit a roadblock in its recent rebound, struggling to break past the $0.000025 mark. As SHIB faces resistance, all eyes are now turning towards its competitor, Retik Finance (RETIK), set to launch on May 21, promising a new era in decentralized finance (DeFi).Shiba Inu (SHIB) Rebound: A Bumpy RideFollowing a period of volatility, Shiba Inu (SHIB) had shown signs of recovery, with its price attempting to surpass the $0.000025 resistance level. However, this rebound hit a roadblock as SHIB struggled to maintain its upward momentum, leaving investors uncertain about its…