Author: Press Room
At the start of the year, Jon Gray, president and chief operating officer of mega-investor Blackstone, announced that real estate values are “bottoming” and that the firm was ready to deploy capital into the sector.These weren’t empty words: Blackstone has announced more than $10 billion in real estate investments since Gray’s pronouncement, Business Insider has found — essentially matching the more than $10 billion on real-estate related deals the firm announced in the month or so before Gray spoke.In an effort to assess where the buying opportunities lie, BI has analyzed the firm’s real-estate dealings over the last six months. We…
Some TikTok creators are earning thousands of dollars from user-generated videos.The platform introduced early last year the TikTok Creative Challenge, a program for creators to submit UGC-style ads for brands.Although it was initially invite-only, the program became available in May to eligible creators. Users need to be at least 18 years old, based in the US, and have at least 50,000 followers.However, many creators are still learning about the program. Several who Business Insider spoke with said a TikTok mentor or other creator told them about the TikTok Creative Challenge; they didn’t find it on their own.”It’s not very discoverable…
Earnings of Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISI) will likely be lower this year because of the hit from fraudulent activity reported in the first quarter. Financial Institutions’ subsidiary bank, Five Star Bank, (not to be confused with the subsidiary of Five Star Bancorp, Five Star Bank, which operates in Northern California) was the victim of a deposit-account related incident earlier this year. Further, earnings will suffer because the average margin will be lower this year compared to last year. On the other hand, low-single-digit loan growth will help earnings. Overall, I’m expecting the company to report earnings of $2.43 per share…
Unlock the US Election Countdown newsletter for freeThe stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White HouseDonald Trump worried revelations of an extramarital encounter with a porn actor would be a “disaster” for his first White House bid, former fixer Michael Cohen testified, bolstering Manhattan prosecutors’ claims that “hush money” payments were used to influence the 2016 election. Cohen, 57, used $130,000 of his own money to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the election, after the adult entertainer threatened to go public with claims that she had sex with Trump.…
Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday reflected on her experiences as a barrier-breaking public figure, telling a crowd in blunt terms that sometimes they need to take it upon themselves strive for their own opportunities and successes – even if others may doubt them. “We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open,” Harris said in a moderated conversation with actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang in Washington. “Sometimes they won’t – and then you need to kick that f***ing door down,” she added, to applause and laughter from the crowd. She…
At first glance, those of us who have been steadily socking away funds and dreaming of retirement in our fifties or sixties don’t hold much in common with those who plan for a FIRE retirement. Unfamiliar with FIRE? The Financial Independence/Retire Early movement has gained traction in recent years as more flexible working arrangements and an awareness of the lifestyle via social media have increased. While there are varying definitions of FIRE, some key attributes unite most, if not all, individuals who believe in this philosophy. FIRE adherents spend consciously, allowing them to save more than average during their pre-FIRE…
Mortgage rates increased this week again, marking the second week in a row rates were above 7%. The average 30-year mortgage rate was 7.17%, up from last week when the average was 7.1%, Freddie Mac reported. Last year at this time, 30-year mortgages were slightly better off, but not by much. The average rate was 6.43%.”Mortgage rates continued rising this week,” Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sam Khater said in a press release. “Despite rates increasing more than half a percent since the first week of the year, purchase demand remains steady,” Khater said. “With rates staying higher for longer, many…
Our goal here at Credible Operations, Inc., NMLS Number 1681276, referred to as “Credible” below, is to give you the tools and confidence you need to improve your finances. Although we do promote products from our partner lenders who compensate us for our services, all opinions are our own. Borrowers with good credit seeking personal loans during the past seven days prequalified for rates that were lower for 3-year loans and higher for 5-year loans when compared to fixed-rate loans for the seven days before. For borrowers with credit scores of 720 or higher who used the Credible marketplace to…
The return of “Roaring Kitty” sparked a jaw-dropping advance in GameStop shares Monday, but such a speculative rally in an unprofitable company will likely end badly once again. Roaring Kitty, the man who inspired the meme stock mania of 2021, resurfaced online with a cryptic image showing a man in a chair leaning forward. That was enough to spark a buying frenzy among amateur traders. Shares of GameStop surged as much as 110% higher with a slew of trading halts for volatility. However, from a fundamental standpoint, the brick-and-mortar video game company isn’t deserving of such a pop in the…
A far-right activist group that is doxxing college students who engage in pro-Palestinian protests revealed that it is funded by top Republican political donors and nonprofits backed by wealthy business leaders, a tax return reviewed by CNBC shows.The group, Accuracy in Media, publicly disclosed on its federal tax return a list of donors who combined to contribute nearly $1.9 million to the tax-exempt nonprofit between May 2022 and April of last year.The contributors listed on the tax return include billionaire Republican megadonor Jeff Yass, who Accuracy in Media said gave it $1 million.The family foundation of shipping supply magnate Richard…
