Author: Press Room

The new year brings some major moves in the student loan industry. From a new round of forgiveness to more transparency around financial aid, students are getting help from universities and the government alike. For students who took out $12,000 or less in loans, the Biden-Harris Administration plans to forgive those amounts next month, according to a Department of Education press release. Borrowers must have made payments for the last 10 years and enroll in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan to qualify for forgiveness.Once enrolled in the SAVE program, borrowers will have their loans automatically forgiven starting…

A growing number of Americans are falling behind on their monthly credit card payments, and student loan repayments could be to blame, according to new data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card delinquencies tumbled in the early days of the pandemic as the government sent trillions in stimulus money to American homes and businesses. However, delinquencies have steadily ticked higher as a result of high inflation and interest rates, which have hindered Americans’ ability to pay off their credit card balances each month.As of December, about 3.1% of outstanding credit card debt was in some…

There’s hope on the horizon for many different financial markets in 2024, but employee raises aren’t looking too promising, a WTW study reports. Employers in the U.S. are planning an average wage increase of 4% in 2024. This is down 0.4% from 2023 when the average increase was 4.4%. This shouldn’t be disheartening to employees, however, since 4% is a good bit higher than the average salary increase of 3.1% back in 2021, the report cites.”We are seeing healthy salary increases forecasted for 2024,” said Hatti Johannsson, research director of Reward, Data and Intelligence at WTW. “Though economic uncertainty looms,…

Generation Z faces an uncertain financial world, and they’re well aware they likely won’t have the same benefits as generations that preceded them. Roughly one quarter (23%) of Gen Z don’t expect to ever be able to retire, according to a recent McKinsey & Company study. This belief stems from a variety of factors, but a major reason is the current job market. Minimum wage is largely stuck at the same as it was 13 years ago and Gen Zers don’t believe the pay they get for the work they do allows them a good quality of life, the McKinsey…

What do we do now with the stock of Walt Disney ? If you had the opportunity to hear activist investor Nelson Peltz, the defeated candidate for the Disney board, you did not get a definitive answer, as much as I pressed. We know that when Peltz tried to get on the board last time, he withdrew his candidacy in February 2023. He told me right on CNBC that he was happy with the changes that then-newly returned CEO Bob Iger said he would make. But, at the same time, Peltz took a nice profit on a big chunk of…

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Hertz Global — The car rental company shed about 4% after it was downgraded to sell from neutral at Goldman Sachs. Investors have yet to fully price in some near-term pressures, the bank wrote. Block — The financial services stock lost nearly 2% following a downgrade to underweight from equal-weight at Morgan Stanley. As reasons for the change, the firm cited “high market penetration and limited additional opportunity.” Zeta Global — The software stock added 17% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the software firm to an overweight rating from equal weight. The…

McDonald’s will buy every one of its 225 franchise restaurants in Israel, it announced Thursday, just weeks after saying that the Israel-Hamas war was hurting its business. The fast food giant said it had struck an agreement with Israeli franchise Alonyal to buy the firm’s McDonald’s (MCD) franchise restaurants in the country. Omri Padan, CEO and owner of Alonyal, said in a statement: “For more than 30 years, Alonyal Limited has been proud to bring the Golden Arches to Israel and serve our communities.” Alonyal employs more than 5,000 people across its McDonald’s restaurants in the country. McDonald’s added in…

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 Just as the Gold Rush propelled thousands toward uncharted territories, the presale of Koala Coin (KLC) ignites a similar fervor among crypto enthusiasts. At stage one with a tempting price of $0.014, the opportunity whispers the urgency of now, beckoning Dogwifhat (WIF) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) communities towards the warmth of the promising embrace of Koala Coin (KLC).Embracing the Unmissable: The Unique Journey of Koala Coin (KLC)As Koala Coin (KLC) unfolds its leaves to the world, it not only offers a captivating journey filled with giggles and financial freedom but also promises a robust and secure blockchain experience. With each…

Still, private-equity companies remained active in the space and were responsible for 38% of the deals in the media and marketing sector last year, according to the advisory firm Ciesco.With interest rates stabilizing and global private-equity dry powder estimated to stand at more than $2.5 trillion, experts predict private equity M&A activity will tick up in 2024.”We started to see a lot of inquiries and outreach in late December from different firms, strategics, and PE asking us what we were representing and giving us their mandates,” said Bob Morris, cofounder and managing partner of the Bravery Group, an advisory firm.Areas…