Author: Press Room

Mortgage rates spiked this week to the highest level in five months, ending the year slightly higher than where they started. Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage jumped to 6.85%, up from last week’s reading of 6.72%. The average rate on a 30-year loan was 6.61% a year ago.This week’s increase marked the highest level on the 30-year loan since mid-July, when the rate was 6.89%, according to Freddie Mac data. The lowest rate this year was 6.08% at the end of September, while the highest…

The elevated inflation in recent years continued to wreak havoc on many Americans’ wallets in 2024, but the start of the new year provides a great opportunity to set new financial goals to get back on track. “As we step into 2025, the country’s financial landscape calls for proactive resolutions to address rising concerns such as inflation and debt,” WalletHub analyst Chris Lupo told FOX Business. “Top financial resolutions for 2025 should be focused on smart budgeting, saving, and debt repayment.” Here are some of the top financial New Year’s resolutions for 2025, according to WalletHub:1. Make a realistic budget…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the War in Ukraine myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Russia has carried out a Christmas Day attack on Ukraine’s energy system, leaving more than half a million people without heating, water and electricity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack, the 13th large-scale assault of 2024 on the country’s grid, was “deliberate” and not a coincidence. “What could be more inhuman?” he wrote on X. About 50 of the 70 missiles fired in the attack were intercepted, along with a “significant” portion of the more than 100 attack drones deployed, he…

Overview The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) filing requirements have been reinstated and most filings will now be due January 13, 2025 instead of the December 31, 2024 prior deadline. The bottom line is that any entity classified as a “reporting company” under the CTA has to file with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the Treasury (FinCEN). Each reporting company will have to file Beneficial Owner Information (BOI) for each person deemed a beneficiary owner (BOs). While a detailed discussion of the legal arguments in the cases challenging the CTAs constitutionality, and the counter arguments by the government would be…

This article was written byFollowAn individual investor primarily focused on undercovered companies, with more than 50 companies on my watchlist. My areas include technology, software, electronics and the energy transition. I have been investing my personal capital for over 7 years in a broad range of companies globally. Through my years of analyzing countless companies, I have accumulated professional investment experience within my circle of competence. I have a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and currently work as an automotive battery RnD engineer in Sweden. My write-ups on SA are a good way for me to layout my investment thesis…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The reformist government of Masoud Pezeshkian has lifted Iran’s ban on WhatsApp and Google Play, in a first step towards easing internet restrictions in the nation of 85mn people.A high-level meeting chaired by the president on Tuesday overcame resistance from hardline factions within the Islamic regime, Iranian media reported, as the government seeks to reduce pressures on civil society.“Today, we took the first step towards lifting internet restrictions by demonstrating unity,” Sattar Hashemi, Iran’s minister of telecommunications, wrote on X. “This path…

There’s a Stealth Tax retirees and near-retirees often don’t know about until they inadvertently trigger it, costing them a lot of taxes that often could have been avoided or reduced. Many taxpayers who pay this Stealth Tax aren’t subject to it every year. Instead, a change in their finances activates the tax. Many people don’t learn about the tax until their income tax returns are prepared. This least-known Stealth Tax, the net investment income tax (NIIT), was created in the Affordable Care Act and labeled as a Medicare surtax, though the proceeds go into general revenues. The NIIT is an…

Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:XELB) Q3 2024 Earnings Conference Call December 23, 2024 5:00 PM ET Company Participants Robert D’Loren – Chairman and CEOJames Haran – CFOSeth Burroughs – EVP, Business Development and Treasury and Secretary Conference Call Participants Michael Kupinski – NOBLE Capital MarketsAnthony Lebiedzinski – SidotiHoward Brous – Wellington Shields Operator Thank you for standing by. My name is Celine and I will be your conference operator today. At this time I would like to welcome everyone to the XELB’s Q3 2024 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Thank you. I would now like to turn the call over to…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the worldA US panel vetting Nippon Steel’s proposed takeover of US Steel has been unable to agree on whether President Joe Biden should support the $15bn deal, making it more likely that he will block it during his last weeks in office.The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (Cfius) reported to the White House on Monday that the nine agencies on the panel had not reached consensus that the deal posed no security risks, according to Nippon Steel and a…

The Older Americans Act, the umbrella federal law that includes programs such as Meals on Wheels, senior transportation, information services, adult day, and caregiver support was hours from being expanded and winning congressional approval for another five years. Now, its fate has become far more uncertain. Its all because the OAA, despite broad bipartisan congressional support, got caught up in a squabble over an emergency end-of-year spending bill between President-elect Trump and Elon Musk on one hand, and Capitol Hill Republican leaders on the other. The result: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) dropped the OAA from the big budget measure.…