Author: Press Room

Jamie Dimon, possibly the world’s most influential banker, has proposed that the banking system needs better regulations. Based on what he wrote in his annual letter to shareholders its likely he and his bank, JPMorgan Chase JPM , cannot lose. It’s a case of head’s JPMorgan Chase wins, tails JPMorgan Chase wins. And of course, as CEO of the bank, Dimon will likely succeed, also. “We want proper transparency and strong regulations,” he wrote. Regulations were the core theme of his note. The world gets used 24 times. Current Banking Rules Flawed In the piece, Dimon highlighted the utterly flawed…

In early 2019, back when the idea of a global pandemic was limited to sci fi movies and video games, I wrote a column exploring how cannabis companies were being valued and the land grab that was happening at the time. Back then, cannabis capital markets were at all-time highs, despite most companies having relatively low revenue or profits, largely based on speculation over which companies were best positioned to dominate the then-nascent cannabis industry. As US multistate operators (MSOs – as large US cannabis companies have now come to be known) spread out to seemingly take as much territory…

There’s some bad news for investors who don’t like having gotten burned by SPACs, the nickname for special purpose acquisitions companies. Investors put money into a public shell that is supposed to use the proceeds to buy some amazing company to take public rather than using a traditional IPO. The presumption was that people had a chance at the types of returns beyond the dreams of avarice, as the old quote goes. For at least one SPAC deal, the status quo has been an ongoing investor class action suit. But a decision from Judge Ronnie Abrams in the U.S. District…

The Author Wasted No Time In Solving His Dilemma A couple of months ago I wrote an article questioning whether getting a dog at this point in my life is a good idea. While my wife and I strongly missed the companionship and unconditional love we got from our pets, our age, health status, and lifestyle were definitely considerations. We were free to travel without having to find a sitter, we didn’t have to rush home after dinner and a show to the poor pup to let him out of his crate. And we didn’t have expensive vet bills! I…

Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski accident trial was not as alluring as the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard case, but it still attracted people who couldn’t look away. At a minimum, it was worth losing half a day of skiing to check it out. In the end, a Park City, Utah, jury deliberated for less than three hours after being handed the case and they came down in favor of the Oscar-winning star. Jurors awarded Paltrow $1 in damages, ruling Dr. Terry Sanderson was 100% at fault in the 2016 collision on the slopes at Deer Valley Utah. Paltrow’s accident with the…

The client approached my desk, clearly unhappy. Her new granite countertops didn’t look as handsome in her kitchen as she had expected. She thought maybe the fabricator had installed the wrong slab. I sent our project manager to the job site, paperwork in hand, to check. He confirmed that she did get the Santa Cecilia – very popular in 2005 – she’d chosen. The problem was her lighting, which was making the heavily patterned gold and brown stone look downright ugly. If tunable lighting had been available back then, her problem could have been solved with simple user-operated color controls.…

Home prices in the United States increased 5.5% year-over-year in January, according to the latest data by CoreLogic. However, prices dropped by 0.2% on a month-over-month basis.  CoreLogic projected that home prices will decrease by 0.1% on a month-over-month basis from January to February this year, but will increase on a year-over-year basis by 3.1% from January 2023 to January 2024.These are the states with the highest price increases, based on CoreLogic’s data:  Florida (13.4%)Maine (11.5%)South Carolina (10.7%)”While 2023 kicked off on a more optimistic note for the U.S. housing market, recent mortgage rate volatility highlights how much uncertainty remains,”…

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. Rates for well-qualified borrowers using the Credible marketplace to refinance student loans rose this week for 10-year fixed-rate loans and fell for 5-year variable-rate loans. For borrowers with credit scores of 720 or higher who used the Credible marketplace to select a lender during the week of Feb. 27, 2023:Rates on…

The White House will propose a rule intended to lower credit card late fees to approximately $8.  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will propose the rule at President Biden’s fourth Competition Council meeting.BIDEN CLOSES REMARKS ON ‘JUNK’ FEES: ‘I APPRECIATE THE FRUSTRATION OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’ “Over a decade ago, Congress banned excessive credit card late fees, but companies have exploited a regulatory loophole that has allowed them to escape scrutiny for charging an otherwise illegal junk fee,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a press release. “Today’s proposed rule seeks to save families billions of dollars and ensure…

A growing number of Americans are falling behind on their car payments, an ominous sign for the U.S. economy as high car prices and persistent inflation strain household budgets.  Car repossessions tumbled in the early days of the pandemic when the government sent $5 trillion in stimulus money to American homes and businesses. But they have progressively ticked higher as sky-high prices for used and new cars alike forced consumers to take out bigger loans.  In January, the percentage of auto borrowers who were at least 60 days late on their bills climbed 2% from December and 20.4% from a…