Investing News

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulators voted unanimously to accept an agreement Thursday that ordered Credit Karma to pay $3 million to consumers for misleading them with promises of credit card “pre-approvals” despite knowing those guarantees weren’t real. The order mandates that the company cease from making such claims in the future and requires extra record
Roughly 9.7 million people identify as American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN), either alone or in combination with one or more races, according to the most recent census report from 2020. This represents about 2.9% of the total U.S. population. A number of programs have been created to serve the needs of this part of
The U.S. economy added 315,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in August 2022, but the unemployment rate rose to 3.7% from 3.5% in July. Notable job gains were observed in professional and business services, healthcare, and retail trade. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast job growth of 300,000 in August, with the unemployment rate remaining at 3.5%.
Travelers who utilize travel search engines and fare aggregators such as Kayak may well wonder, since Kayak’s services are free to consumers, how such companies make money. Companies like Booking Holdings (BKNG)—formerly known as Priceline, which acquired Kayak in 2013—bring in billions of dollars in annual revenue. Kayak earns money through advertisements, when it refers
What Is Contribution Margin? The contribution margin can be stated on a gross or per-unit basis. It represents the incremental money generated for each product/unit sold after deducting the variable portion of the firm’s costs. The contribution margin is computed as the selling price per unit, minus the variable cost per unit. Also known as
Profit margins are perhaps one of the simplest and most widely used financial ratios in corporate finance. A company’s profit is calculated at three levels on its income statement, starting with the most basic—gross profit—and building up to the most comprehensive: net profit. Between these two lies operating profit. All three have corresponding profit margins
What’s wrong with the American tax system? Depending on their perspectives, taxpayers complain about a wide range of features. However, a recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that a majority express a concern that the system is unfair. They believe that it often requires low- and middle-income individuals to pay taxes on a
Identifying as nonbinary, genderqueer, agender, or bigender doesn’t disqualify a person from getting life insurance. Still, one must apply as either male or female because despite widening awareness that not everyone identifies as one gender or the other, the underwriting process hasn’t changed to keep pace. Key Takeaways Being nonbinary doesn’t disqualify an applicant from
The Biden administration nominated a team of “liberal and centrist economic advisers” to help him steer America’s recovery. Here are the administration’s top picks. Key Takeaways President Biden won the 2020 election and nominated former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to be his treasury secretary. Shalanda Young, current OMB acting director, has been nominated as
Dividends vs. Buybacks: An Overview Many companies reward their shareholders in two ways—by paying dividends or buying back shares. An increasing number of blue chips, or well-established companies, are doing both. Paying dividends and stock buybacks make a potent combination that can significantly boost shareholder returns. But which is better—stock buybacks or dividends? A dividend payment
Space exploration has long been an endeavor many argue should be public sector domain. Not only is space exploration expensive, the uncertain economic returns are anathema to profit-seeking companies. In addition, critics worry that private sector involvement in space will sully pure science and lead to unrestrained land-grabs that will be difficult to adjudicate in
As of late 2021, American students are on the hook for approximately $1.75 trillion in student loans, according to data compiled by the Education Data Initiative. 43.2 million student borrowers owe an average of $39,351, up significantly from past decades. With that much money on the line, it’s reasonable to be curious about who might
Labor unions have a long history in the United States. While membership has been on the decline in recent decades, unions continue to play a major role in workers’ rights. Are labor unions effective? Proponents maintain that unions result in better wages, benefits and working conditions for workers. Critics argue, among other things, that unions
Labor unions are associations of workers formed to protect workers’ rights and advance their interests. Unions negotiate with employers through a process known as collective bargaining. The resulting union contract specifies workers’ pay, hours, benefits, and job health and safety policies. Thanks to the efforts of labor unions, workers have achieved higher wages, more reasonable