The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Monday he believes a Brexit trade agreement is possible now that remaining disputes have been whittled down to just two. Britain’s FTSE 100 edged 0.1% higher to 6,553.91, while the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.9% to 5,555.20. U.S. markets looked set for gains, with the future for the S&P 500 up 0.5%.

The importance of money has less to do with affording the newest iPhone or measuring career success, and far more to do with the core of being human: freedom, ego, stress and relationships. In 1995, some of the last millennials were being born, a jury said O.J. Simpson was not guilty and “Toy Story” played in theaters. It's also the year I became business news editor at a…

Today we'll finish up my little series about problems people run into when shifting from investing for retirement to investing while in retirement. Our focus will be two stealthy retirement problems: Inflation and your brain. That way you also know that if things look great now with your portfolio, your pension and Social Security income, and your expenses, it…

Despite potential obstacles to the consumer credit market, TransUnion foresees positive trends buoyed by expected improvements in macroeconomic factors such as unemployment and GDP. The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was most apparent for originations in the second quarter of 2020 as lending slowed dramatically.

Washington, D.C. – December 10, 2020 – A new study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) finds elderly spending…

MINNEAPOLIS – Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, health and wellness is taking top priority for the majority of Americans in…

–Cardtronics plc today confirmed that it has received a proposal from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. and Hudson Executive Capital LP to acquire all of the outstanding shares of the Company for $31.00 per share in cash.. Given his role as Founder& Managing Partner of Hudson Executive Capital LP, Douglas Braunstein has recused…

The pandemic showed me that being personally prepared isn’t enough. Our communities need to be better prepared, as well. That lesson may seem obvious in retrospect – many lessons are. But the revelation made me curious about what other people have learned from this year.

The importance of money has less to do with affording the newest iPhone or measuring career success, and far more to do with the core of being human: freedom, ego, stress and relationships. In 1995, some of the last millennials were being born, a jury said O.J. Simpson was not guilty and“ Toy Story” played in theaters. It’ s also the year I became business news editor at a…

Shares fell in Europe after a mixed day of trading in Asia following a report that the U.S. is preparing to slap sanctions on a dozen more Chinese officials, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing. Strong growth in exports is good news for the world economy but could worsen China- U.S. tensions. A report by Reuters citing unnamed sources said the U.S. departments of…

Dec. 6– Alerus Financial Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire a Colorado- based company offering retirement plans. The agreement to acquire Retirement Planning Services Inc., which does business as RPS Plan Administrators and 24 HourFlex, was announced on Dec. 2 and is the first acquisition for Alerus since filing its initial public offering in…

Since late March of this year, the financial markets have defied some of the most fundamental principles of investing: they go up even when things look bad. If you are having a hard time understanding all of this, it's probably because you aren't entertaining enough crazy thoughts. With the combined programs from the Federal Reserve, the Treasury and Congress,…

Answer: According to New York Times bestselling author and online financial columnist, Suze Orman, there is a substantial list of both good and' not so good' financial decisions pre-retirees can make. Orman has been a contributing editor to both “O” The Oprah Magazine and Costco Connection Magazine for more than 16 and 18 years, respectively, as well as host of the…

Following the release of the Employment Situation Report for November 2020 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index ® has been revised to a level of 82.17, down by 0.94% from its revised level one month earlier and reflecting a higher proportion- relative to the prior month- of U.S. production and non-supervisory jobs…

The American Enterprise Institute issued the following working paper entitled “US Fiscal Federalism During the COVID-19 Pandemic”:. The likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on state and local government revenues is increasingly well understood. Federal Fiscal Stabilization in the United States.

Elon Musk is sticking with optimistic plans for the SpaceX Starship on Mars, saying in an interview that the first crewed mission of the next-generation rocket to the Red Planet could come as early as 2024“ if we get lucky.”. While talking with the media giant’ s CEO Mathias D u00f6pfner as the recipient of its Axel Spring Award for 2020, Musk said the first uncrewed…

The U.S. single premium buy-out sales totaled $4.6 billion in the third quarter, down 41% from third quarter 2019 but double the $2.3 billion sold in the second quarter, according to the Secure Retirement Institute.

A way better than expected earnings season, a likely split Congress, and major breakthroughs on the vaccine front all helped stocks soar last month. Add ongoing support from the Federal Reserve as the cherry on top and we are looking at a truly historic month on many levels. But what now?

Harry Boston said it best in his interview with Knox News– successful businesses don't stand still. Yet among businesses in Knoxville with employees, only about 1% are Black-owned, according to U.S. census data. Our community is working to address this gap, thanks to resources like Knoxville's Black Business Directory, the Shora Foundation's planned Roots…

Are you being told by a friend, accountant or financial planner you can give away $15,000 per year to your children and do not have to worry if you need nursing home care? Many people have heard of the federal Gift Tax provision that allows them to give away $15,000 per year without paying any gift taxes. Even though the federal Gift Tax law allows you to give away up to…

Before retirement, most poor financial decisions and unlucky breaks can be overcome with a little time and a few additional paychecks. After retirement, the pool of assets is mostly fixed. Somehow, retirees must make those assets last for the rest of their lives.

—Asian shares were mostly higher Tuesday, encouraged by news on the development of coronavirus vaccines and more assurance for a transition of power in the U.S. to President-elect Joe Biden. The U.S. federal government recognized Biden as the“ apparent winner” of the Nov. 3 election, giving the green light for cooperation on a transition of power despite efforts by…

Treasury yields mostly rose, another sign of optimism among investors. It is also tempering lingering concerns over rising virus cases in the U.S. and new government restrictions on businesses aimed at limiting the spread. “Investors continue to embrace and see the optimism in the development of vaccines, providing light at the end of the tunnel and multiple…

—Asian stocks rose Monday as investors looked ahead to quarterly U.S. economic data amid unease about anti-coronavirus curbs on business and wrangling over the American presidential election. Investors looked ahead to U.S. economic growth data due out Wednesday after Wall Street’ s benchmark S&P 500 index ended last week down as rising infection numbers…

Donna Skemp of Bend, Oregon, struggled to save before she signed up for an automatic savings plan offered by her employer’s payroll services company. “It's painless, and it's so easy,” says Skemp, accounting and office manager for the nonprofit Every Kid Sports, which pays sports registration fees for children from low-income families. People are much more likely…

Insurance and financial advisors are challenged to find the right partners and brokerage general agencies to work with, said Brian Haney, founder and vice president of The Haney Company in Silver Spring, Md.

—Global stock markets were mixed Wednesday after Wall Street declined as hopes for a possible coronavirus vaccine were tempered by worries about the pandemic's continuing impact. London, Tokyo and Frankfurt retreated, while Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sydney advanced. In early trading, the FTSE 100 in London lost 0.5% to 6,332.47 and the DAX in Frankfurt shed 0.9%…

Most Americans fail a financial fluency quiz of key investment selection terms, and confusion over a term like “passive investing” can translate into saving less and lower use of investment products, according to a new report.

–Advisor Group, the nation’s largest network of independent wealth management firms, and network member firm SagePoint Financial today announced the successful recruitment of Veater Financial Group, a wealth management practice based in Fresno, CA, with $503 million in total client assets. In addition to SagePoint Financial, Advisor Group also includes FSC…

Donna Skemp of Bend, Oregon, struggled to save before she signed up for an automatic savings plan offered by her employer's payroll services company. “It's painless, and it's so easy,” says Skemp, accounting and office manager for the nonprofit Every Kid Sports, which pays sports registration fees for children from low-income families. People are much more likely…

Columbus, OH—November 16, 2020—Nearly two-thirds of investors (61%) and more than two-thirds of advisors and financial professionals (68%) anticipate market…

Wells Fargo’s former chief executive and former head of Wells Fargo’s Community Bank defrauded investors by using a metric that was inflated by accounts that were opened for consumers who did not ask for or want them, according to new charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

After months of economic heartache from the coronavirus, it is encouraging to learn of some good news about Americans’ retirement…

DENVER (November 12, 2020) – Financial services firms are reportedly hit by security incidents 300 times more frequently than other…

Heading into the election, polling data and market signals disagreed on how close the presidential election would be, with market signals calling the race much closer—which turned out to be accurate. Now that we have more clarity on the results of the election, we can review what we believe will be some of the key market implications going forward.

By Stan Choe and Damian J. Troise| The Associated Press. It was the second straight day that rising hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine have investors reordering which stocks they see winning and losing, and the shifts were leaving U.S. stock indexes mixed in afternoon trading. Treasury yields and oil, meanwhile, were holding most of their big gains from a day before or…

The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared by more than 1,600 points after the opening bell on Monday, its first day of trading since Democratic nominee Joe Biden was projected by all major news outlets as the winner of the 2020 presidential race. The Dow's movement also followed an announcement by drugmaker Pfizer earlier Monday, which reported that late-stage…

When training to become a financial professional, much of our course work centers on the six critical areas of creating a financial strategy. Some recognize October as Financial Planning or Year-end Tax Planning Month, so it's an excellent opportunity to review those six personal finance areas. Cash management: This is a broad topic that can address many…

Asian shares advanced Thursday after stocks rallied on Wall Street as investors embraced the upside of more gridlock in Washington, sending the S&P 500 index up 2.2% while the outcome of the U.S. presidential election remained in limbo. Hong Kong's benchmark led the region, gaining 2.6%, while shares also rose by more than 1% in Tokyo and South Korea.

Instead of trying to outsmart Mr. Market, my advice remains simple: address what is within your control, by creating a financial plan. ” To help guide me through the issues, I spoke to Nathan Sheets, the chief economist and head of global macroeconomic research at PGIM Fixed Income. Prior to his current position, Sheets worked mostly in government-related jobs at the…

The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following news release on Oct. 30:. The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule that updates and clarifies the Department's investment duties regulation in 29 CFR 2550.404 a-1. “Protecting retirement savings is a core mission of the U.S. Department of Labor and a chief public policy goal for our nation,” said U.S….

Eighty-four percent of financial institutions would not be prepared to operate immediately in a negative U.S. interest rate environment, according to a recent survey conducted by the Risk Management Association.

ALEX V EIGA The Associated Press. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 943 points Wednesday as surging coronavirus cases forced more shutdown measures in Europe and raised fears of more restrictions in the U.S.. Investors are growing increasingly anxious that the economy will lose momentum should more shutdowns be imposed just as prospects for more…

The number of individuals reporting high levels of financial stress more than doubled from 11% pre-COVID to 27% since the crisis struck. Further, while only 44% of participants reported experiencing financial stress prior to the pandemic, the number grew to 67% following the outbreak.

These are the initial findings of the Middle-Income Financial Security Monitor from Primerica Inc., a leading provider of financial services to middle-income families. The Monitor is a recurring quarterly poll that gauges the financial preparedness, habits, and concerns of those with annual household incomes of $30,000-$100,000. Every day throughout…

It goes by many names and serves many purposes. For some, it’ s a way to keep the lights on. You’ ve got Amazon Flex trucks practically ramming into each other,” says Kathy Kristof, editor at SideHusl.com, a website that reviews hundreds of online money-making platforms.

MINNEAPOLIS – Oct. 26, 2020 – With increased longevity resulting in retirements that can last 25-30 years or longer, Americans…

At this point, most investors have recovered the majority of their losses from the COVID-19 pandemic shock back in March. And while it appears that markets have generally returned to their pre-pandem- ic levels, you see a much different engine when you look under the hood. For example, the Technology sector is up nearly 30 percent year to date while the Energy…

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23– The Employee Benefit Research Institute issued the following news release:. A new study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute's Financial Wellbeing Research Center finds that 90 percent of companies answering the 2020 EBRI Financial Wellbeing Employer Survey either have or are developing a strategy for improving their…

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued the following news release:. Amidst the economic tumult brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the securities industry saw its pretax profits reach $27.6 billion in the first six months of 2020, an 82 percent increase over the same period last year, according to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's annual…

Some credit mistakes are a lot worse than others. But when you pay down the debt, the damage disappears as lower balances get reported to the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Mistakes that have long-running ripple effects hurt the most, says credit expert John Ulzheimer.