The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it is holding its benchmark interest rate steady, marking a continuation of its “wait-and-see” approach as it assesses the impact of the Trump administration’s economic policies. The central bank also expects inflation to worsen in the coming months, but it still foresees two interest rate …
Read More »More Americans are turning to “buy now, pay later” loans to purchase groceries
A growing number of consumers are taking out “buy now, pay later,” or BNPL, loans to cover everyday living expenses, data shows, a sign of the precarious financial state facing many U.S. households. A quarter of Americans now use BNPL loans to pay for groceries, up 14% from last year, …
Read More »U.S. doubles tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50%
The United States doubled its steel and aluminum tariffs to 50% Wednesday, casting a pall on a gathering of OECD ministers as President Trump’s intensifying trade war weighs on the world economy. The boosted levies went into effect at midnight EDT. Mr. Trump’s sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries alike …
Read More »United Airlines and JetBlue strike deal that will impact fliers’ points, return United to JFK airport
JetBlue and United Airlines on Thursday announced a new partnership that will allow frequent fliers to earn and use points on both airlines and also swap slots at New York area airports. As part of the deal, United will gain seven takeoff and landing slots at John F. Kennedy International …
Read More »Trump Media & Technology chief operating officer resigns
The chief operating officer of Truth Social’s parent company has resigned, according to a regulatory filing in which the company also disclosed it must release almost 800,000 shares to one of its early investors as part of a court ruling. COO Andrew Northwall resigned from Trump Media & Technology Group …
Read More »“No
The first rule of the “no-buy” trend? Talk about the no-buy trend. What started several years ago as a blogged-about experiment in budgeting and mindful spending has become a popular trend on social media. For the challenge, participants pledge to stop buying non-essential items, whether unneeded shoes, additional beauty products …
Read More »Taylor Swift ticket buying difficulties sparked outrage, but few reforms. Consumer advocates are up in arms.
When thousands of fans couldn’t get tickets for megastar Taylor Swift’s summer stadium tour, some diehards paid upwards of 70 times face value to see their favorite artist in person – an outrage that prompted Congressional hearings and bills in state legislatures to better protect consumers. After 10 months, Swift’s …
Read More »Amazon Prime Day this year could expose shoppers to scams, experts warn
With Amazon Prime Day kicking off Tuesday, experts are warning consumers to beware of scams targeting bargain-hunting shoppers. Fraudsters will employ a number of deceptive tactics, including “phishing” emails and fake websites, social media posts and text messages to trick customers into sharing their personal information, according to the Better …
Read More »UPS strike “imminent” if pay agreement not reached by Friday, Teamsters warn
The union representing UPS workers has warned that a strike is “imminent” if the company doesn’t come to the table with a significantly improved financial offer by Friday. The Teamsters union, which represents about 340,000 UPS workers, has been negotiating with UPS for months on a new contract. But talks …
Read More »FTC files lawsuit against Amazon, alleging company signed customers up for Prime
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Amazon for what it called a years-long effort to enroll consumers into Prime without their consent and making it difficult for them to cancel the subscription. In its complaint, filed in Washington state, the FTC accused Amazon of using deceptive designs to trick “millions” of consumers …
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