Breaking News

Business

Tips To Help Manage Your Buy Now, Pay Later Loans

NEW YORK (AP) — Between rising prices and dwindling job growth, using “buy now, pay later” on everything from concert tickets to fast food deliveries is becoming increasingly appealing. But greater use could also mean greater trouble, as more people fall behind on repaying these loans. Buy now, pay later loans gained popularity during the pandemic, especially among young people. While these loans can help you make large purchases without paying interest or undergoing a hard inquiry in your credit report, they can also easily be overused. About 4 in 10 Americans under the age of ...

Wall Street, Economists Trust Jobs Data

WASHINGTON (AP) — The monthly jobs report is already closely-watched on Wall Street and in Washington but has taken on a new importance after President Donald Trump on Friday fired the official who oversees it. Trump claimed that June’s employment figures were “RIGGED” to make him and other Republicans “look bad,” yet he provided no evidence. The firing of Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics appointed by former President Joe Biden, followed Friday’s jobs report that showed hiring was weak in July and had come to nearly a standstill in May ...

Surprising Growth

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy expanded at a surprising 3% annual pace from April through June, bouncing back at least temporarily from a first-quarter drop that reflected disruptions from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. Still, details of the report suggested that U.S. consumers ...

Millionaires Multiply Across The US, But Most Find It’s Not All Mansions And Champagne

NEW YORK (AP) — As a child, Heidi Barley watched her family pay for groceries with food stamps. As a college student, she dropped out because she couldn’t afford tuition. In her twenties, already scraping by, she was forced to take a pay cut that shrunk her salary to just $34,000 a year. But this summer, the 41-year-old hit a milestone that long felt out of reach: She became a millionaire. A surging number of everyday Americans now boast a seven-figure net worth once the domain of celebrities and CEOs. But as the ranks of millionaires grow fatter, the significance of the status ...

Starbucks Looks To Protein Drinks And Other New Products To Turn Around Lagging Sales

Starbucks said Tuesday it’s confident that new products coming next year -- including a cold foam protein drink, coconut water-based beverages and improved baked goods -- will help turn around the company’s lagging U.S. sales. In the meantime, slow U.S. demand continues to be a drag on the company’s results. Starbucks reported that its revenue rose 4% to $9.5 billion in its fiscal third quarter. That was better than the $9.3 billion Wall Street expected, according to analysts polled by FactSet. But same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, fell 2% in the ...

Online Enthusiasm For A Beaten Down Company With Doubtful Prospects

NEW YORK (AP) — Investors occasionally scoop up shares of companies whose financial prospects appear dim. The consensus around such companies is that the shares should, if anything, fall further. But they suddenly get touted in online forums and take off for no fundamental reason. Wall Street has dubbed them “meme stocks.” Here are some characteristics of meme stocks: POOR GROWTH PROSPECTS Meme stock investors typically look for companies with poor financials that are unlikely to grow much in coming years. This could be due to a number of factors, such as an outdated ...