Money & The Economy

Did you know that before you even wake up in the morning you are subsiding profits to Chinese companies? It has to do with how our country levies shipping costs for products shipped from China. The fact is, shipping costs for products shipped by China into the United States are tantamount to nothing. Without ever buying a single item online ...

21st Century Fox and Comcast hope to settle their struggle for Sky in an auction starting Friday after nearly two years of competing for the London-based telecommunications company, but the situation may already be a win-win for Fox.

An Austin, Texas company released a study Wednesday that reveals which U.S. states hold the most credit card balances relative to the average incomes residents in those states earn. The Upgraded Points study underscores that an average 41.2 percent of Americans do not pay off their balances in full each month. Upgraded Points used the data compiled from each state ...

Mid-sized businesses, representing roughly 40% of the U.S. economy and one-third of its workforce, registered the third consecutive quarter of record-high performance in the third quarter of 2018. Middle-market executives signaled a continuing robust forecast for the next six months, putting 2018 on pace to be the best year on record for the middle-market index. The RSM US Middle Market Business Index (MMBI), ...

Board declares quarterly dividend of $1.25 per share Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and for the full fiscal year ended August 3, 2018. Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2018 Highlights Compared to the prior year fourth quarter, comparable restaurant sales declined 0.4% and comparable store retail sales increased 1.3% On a GAAP ...

Staples, Inc. and Essendant Inc. (NASDAQ: ESND) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which an affiliate of Staples, the world’s largest office solutions provider, will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Essendant common stock for $12.80 per share in cash, or a transaction value of $996 million including net debt. The transaction follows the determination by Essendant’s Board ...

Parks Associates today released a new whitepaper ahead of IBC, “Video’s Critical Path: Success at Web Speed,” that reports by the end of 2017, U.S. broadband households were spending nearly three hours per week watching video on a mobile phone, an increase of nearly 55% from 2015. This shift comes as households are watching less live broadcast video on their televisions, which ...

The U.S. surpassed Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest producer of crude oil, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The U.S. Secret Service is attempting to take down those who attempt to steal credit card information at gas stations in a nationwide initiative targeting skimming, which will span 17 states over Labor Day weekend.

Starter home affordability is the worst it has been since the Great Recession because of increasing mortgage rates and other factors.

Only 41 percent of the U.S. population lives in a county where a median-income household can afford to buy a median list price home As home prices rise across the U.S., choosing to rent has become increasingly popular. New analysis by realtor.com® reveals the monthly costs of buying a home have risen by 14 percent over the past year. This ...

A survey released showed how Americans are reacting to the growing threat of gas skimming, where criminals implant devices on or in gas station fuel pumps with the intent of stealing the credit card information of unwitting customers. Gas skimming is a growing threat to consumers at the gas pump — so much so that it has made an impact ...

A recent poll from Guidant Financial found that black business ownership under President Trump jumped 400 percent in one year. The poll came as Trump’s approval rating approval rating with African Americans hit 36 percent in a recent Rasmussen Poll. As reported by Black Enterprise, African American business owners are on the rise. “According to the Minority 2018 Small Business Trends ...

If you’re considering renovating your home but can’t afford to spend a fortune on it, there are still many ways to give your living space a brand new appearance without putting a strain on your budget. All you need is good planning, the right attitude, and a creative imagination. Of course, a lot will depend on what exactly do you ...

Sears, the Amazon of the 1930’s,  has been in trouble for decades and its woes seem to have hit a crescendo as a hedge fund announced its intention to buy Sears’ company brand of appliances. Craftsman used to be Sears’ company brand of tools and lawn implements before it was acquired by Stanley Black & Decker in March 2017. The ...