After-Hours Trading Adding $40B Brings Amazon’s Market Value to Record Highs

Posted on July 30, 2015Categories Business, Economy, Sales & Marketing   Leave a comment on After-Hours Trading Adding $40B Brings Amazon’s Market Value to Record Highs

With the announcement of its second quarter earnings, Amazon didn’t just come out on top of its other cloud computing competitors; it spurred a Wall Street frenzy which resulted in Amazon Web Services (AWS) adding $40 billion during after-hours trading. The second quarter earnings of AWS cloud computing services were announced on July 23, according to Business Insider and Forbes, and reportedly saw revenues jump 81% to $1.8 billion, which was 16 points higher than Wall Street had initially predicted. … Continue reading “After-Hours Trading Adding $40B Brings Amazon’s Market Value to Record Highs”

Twitter Stocks Flew — and Then Fell — Because of a Bloomberg Imposter Website

Posted on July 24, 2015Categories Business, Headlines   Leave a comment on Twitter Stocks Flew — and Then Fell — Because of a Bloomberg Imposter Website

Using the URL bloomberg.market, a hoax news story from “Bloomberg” told investors on Tuesday, July 14 that Twitter had received a takeover offer of $31 billion, causing its stocks to skyrocket by 8%. By copying Bloomberg’s logo and website design, it took traders a while to realize that the story was a hoax. It’s no secret that consumers are heavily influenced by the design and color scheme of a business’s website; if an organization’s website looks unprofessional, 94% of consumers … Continue reading “Twitter Stocks Flew — and Then Fell — Because of a Bloomberg Imposter Website”

Are Millennials Being Priced Out Of The American Dream?

Posted on July 22, 2015Categories Economy, Investing   Leave a comment on Are Millennials Being Priced Out Of The American Dream?

To rent, or not to rent? For many Millennials, that is definitely not the question. Many young Americans are more likely to ask, “To pay my student loans, or not?” Since the Postwar years of the 1950s, homeownership has always been part and parcel of the American Dream. But data from recent years suggests Millennials are increasingly ambivalent about the benefits of owning their own home. Now, conflicting data shows that Millennials prefer to rent… except when they don’t. In … Continue reading “Are Millennials Being Priced Out Of The American Dream?”

MetLife Introduces First Longevity Annuity for Its Clients’ Retirements

Posted on July 21, 2015Categories Business, Investing   Leave a comment on MetLife Introduces First Longevity Annuity for Its Clients’ Retirements

On Monday, July 20, insurance giant MetLife revealed its first longevity annuity for individuals’ retirement accounts, making it the latest firm to take advantage of new rules that allow plan beneficiaries to use insurance products. According to Investment News, Metlife’s Guaranteed Income Builder will now be available as a qualifying longevity annuity contract (QLAC). A QLAC is a type of deferred-income annuity in which clients buy their contract now, but don’t see their annuity payments until much later in the … Continue reading “MetLife Introduces First Longevity Annuity for Its Clients’ Retirements”

SEC’s In-House Jury-less Trials Under Fire

Posted on July 21, 2015Categories Headlines   Leave a comment on SEC’s In-House Jury-less Trials Under Fire

The Securities and Exchange Commission has been doing a pretty good job recently. In 2014, its enforcement division brought 755 cases and collected an agency record $4.1 billion. However, its powers may soon be weakened. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently called for numerous reforms to the SEC’s investigation process in a new report. The Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness (CCMC), which authored the report, suggests in the document strengthening policies surrounding in-house trials, admissions of wrongdoing, and “Wells notices,” … Continue reading “SEC’s In-House Jury-less Trials Under Fire”

The Student Loan Crisis: Why One Government-Backed Tuition Program May Not Be Enough

Posted on July 20, 2015Categories Economy, Headlines   Leave a comment on The Student Loan Crisis: Why One Government-Backed Tuition Program May Not Be Enough

Student loan debt: it’s the one part of college that can haunt you before you’ve even arrived on campus, and it remains your unwanted friend for long after you’ve graduated. Although plenty of Americans will argue that the student loan debt crisis reached its boiling point at least a few years ago, the government is finally attempting to curb the problem. As The Consumerist reports, the Obama Administration proposed back in January a piece of legislation that aims to make … Continue reading “The Student Loan Crisis: Why One Government-Backed Tuition Program May Not Be Enough”

J.P. Morgan’s ‘Zombie Debt’ Collection Practices Have Garnered a $136M Settlement

Posted on July 17, 2015Categories Business, Economy, Headlines   Leave a comment on J.P. Morgan’s ‘Zombie Debt’ Collection Practices Have Garnered a $136M Settlement

There’s nothing that American consumers like better than to see a major Wall Street financial institution put in its place, and consumers certainly got some entertainment out of the latest court ruling that cracked down on J.P. Morgan Chase and Co., resulting in a $136 million settlement for abuses on credit and debit card collections. According to USA Today and the Wall Street Journal, state and federal authorities began investigating the banking conglomerate after discovering possible “legal violations in…. the … Continue reading “J.P. Morgan’s ‘Zombie Debt’ Collection Practices Have Garnered a $136M Settlement”