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”

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”

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”

Recent Report Shows Increase in EMV Security

Posted on July 17, 2015Categories Business, Technology   Leave a comment on Recent Report Shows Increase in EMV Security

According to a recent report, more merchants are installing EMV card readers to reduce liability to their businesses from fraudulent transactions. This is beneficial to the consumers because it increases the security of credit and debit transactions. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa. Experts call the protective efforts a “liability shift,” which instates policy that shields businesses from having to pay for their own losses in the case of fraudulent transactions. Nearly 67% more American citizens were affected by … Continue reading “Recent Report Shows Increase in EMV Security”

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities Not Performing Well, Experts Say

Posted on July 17, 2015Categories Business, Economy, Investing   Leave a comment on Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities Not Performing Well, Experts Say

Despite an ostensibly strong showing in previous years, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) are starting to lose their strength. Sddt.com reports that after an incredible return of 11.4% to CMBS investors in 2014, a return better than several other investments such as junk bonds and treasuries, the first half of this year saw a dismal CMBS return. JPMorgan Chase and Co. and Barclays Plc index found the securities fell 1.84% in June, a dip that caught many investors off-guard. CMBS are … Continue reading “Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities Not Performing Well, Experts Say”

Banks Are Trying to Stay Afloat with New Methods of Business

Posted on July 17, 2015Categories Business, Economy, Investing   Leave a comment on Banks Are Trying to Stay Afloat with New Methods of Business

Feel like a latte with your loan? A Capital One branch is hoping that a new initiative, in which cafes will be located inside bank branches, will pay off for them. As a result of a huge shift in the banking industry due to the prevalence of online and mobile banking, banks are finding it harder and harder to get customers to come into their branches. The problem is, the banks need their customers to come into their branches for … Continue reading “Banks Are Trying to Stay Afloat with New Methods of Business”