Author: James Flippin
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Restaurant Subscriptions In 2023, you don’t just buy things — you subscribe to them. Subscription services for repeat purchases like razors and vitamins are already commonplace, …
Don’t go broke over your wedding. Do this instead
Here Comes the Bill First, here comes the bride. Then, here comes the bill. Couples planning to tie the knot this year will shell out an …
How Walmart & other big-box grocery stores are dealing with inflation
Increasing Food Costs Conventional personal finance wisdom will tell you cooking meals at home, instead of eating out, is one of the best ways to save …
Here’s why now is the right time to ask for a raise
Workers Unite Worker strikes soared last year, according to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2022, strikes involving more than 1,000 workers reached …
How to make self-employment taxes a less bitter (and expensive) pill to swallow
60 Million Freelancers During the pandemic, many Americans got used to working remotely. Geographic independence and technological proficiency fostered fresh ideas about modern ways to make …
Think fast food is a good value? You may not be ‘lovin’ it’ after you hear this
Value Miss With food costs way up since last year, some Americans are turning to fast food as a budget-friendly way to satisfy their appetites. But …
Will inflation keep declining?
Inflation’s Downward Trend Ever since peaking at 9.1% last June, the rate of inflation in the US has been on a reassuring downward trend. It hit …
4 Biden administration retirement changes you need to know about
What are Roths? Roth accounts — whether a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k) — are common retirement plans that have a different tax treatment than …
Netflix reverses course on password sharing: What you need to know
Sharing Isn’t Caring In 2017, Netflix (NFLX) infamously tweeted, “Love is sharing a password.” But the company has since changed its stance on passwords, if not …
Good news for AI fans: ChatGPT is rolling out a ‘freemium’ plan
ChatGPT Plus In 1967, Texas Instruments (TXN) created the first handheld electronic calculator and changed the way that mathematicians crunch numbers. In 2022, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT …
Building wealth in America: The real estate paradox
Ranking Assets When it comes to building wealth in America, 23% of Americans say real estate is the best strategy, according to a survey conducted …
Why marketers care about Gen Z’s obsession with Despicable Me, The Rock & other oddball preferences
What’s Gen Z Watching? For marketers and major film studios, Gen Z has been particularly difficult to get a reading on. However, a new report …
Will streaming really become like cable?
The Finale? A famous business principle is that whatever works gets copied. The success of Netflix (NFLX) exemplifies it. After taking a risk with streaming …
How to protect yourself from scammers this year
Gone Phishin’ Phishing attacks are a cyber criminal’s attempt to steal your information by posing as a familiar organization, such as your employer or a …
Why Microsoft is eyeing ChatGPT for Bing
What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is an AI-powered language chatbot developed by tech research firm OpenAI. Designed to answer user questions, it’s recently surged in popularity …
Updates to the tax code you should really know about
Why Make Changes? The US experienced some of the highest inflation rates in decades in 2022. To account for this inflation, the Internal Revenue Service …
Dollar Stores are thriving in these surprising US communities
A Fistful of Dollar Stores Dollar stores are expanding rapidly, with several discount retail chains opening new locations across the US. Two of the …
Mortgage rates dip even as refinancing demands spike
Sales Keep Sliding In November, existing home sales fell for the 10th straight month. This added to an already record-long streak, with higher mortgage rates …
The hair-raising number of packages snatched by porch pirates
Petty Package Crime Ecommerce has long been a major part of how people buy goods, with this segment totaling nearly 15% of all retail sales …
The old-school way Netflix is trying to stay relevant
Netflix and Spill The Netflix Preview Club (NFLX) is the streaming industry’s reboot of one of Hollywood’s tried-and-true best practices — the focus group. …
A familiar face is back at Disney. That may be good for investors & theme park fanatics
Disney Parks Are Buffering Earlier this month, entertainment goliath Disney (DIS) reported lower-than-expected revenue and profit for the previous quarter. For certain segments, like its …
The average American retiree has this much cash, but is it enough?
Retirement is a financial goal most of us think about. At some point, everyone will be forced to leave the workforce for good. But, how …
You may be ready for the holiday season, but are your finances ready for tax season?
Time To Reevaluate A year is a long time. There’s a good chance, over the course of the past year, at least one major aspect …
How to lower your energy bill without touching your thermostat
Increasing Energy Prices Energy prices are spiking around the world, most notably in Europe. However, many experts believe a similar crisis in the United States may …
Holiday travel will cost you a pretty penny this year
Holiday Season Prices are up, up, and away for both airline tickets and gas, with the latter at an all-time seasonal high. On top of …
More people are hoping apps can buy them love … literally
Dating Costs Rise Match Group (MTCH), the owner of popular dating apps Tinder and Hinge, just reported a 2% increase in paid subscribers across all …
How to give this holiday season, even with inflation
Consumer Sentiment Hits Lows In the face of record inflation and lingering recessionary concerns, people across America are nervous about their financial future. According to …
A judge struck down Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. Now what?
The Ruling Last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled that President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program is unconstitutional. This followed a lawsuit backed …
Are people really buying homes through social media?
Sales Have Stalled With the average national mortgage rate hovering around 7%, the housing market, which was on fire during 2020 and 2021, is finally …
What to do with your retirement during a bear market
Grin and Bear It There’s no sugarcoating what’s going on with the market. Both stocks and bonds are trading in bear market territory, which means …
