China’s Xi urges officials to ‘resolutely fight’ those who question zero-Covid policy

Xi Jinping seen giving a speech during the centenary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, in Fuyang on July 1, 2021. From a political perspective, 2022 is a particularly critical year for China, as Xi is expected to gain an unprecedented third term this fall at the 20th National Party Congress, alongside a…

‘Financial First Aid’ author: Don’t feel ‘guilty or ashamed’ about making money mistakes

As the name implies, new book “Financial First Aid” offer strategies to help you deal with or avoid money mishaps. Standard financial advice revolves around doing what’s mathematically optimal for your money, and the book’s author, Alyssa Davies admits that much of that advice she offers doesn’t veer too far from tried-and-true formulas. But in…

Workers have been enjoying fatter paychecks. A slowdown may be ahead

Bymuratdeniz | E+ | Getty Images Workers continue to see pay increases at a fast clip, but there are signs of a slowdown ahead. Average earnings for all workers grew by 0.3% in April, to $31.85 an hour, the Labor Department said Friday. That’s a modest reduction from the 0.4% pace in March. It also…

How small businesses can avoid financial missteps in an inflationary environment

After a career in corporate America, IyaSokoya Karade turned her love of gymnastics and her retirement savings into a new enterprise: opening a youth fitness center in her local community. She soon learned that having a passion wasn’t enough to create a sustainable business. One of her earliest mistakes, she said, was not paying herself…

CDC investigating 109 cases of severe hepatitis in kids across two dozen states, including 5 deaths

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Tami Chappell | Reuters The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating 109 cases of severe hepatitis, including five deaths, the public health agency said on Friday. Ninety percent of the children were hospitalized and 14% required liver transplants, according to the…

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Peloton, Under Armour, Monster Beverage and more

In this article UAA PTON A Peloton exercise bike is seen after the ringing of the opening bell for the company’s IPO at the Nasdaq Market site in New York City, New York, U.S., September 26, 2019. Shannon Stapleton | Reuters Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading Friday. Peloton — Shares of…

Don’t follow this ‘popular belief’ when planning for early retirement, says former JPMorgan portfolio manager

“If I want to retire early, I should solely focus on saving money as much money as possible right now. I’ll figure everything else out later!” This is a common way to think, especially for young people who want to retire early. But as a former portfolio manager and the head of retirement solutions for…

Despite the Fed’s big rate boost, most banks will still pay paltry interest rates

Jerome Powell, Federal Reserver Governor. Katie Kramer | CNBC The Federal Reserve just raised its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point, its largest such move in more than two decades, as it seeks to tame inflation. The central bank’s actions mean that, in an era of sharply rising prices for everything from food…

Over 60 million tax returns could be completed automatically, study shows

Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS may have the ability to automate nearly half of tax returns, according to a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. The agency could correctly auto-fill an estimated 62 million to 73 million returns with information it already has, covering 41% to 48% of…

Main Street is convinced that a recession will hit the U.S. economy this year

Main Street and Wall Street are often at a distance when it comes to the state of the economy. The likelihood of a recession hitting in 2022 is the latest example. Both camps are bearish, but small business owners are leading the way in negative sentiment — by a notable margin. Wall Street has been…

JetBlue Airways faces a quarter-century crossroads after Spirit rejects its takeover offer

In this article SAVE JBLU A JetBlue airliner lands past a Spirit Airlines jet on taxi way at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport on Monday, April 25, 2022. (Joe Cavaretta/Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) Joe Cavaretta | Sun Sentinel | Getty Images JetBlue Airways is at a quarter-century crossroads. The airline’s first flight…