By Natalie Mojica On Feb. 10, Rohit Chopra, former Federal Trade Commissioner and current director of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB), discussed consumer protection amid big banks, competition in the financial sector, and how Americans can be the most fiscally responsible with Washington Post columnist Heather Long. The CFPB is a financial regulatory [...]
By Natalie Mojica Due to labor shortages, the U.S. food industry has become more reliant on temporary workers now more than ever. Typically, temp workers cost more per hour than permanent staff, making them less cost-effective for business owners. However, as COVID-19 continues to disrupt the labor markets, restaurants around the country are tasking short-term [...]
By Natalie Mojica Spirit and Frontier Airlines announced on Feb. 7 they will merge to create the fifth largest airline in the U.S. Together, the airlines will carry more than a thousand flights daily to over 145 destinations spanning over nineteen countries. "Together, Frontier and Spirit will be America's Greenest Airline and deliver more ultra-low fares to [...]
By Natalie Mojica Twitter's new 'downvote' feature, originally announced in late July, officially launched for users worldwide on Feb. 3. As early as Feb. 4, select American Twitter users noticed a new addition to their timeline: a small arrow pointing downwards was right next to the 'like' button. Users questioned whether 'downvotes' would be public, if the [...]
By Natalie Mojica Amazon announced on Feb. 3 that it will increase the price of Prime subscriptions from $119 to $139 per year. The price of a monthly subscription will go from $12.99 to $14.99. The increase will go into effect on Feb. 18 for new Prime members and after March 25 for existing members. [...]
By Natalie Mojica According to the National Federation of Independent Business, 50% of small-business owners raised wages in January to attract skilled workers. The findings reflect a major trend of the pandemic economy, as, over the last year, workers’ hourly pay has increased 5.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 25% of small businesses plan to continue raising [...]
By Natalie Mojica While fixed mortgage rates have been steadily rising the past few weeks, it appears they are finally stabilizing. Today, the average mortgage rate for 30-year fixed mortgages is 3.42%. Mortgage experts like Mike Fratantoni, the chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association, think the average rate on a 30-year mortgage will increase throughout the year. [...]
By Natalie Mojica The S&P 500 finished January down 5.3%, its worst start to the year since 2009. The S&P's average return for January was up 1.2%, and many believe January's performance will set the bar for the market's performance this year. Prominent tech companies, like Amazon and Facebook, faced unexpected drops in their stock [...]
By Natalie Mojica With a base price of $41,669, the Lightning F-150, Ford’s new electric version of the much-loved pickup truck, has excited many with its affordability. So much so, that company has had to stop taking reservations as 200,000 orders have been placed ahead of its release. To keep up with the demand, Ford [...]
By Natalie Mojica On Jan. 24, the Supreme Court agreed to take a case presented by the Virginia-based group Students for Fair Admissions, a nonprofit organization, to decide whether race-based admission practices, otherwise known as affirmative action, are lawful. Spearheaded by Edward Blum, a financial advisor turned legal entrepreneur, the case challenges the Supreme Court's precedence [...]
© 2021 Consumers Bulletin, All Rights Reserved.