Summary List Placement When COVID-19 hit the United States, millions of Americans were thrown out of work — some 14 million between February and May 2020 alone — with claims for unemployment following in kind. Governments, and applicants, made mistakes: according to a recent report, states ended up doling out $6.2 billion in overpayments. Now […]
Many Broadway productions are scrambling to resume ticket sales in the coming days to welcome theater-goers this fall after city and state leaders have green-lit a reopening of the Great White Way at full capacity by mid-September. “We remain cautiously optimistic about Broadway’s ability to resume performances this fall and are happy that fans can […]
Retail powerhouse loanDepot continued to gain market share in the first quarter of 2021 despite tumbling profit margins. And its leadership believes that its scale will enable it to weather any storm better than its competitors as interest rates continue to rise. Closed loan volume in the first quarter increased to $41.5 billion from $37.4 […]
A good brand isn’t just for companies. Mortgage professionals have their own stories to tell, their own goals to reach and their own set of skills to share. In today’s online environment, personal branding is a growing expectation to grow community. That’s why we’ve invited vice president of regional production at loanDepot Brian Covey to […]
Las Vegas-based builder Kavison Homes has struck up a joint-venture with mortgage lender New American Funding on a new luxury community in Downtown Las Vegas, The Pines in John South Park. The Pines is the brainchild of Kavison Homes owner Todd Stratton, who said homes in the first phase of the community will cost an […]
Summary List Placement Great literature can introduce us to so many amazing things: Passionate romances, unforgettable plot twists, or fantastical beasts that feel vibrantly real within our imaginations. But carefully crafted novels can also keep us up at night, chill us to the bone, and horrify us beyond our nightmares. While some of us may […]
Summary List Placement While answering questions after a Wednesday address on the impact of the American Rescue Plan, President Joe Biden doubled down on his tax proposals and the need for wealthier Americans and corporations to pay their fair share — and took aim at prior Republican tax cuts. “My Republican friends had no problem […]
Summary List Placement Housing-market monitors keep repeating the phrase “since 2005,” except when it’s “since 2006.” That’s worrying — both superlatives refer back to the peak of a historic real-estate bubble. Low mortgage rates and massive demand have powered a supercharged rally for US housing over the last year. Americans snapped up nearly all the […]
Summary List Placement A $28.6 billion restaurant aid program received 186,200 applications in its first two days, according to the White House. Bars, restaurants, and other eligible businesses could start applying for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) on May 3. The initiative is part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, and provides […]
Summary List Placement A US federal judge on Wednesday blocked an order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent landlords from evicting their tenants during the coronavirus pandemic. “The CDC order must be set aside,” US District Judge Dabney Friedrich said in a 20-page ruling. The order was initially announced on September […]
Summary List Placement Throughout the pandemic, service workers have had it tough. The ones that didn’t have to contend with massive layoffs have had to safely navigate customer-facing roles, while their industry has been radically disrupted. And evidence is showing that the service workers who were laid off stand a slim chance of getting their […]
The Federal Housing Finance Agency didn’t have a set date for its new refi option targeted to low-income borrowers when it announced the program last week. But on Wednesday, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced release dates for their versions of the refi product. Fannie Mae’s RefiNow option will be available June 5, while […]
Summary List Placement Various economic indicators are surpassing their pre-pandemic highs as stimulus and reopening drive the country toward a full recovery. US wages are the latest to rebound. Salaries and hourly wages finally leaped above their February 2020 peak in March 2021, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Employee payment across the country […]
As its COVID-19 lockdown eases, Spain has resumed bullfights — and reignited a fiery political debate between right-wingers who defend the tradition and leftists who condemn it as animal cruelty. Jonathan Spier narrates this report from Alfonso Beato in Barcelona. Camera: Alfonso Beato details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: VOANews.Com
Summary List Placement May 5 marks equal pay day for mothers, according to the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). This means it would take about four months into 2021, or 125 extra days, for mothers to earn what fathers earned in just 2020. The overall wage gap between men and women is smaller than the […]
An Olympic test event to evaluate COVID-19 safety protocols for the upcoming Tokyo Games has won praise from the head of the world governing body of track and field. Organizers of Wednesday’s test marathon race in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo pleaded with the general public not to attend the event, even deploying […]
Summary List Placement President Joe Biden unveiled his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan last week, which focuses on funding for childcare, education, and healthcare. Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM) predicted that his plan will actually cost $2.5 trillion over ten years while raising $1.3 trillion in tax revenue. In a report released on Wednesday, PWBM […]
Summary List Placement Following is a transcript of the video. Narrator: This is just three days’ worth of trash — most coming from New York City. And that claw is taking it tobe burned into electricity. But we’re not actually in NewYork City — we’re in Jersey. Patricia Earls: Once the garbageman comes and picks […]
Summary List Placement Small businesses, battered by the pandemic, are flinging their doors back open: 85% were fully open in March 2021, a sizable uptick from the 57% who were open in February. That’s according to a survey of 550 small businesses from Kabbage, an American Express company. The businesses surveyed ranged from the smallest […]
Mortgage applications dropped again, falling 0.9% from the previous week, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association for the week ending April 30, 2021. MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting Joel Kan called last week’s mortgage activity “a mixed bag,” between rates, loan sizes, and government purchase applications. “Mortgage […]
With an estimated one-third of the U.S. population hesitant to get a vaccine for COVID-19, a new study indicates that approaches by faith community leaders can help convince people to get the shot. VOA’s Laurel Bowman reported from a church in Washington which was the site of the city’s first reported COVID-19 case. Camera: Sabiq Ul […]
Summary List Placement 10. University of Pennsylvania Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Total index score: 73.2 about University of Pennsylvania on QS Top Universities. 9. New York University (NYU) Location: New York City, New York Total index score: 73.3 about NYU on QS Top Universities. 8. Princeton University Location: Princeton, New Jersey Total index score: 74.1 about Princeton University on […]
Summary List Placement The White House said Tuesday it will be up to Congress to decide if more direct payments go out the door this year, as they are a costly measure for the federal government to deploy. “We’ll see what members of Congress propose, but those are not free,” White House Press Secretary Jen […]
In April, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned the industry of its plans to keep a much closer eye on servicers as they transition borrowers out of forbearance. On Tuesday, a report from the government watchdog may have just kicked up the incentive. According to the report, in March 2021, consumers submitted more mortgage complaints […]
Summary List Placement Homeownership dreams are fading for some millennials. Nearly a quarter (24%) of 20- and 30-somethings said the pandemic has decreased the likelihood they’ll buy a house, according to Bank of America Research’s sixth annual millennial home improvement survey, which polled over 1,000 members of the generation. That’s slightly more than those who […]
Summary List Placement Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is among the country’s most experienced economic policy experts. A veteran of the Clinton and Obama administrations, Yellen has long been characterized as an economist closely associated with the center-left. That changed after the slow recovery from the Great Recession saw her transform into an ultra-dove, urging stimulus to […]
Dozens of Taiwanese Star Wars fans gathered on the top floor of the nation’s tallest building Tuesday to salute their favorite movie, while stressing the importance of wearing face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Fans dressed in full Star Wars costumes held mock lightsaber battles and posed for pictures on the 89th […]
Summary List Placement A one-off wealth tax on the wealthiest Argentinians brought in around $2.4 billion to help address pandemic costs, according to the Buenos Aires Times. In December, Argentina’s Congress voted to pass a levy on those with assets over 200 million pesos, Insider’s Joshua Zitser reported. The measure passed by 42 to 26 […]
Summary List Placement Since she was elected to the Senate almost a decade ago, Elizabeth Warren has been fighting to cancel student debt and hold loan servicers accountable. Now one of her closest allies is in charge of the federal student debt pile, and that could be a big deal. Richard Cordray, the former head […]
Summary List Placement Tax hikes are probably on the horizon as President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package begins its slow march to becoming law. Of course, not every provision may end up in the final package. But it is pretty likely, according to Morgan Stanley researchers, that tax filers making over $400,000 will see an increase […]
Summary List Placement Melinda Gates is the fifth most powerful woman in the world, and the second American — after Vice President Kamala Harris — to make the Forbes 2020 most powerful women in the world list. She and her former husband, Bill, announced their divorce on May 3. Though they don’t have a prenuptial […]
The star power is back. When the Met Gala returns in September, it will feature a heavy-hitting contingent of celebrity co-chairs: Actor Timothée Chalamet, musician Billie Eilish, poet Amanda Gorman and tennis star Naomi Osaka. Honorary chairs for the evening will be designer Tom Ford, sponsor Instagram’s Adam Mosseri, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour. FILE […]
Summary List Placement Once again, the “who’s really rich?” conversation has reared its head. It was kicked off over the weekend by MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, who said many people who make $500,000 or more in income don’t consider themselves rich — a claim that is true, in my experience. After all, a few hundred thousand […]
With COVID-19 restrictions easing as new infections decrease in Italy, the Vatican has reopened the majestic doors of its art-filled museums this week to the public. The relaxation of restrictions in place since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy last year has brought good news to the museums and to art lovers who […]
Summary List Placement Computer chips An ongoing computer chip shortage has impacted everything from cars to iPads to dog-washing technology. Chipmakers like Intel had already seen production issues pre-pandemic, but as with many industries, the pandemic brought a whole range of new supply-chain issues. The chip shortage is a problem for consumers wanting basically anything […]
The Indian Premier League was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday after players or staff at three clubs tested positive for COVID-19. The Board of Control for Cricket in India issued a statement saying local authorities and tournament officials took the decision unanimously “to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect.” “The BCCI does not want to […]
Summary List Placement The US Department of Education announced that Richard Cordray, the former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was selected to head the Office of Federal Student Aid. “It is critical that students and student loan borrowers can depend on the Department of Education for help paying for college, support in repaying […]
An appeals court on Monday will consider the constitutionality of the first law in the nation banning transgender women and girls from playing on women’s sports teams. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the case that will likely have far-ranging consequences as more states follow conservative Idaho’s lead. Idaho […]
Summary List Placement Throughout centuries, astrology has been used to help us understand ourselves better. By looking towards the planets and cosmos, astrologers can gain key insights about a person, including personality traits, interests, and even hardships based on their birth chart (a map of what was happening in the sky when we were born). […]
Economists came into their own last year as their ability to model likely future scenarios and interpret the numbers were crucial to lenders surviving and thriving in the pandemic. That information is still critical this year, that’s why we’ve invited Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae, to speak at HousingWire’s virtual Engage Marketing event […]
Summary List Placement Low-wage workers and workers of color have seen a slower recovery than the rest of the labor force, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Monday. In a speech for the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Powell highlighted data from an upcoming Federal Reserve survey, showing how low-wage workers and workers of color bore […]
While the pandemic has been a source of grief, it has not stopped joyful events from happening – including thousands of babies being born in this difficult time. Photographer Annе Geddes, creator of the Joy project, is encouraging women from around the world to send her pictures of their newborns for publication – and a pick-me-up. Anna Nelson has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Natalia Latukhina, Max Avloshenko, Dmitrii Vershinin details […]
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced today that it has selected Richard Cordray as the Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid. Cordray is the former Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the former Attorney General of Ohio. Federal Student Aid is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under […]
The total number of servicers’ loans in forbearance fell for the ninth straight week. However, due to a slowdown in exits, forbearance portfolio volume dipped just two basis points last week to an average of 4.47%, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Several investor types were down by just a single digit basis points, with Fannie Mae and […]
Summary List Placement Just a few months ago, in February, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released shocking data about how the historic appreciation in lumber prices was crimping the housing market. A newbuild was $24,000 more expensive, on average. Three months later, that number now stands at $35,872. The housing market took off […]