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Business
Inflation Cools Slightly In February As Tariffs, Slowing Labor Market Fuel Economic Concerns Inflation Cools Slightly In February As Tariffs, Slowing Labor Market Fuel Economic Concerns
Inflation Cools Slightly In February As Tariffs, Slowing Labor Market Fuel Economic Concerns Consumer prices rose slightly less than expected in February, but President Donald Trump's escalating trade wars and a declining labor market are keeping economic uncertainty high. Inflation increased 0.2 percent in February and 2.8 percent over the past year, according to new Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on Wednesday, Mar. 12. The yearly inflation number remained well above the Federal Reserve's two-percent target. The monthly increase was smaller than January's jump of 0.5 percent. February's figures were also a little lower than Dow Jones expectations, CNBC reported. Co…

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by Chris Spiker
Real Estate
Home Sales Plummet, Prices Hit New January Record: How Tariffs Could Drive Costs Higher Home Sales Plummet, Prices Hit New January Record: How Tariffs Could Drive Costs Higher
Home Sales Plummet, Prices Hit New January Record: How Tariffs Could Drive Costs Higher Home sales fell in January as prices continued soaring, showing the financial strains potential buyers are facing. Existing-home sales declined 4.9 percent from December 2024 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.08 million in January, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) said in a news release on Friday, Feb. 21. The median home price climbed 4.8 percent year-over-year to $396,900, the highest amount ever in a month of January. In the Northeast, sales fell 5.7 percent from December to an annual rate of 500,000 homes, though they increased 4.2 percent from January 2024. The m…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Inflation Climbs To Start 2025, Fueled By Dramatic Egg Price Jump, Fears Over Trump Policies Inflation Climbs To Start 2025, Fueled By Dramatic Egg Price Jump, Fears Over Trump Policies
Inflation Climbs To Start 2025, Fueled By Dramatic Egg Price Jump, Fears Over Trump Policies Inflation unexpectedly accelerated in the first month of 2025, adding political and economic pressure to President Donald Trump's campaign promise of immediate relief to high consumer prices. In January, overall inflation climbed 3.3 percent year-over-year for core items and 0.5 percent monthly, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Wednesday, Feb. 12. That ran slightly ahead of economists' prediction of 3.2 percent inflation, NBC News reported. Core items exclude notably volatile prices for food and energy. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) still inc…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Fed Pauses Interest Rate Cuts Despite Trump's Push For Immediate Reduction Fed Pauses Interest Rate Cuts Despite Trump's Push For Immediate Reduction
Fed Pauses Interest Rate Cuts Despite Trump's Push For Immediate Reduction The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate in place, pausing further cuts and ignoring a demand by President Donald Trump to immediately drop rates. After three months of reductions, the Fed decided to keep the key interest rate target at 4.25 to 4.5 percent. The Fed announced the decision on Wednesday, Jan. 29, after its first meeting since President Trump returned to the White House. Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed is monitoring inflation and economic stability under the Trump administration. "We remain committed to supporting maximum employment, bringing inflation sustain…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express said it will pay $230 million to resolve federal investigations into deceptive sales tactics and recordkeeping violations involving small business credit card and wire transfer products. The credit card company agreed to pay a $108.7 million civil penalty, the Department of Justice said in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 16. The settlement resolved claims against American Express of deceptive marketing and "dummy" account information. American Express was accused of engaging in unlawful sales tactics and falsifying records between 2014 and 2021. "When financial companies …

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by Chris Spiker
Real Estate
Here's How 2024 Q3 Housing Market In Westchester Compared To Hudson Valley Counties: Report Here's How 2024 Q3 Housing Market In Westchester Compared To Hudson Valley Counties: Report
Here's How 2024 Q3 Housing Market In Westchester Compared To Hudson Valley Counties: Report Although those shopping for a home in the Hudson Valley finally have more inventory to choose from, this has not decreased prices, according to a new report.  According to the Houlihan Lawrence Westchester-Putnam Dutchess Q3 Market Report released on Tuesday, Oct. 8, real estate markets in the three counties are experiencing an increase in available listings, the first major shift in more than three years.  This follows an extended period of reduced inventory as a result of high demand, the report said. According to the report, listings in Westchester increased by an average…

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by Ben Crnic
News
COVID-19: NYC Public Schools Close Until At Least April 20; Fed Cuts Interest Rate To Near Zero COVID-19: NYC Public Schools Close Until At Least April 20; Fed Cuts Interest Rate To Near Zero
Covid-19: NYC Public Schools Close Until At Least April 20; Fed Cuts Interest Rate To Near Zero New York City's public school system, the largest in the nation, will be closed for more than a month due to the outbreak of the novel strain of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The closure starts on Monday, March 16 and lasts through at least Monday, April 20, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement late Sunday afternoon, March 15. Five people -- all with underlying health issues -- have died in New York City due to COVID-19, accounting for all but one of the fatalities in the state linked to the virus. The other death, in Rockland County, was a Suffern resident. "It is time t…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Ocasio-Cortez Joins Bernie Sanders' Call For 15 Percent Cap On Credit Card Interest Ocasio-Cortez Joins Bernie Sanders' Call For 15 Percent Cap On Credit Card Interest
Ocasio-Cortez Joins Bernie Sanders' Call For 15 Percent Cap On Credit Card Interest Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s latest major bill since taking office has a powerful backer. The 2007 Yorktown High School graduate and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders just introduced a proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 15 percent this week, which would rein in the profits major banks can capitalize on. The legislation has been dubbed the “Loan Shark Prevention Act.” Currently, the national average annual percentage rate his 17.73 percent, while the median was sitting at 21.36 percent, according to CreditCards.com. “Despite the fact that banks can borro…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Wells Fargo To Pay States $575M To Resolve Customer Ripoff Claims: NJ, NY, CT Get $34M Wells Fargo To Pay States $575M To Resolve Customer Ripoff Claims: NJ, NY, CT Get $34M
Wells Fargo To Pay States $575M To Resolve Customer Ripoff Claims: NJ, NY, CT Get $34M Wells Fargo Bank has agreed to pay $575 million – including more than $34 million combined to New Jersey, New York and Connecticut – to settle charges that it engaged in a variety of sales, lending, and other improper business practices for more than a decade. The bank also has agreed to pay more than $385 million to 850,000 auto finance customers who were wrongly charged premiums, interest, and fees for forced-place collateral protection insurance, even though they already had the coverage. That includes payments to more than 51,000 customers whose cars were repossessed, according to the m…

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by Jerry DeMarco