• Starbucks Workers Begin Strikes That Could Spread to Hundreds of US Stores
  
  Workers at Starbucks stores began a five-day strike Friday to protest lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company.
• Don't Gamble With Money You Can't Afford to Lose
  
  Cryptocurrency may be appropriate for some, but older Americans should put most of their money in "boring" assets like bonds, guaranteed annuities, bank CDs and perhaps dividend-paying stocks.
• Can Nissan SURVIVE the Next 14 Months Without Going Bankrupt?
  
  Nissan is on the brink of collapse. Things aren't looking good at Nissan from our perspective either. Executives said the company has "12 to 14 months to survive." Dealers are selling cars at a loss, production has slowed, and more recently, the company cut thousands of...
• Luxury Labels Appeal to Masses With Lower-Priced Goods
  
  Confronting a broad decline in demand for their usual fare, including $3,000-and-up handbags and $4,000-and-up cashmere jackets, major marketers of designer and luxury merchandise are broadening their product lines to emphasize scarves, belts, wallets and home goods priced...
• Govt Shutdown and Tariff Fears Jar Year-End Markets
  
  U.S. government shutdown fears and fresh trade war threats cast another cloud over Wall Street as a bruising final full trading week of the year comes to a close and dampens what had been a stellar year for U.S. stocks.
• Investors Still Hope for 'Santa Claus' Rally
  
  With December so far delivering Scrooge-like returns in an otherwise stellar year for U.S. stocks, investors hope the tail end of 2024 offers some holiday cheer, but warn of potential headwinds.
• It's Beginning to Look Like Another Record for Holiday Travel
  
  Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it's beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S.
• Biden Cancels $4.28B More in Student Loans
  
  The Biden administration on Friday canceled another $4.28 billion in student debt for nearly 55,000 public service workers, the U.S. Department of Education said in a statement.
• Senate Bill Would Boost Social Security Benefits
  
  The Senate voted in a bipartisan fashion, 73-23, to advance a bill that would boost Social Security benefits for more than 2 million American by repealing laws that had limited payouts to public sector employees.
• Life Expectancy in US Rising - Slowly
  
  U.S. life expectancy jumped last year, and preliminary data suggests there may be another - much smaller - improvement this year.
• Home Sales Rise to Fastest Pace Since March
  
  Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November to their fastest pace since March as home shoppers were encouraged by a wider selection of properties on the market, despite rising mortgage rates.
• Crypto Hacks Steal $2.2 Billion in 2024
  
  Funds stolen by hacking cryptocurrency platforms surged 21% from a year ago to $2.2 billion in 2024, a report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis showed Thursday.
• Stocks Face Headwind From Rising Yields
  
  The rally in U.S. stocks is encountering a fresh hurdle - a potentially problematic rise in Treasury yields as the Federal Reserve signals fewer interest rate cuts for 2025.
• Stores Target $10 & Under Gifts for the Cash-Strapped
  
  Retailers including Target and Walmart are stocking shelves with more toys and gifts such as Barbies that cost less than $10 this holiday season, a strategy aimed at attracting cash-strapped shoppers.
• Americans Support Trump Tax Cuts - Pass Them First!
  
  In 2017, after the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare failed, we personally told President Donald Trump that it was a mistake to try to do healthcare before tax cuts.
• Honda & Nissan on the Brink of a MASSIVE Merger?
  
  Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. announced Wednesday the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding under which they will begin a feasibility study of a strategic partnership in the fields of vehicle electrification and intelligence.
• How to Benefit From Tax-Loss Selling This Year
  
  The U.S. market gained more than 25% for the year to date through mid-December 2024. That's a healthy showing by any measure. It doesn't seem like it would be a market environment that's conducive to tax-loss selling.
• As Bitcoin Soars, Luxury Brands Consider Accepting Crypto Payments
  
  Bitcoin's soaring value has caught the attention of high-end fashion brands and retailers, prompting further interest in offering cryptocurrencies as a means of payment to tap in to fresh pockets of wealth and build loyalty with crypto investors.
• Elite Colleges Accused of Running 'Price-Fixing Cartel'
  
  Elite universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgetown, and University of Pennsylvania, face fresh allegations of favoring wealthy students in admissions, with a new court motion demanding $685 million in damages, The Hill reported.
• A Great Year for Gold
  
  2024 was a great year for gold - and 2025 promises to be even better. As the new year rings in with growing uncertainty, the case for owning gold has never been more compelling.
• Concerts, Hotels Will Soon Disclose Extra Fees up Front
  
  The Federal Trade Commission Tuesday said it will soon require hotels, vacation rental platforms and live event promoters to disclose any fees up front when they list prices.
• Nvidia in Correction Territory? What Happens Next?
  
  Nvidia shares fell 1.7% Monday to close at $132. That's around 11% off its closing high of $148.88 in November, putting Nvidia in correction territory.That said, Nvidia is still up 166% this year, and a correction doesn't necessarily signal a sustained downward trend.
• Renters Have a $10K Net Worth. Homeowners: $400K
  
  The wealth divide between those who rent versus those who own a home has never been greater, CNN reports.The median renter has a net worth of $10,400, but the median homeowner's net worth is $400,000, according to the Aspen Institute.
• Rear Seat Belt Reminders to Be Required in Cars in 2027
  
  The U.S. Transportation Department said Monday it will require rear seat reminder systems to boost seat belt use starting in late 2027 in a bid to reduce traffic crash deaths and injuries that have been rising in recent years.
• Meta Adds Translation, AI Video to Ray-Ban Smart Glasses
  
  Meta Platforms said Monday it has updated the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with AI video capability and real-time language translation functionality.

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