Posts Tagged With ‘ Investments ’

Recently, I wrote about how private equity firms are buying health providers practices, including my gastroenterologist’s, and how they bleed money from the companies, then sell them for a big profit. In 2021, some of the top industries for private equity investment include healthcare, technology, and consumer products.  Now, a new report describes how private equity firms buying oil and gas wells is likely to be costly for taxpayers. Investments by private equity firms in nearly 2,700 oil and gas wells on federal and tribal lands across the western United States could leave taxpayers with... Continue Reading

Another large financial institution has been caught gouging customers. Raymond James Financial Services agreed to settle allegations Tuesday with six state securities regulators for charging unreasonable commissions on trades that harmed investors. The broker-dealer will pay at least $8.2 million in refunds to clients, and $4.2 million in penalties and costs. A task force of state regulators from Alabama, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, and Washington investigated Raymond James’s compensation practices, and found that it charged excessive commissions on more than 270,000 low-principal... Continue Reading

More than three quarters of adults have used a payment app, called a P2P or peer-to-peer or person-to-person app. Widely used nonbank payment apps include PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App. The apps can be used on a computer or mobile device to send money to someone else without writing a check or handing over cash. Young adults use payment apps even more frequently. Eighty-five percent of consumers aged 18 to 29 have used one of these apps, according to a Consumer Reports survey. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers the following information on the pitfalls of using payment apps: Money... Continue Reading

An “investment opportunity” extremely popular on the social media platform WeChat stole millions from the Chinese community in the United States. Social media posts urged people to “invest” in various household goods and electronics, promising returns of 20-40 percent in one to three months. But it was really a scam, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Using WeChat groups, scammers heavily promoted the investment with pictures and stories about supposed successful investors. To invest, people agreed to over-pay upfront – as much as three times the retail price – to buy items... Continue Reading

Photo: Raysonho My newsletter this week has a lot of helpful information so I’m posting a copy here. You have until May 8 to use Bed Bath & Beyond gift cards and rewards and until May 4 to file a claim for an IKEA settlement. You’ll also find tips on how to save money on gas and a list of some store brands that are better than name brands. I also included in my newsletter what I posted about Thursday: You have to ask at Office Depot to get the online price if it’s cheaper. Although I only saved $3, imagine the millions that Office Depot makes every day by having this price difference... Continue Reading

Earth Day is a good reminder of what to do every day and throughout the year for the health of the planet. I spend a lot of time on it. I know many people do, too. The theme for this year’s Earth Day is Invest in Our Planet. What Americans are doing for planet health Three-quarters of Americans say that they’re particularly concerned with helping the environment as they go about their daily lives, while 24 percent say they aren’t particularly concerned, according to a Pew Research Center survey. However, only one-in-five say they try to live in ways that help the environment “all the... Continue Reading

My best wishes to you and your loved ones for 2023. On New Years eve, I wrote about the top consumer and personal finance stories of 2022. Inflation and higher interest rates topped the list, and I predict that those two issues will continue to confront consumers throughout the new year. My recommendations include: be sure you have an adequate emergency fund; make a budget or review yours to make sure that your expenses aren’t creeping up; cancel subscriptions you don’t use; increase your retirement plan contributions, if you can; keep steady with your investments even if the market continues... Continue Reading

Michelle Singletary, financial writer for The Washington Post, has been recommending buying Series I Bonds for months now. Singletary says for investors with money to spare and who are looking for safety, inflation has been good for Series I Bonds, which the Treasury Department announced will be paying 9.62 percent until the end of October. So, I thought I’d try it. I was apprehensive because I’d read so much about how clunky the TreasuryDirect.gov website is. Buyers are advised to have all the needed information at hand when they set up an account: your Social Security number, bank... Continue Reading