OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FINTECH SNARK TANK Daffy, a platform for charitable giving, announced the launch of its open APIs designed to make it easier to bring giving into financial budgeting and investing apps, as well as eCommerce sites and marketplaces. Integrating Daffy lets financial institutions and fintechs take advantage of…

Valero Energy has been named as a Top 10 dividend paying energy stock, according to Dividend Channel, which published its weekly ”DividendRank” report. The report noted that among energy companies, VLO shares displayed both attractive valuation metrics and strong profitability metrics. The report also cited the strong quarterly dividend history…

Gap Inc. stock (NYSE: GPS), a specialty retailer selling casual apparel, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Gap GPS , Old Navy, and Banana Republic brands, currently trades at $8 per share, around 78% below its level of $36 seen on May 17, 2021…

TD Bank’s No-Interest Credit Card: Niche Product or Trendsetter? TD Bank is offering a new credit card called TD Clear that charges exactly 0% on revolving balances. This is not a loss leader. Neither is this a charge card, like the traditional American Express Green Card, which requires monthly repayment…

Spousal benefits are probably the most misunderstood Social Security benefit. Ex-spousal benefits may seem even more convoluted. To keep things simple, ex-spousal benefits are basically the same as current spousal benefits with certain exceptions. There are two categories of divorced spouses. If you are divorced two years or less, your…

As the debt limit drama plays out, Americans might be wondering if there is a better way to prevent defaulting on U.S. debts and perhaps inducing a global recession or depression. President Joe Biden, along with many commentators, has speculated that a president can bypass Congress by using the 14th…

We all naturally wonder how we stack up against each other – are we the average height, weight, etc? Are we the average age to get married? When it comes to retirement, there are many questions to ponder – if you have the average amount of savings, or if you’ll…

A two-bedroom condo in famed architect Robert A.M. Stern’s celebrity-filled 15 Central Park West takes in panoramic views of the park. The apartment sits on the 27th floor of “the Tower” of the two-building complex, overlooking the iconic green space and the Manhattan skyline that borders it. The building was…

Mortgage rates increased for the third week in a row amid signs of a strong labor market and hints that the Federal Reserve may initiate another rate hike, according to the latest data from Freddie Mac. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate increased to 6.79% for the week ending June…

The government froze federal student loan payments for over three years, but they could resume within a matter of months now that Congress is on the verge of passing the bipartisan debt ceiling deal.  Under the compromise reached by President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy this past weekend, federal…