(Reuters) – New orders for U.S.-made goods rose for a second straight month in April, boosted largely by defense spending, but the overall manufacturing industry continued to struggle under the weight of higher interest rates. Factory orders increased 0.4% after a 0.6% gain in March, the Commerce Department said on…

Insurance companies have slightly lagged the market but rising interest rates bolster income. A s investors adjust to a new market era of higher interest rates, insurance companies slightly lagged the broader market in the last 12 months. The S&P Insurance Select Industry Index has lost nearly 1% in the…

As technology has improved over time, so have financial services. Embedded finance – financial services provided via non-financial platforms or apps – is another iteration of this journey, and it is playing out in real time throughout Asia’s financial ecosystem. Profitable opportunities abound for those able to capitalize on this…

Luxury vehicle maker JLR reported impressive numbers in its latest financial report after a few rocky years and some experts reckon sunlit uplands beckon. Some, but not all. Plans for the Jaguar brand are questioned, looming electrification will pose hurdles, while the lack of a Defender pick-up truck in the…

I’ve never been quite sure whether the phrase, “May you live in interesting times” is meant as a blessing or a curse. Regardless of your point of view, the first half of 2023 has been interesting, to say the least. Just after Memorial Day, we saw bankruptcy filings by Diebold…

As a former corporate employee turned entrepreneur and investor, one habit helped me beat burnout despite a demanding career: a consistent monthly budgeting routine. According to a study of women in the workforce by McKinsey & Company, 43% of women leaders are burned out, compared to only 31% of men…

Several years ago, a Cambridge study suggested auto-enrollment alone would not solve the dilemma of too few younger employees saving enough for retirement. More recently, the Society for Human Resource Management’s 2020 Employee Benefits report concluded, “51 percent of respondents automatically enroll new or existing employees into a 401(k)-type plan,…

This opinion piece puts the transferability component of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA, P.L. 117-169) energy tax credit changes into historical context. A musical accompaniment is necessary to properly set the stage. Since readers probably shouldn’t play YouTube clips at work, we’ll have to rely on memories here. It’s 1924,…

Outfits that manage people’s retirement funds, such as State Street, Northern Trust and Fidelity, are supposed to strive to get the best possible returns for their clients. That’s the law. Yet, shockingly, the majority of the largest money management firms are ignoring their fiduciary responsibilities by letting politics, not sound…

Legendary British rock star Rod Stewart is saying goodbye to his sprawling Los Angeles mansion. Listed for a whopping $70 million, the estate is located in the prestigious gated enclave of North Beverly Park, known as one of the most expensive communities in the city. The estate was custom-built for…