Home / Lifestyles / Finances

Finances

Optimism over giving in 2024 despite economy

ministries giving

A recent survey found reason for optimism about faith-based giving in 2024. Despite ongoing economic challenges, donations to churches and ministries remain strong. That’s according to the Giving in Faith report from ...

Read More »

Senator: Why did Treasury Dept. monitor purchase of bibles?

treasury bibles

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) reportedly instructed banks to monitor Americans’ online transactions involving the purchase of Bibles and Christian books. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the ranking Republican ...

Read More »

Here’s the retailers closing more stores in 2024

aldi walmart retailers

The nation’s large brick-and-mortar retailers continue to suffer after thousands closed in 2023.  According to CBS News, major brands shuttered 4,600 locations last year and 2024 is not looking much better. Now, ...

Read More »

Google layoff mirrors other big tech companies

google layoff

Google is beginning the year with a massive layoff impacting a wide range of its business sectors. The effort to slash costs comes as META, the owner of Facebook also cuts positions. ...

Read More »

IRS begins sending collection letters

irs letters

The IRS this week is sending millions of Americans letters about delinquent taxes. In a recent statement, the federal tax agency said the automated letters and “collection notices” to people with tax ...

Read More »

Giving to ministries remains strong despite slight decline in 2022

ministries giving

Donations to Christian ministries declined last year for the first time in a decade, according to the annual State of Giving Report from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Cash giving declined ...

Read More »

Scams abound with gift cards this Christmas

Gift cards make convenient last-minute Christmas gifts. However, they also are attractive targets for scammers who want to steal money or personal information. According to the Better Business Bureau, 50 percent more people ...

Read More »

Why Mr. Beast’s humanitarian efforts actually work–and why his critics hate him

mr beast

James Stephen “Jimmy” Donaldson, better known by his professional moniker “Mr. Beast,” has made a name for himself — and hundreds of millions of dollars for humanitarian causes — by leveraging his ...

Read More »

Season of giving offers opportunities to help kids

season giving

This is the season of giving.  Most people, despite whatever financial struggle they find themselves in, dig a little deeper to support charities. One of the reasons is that they want to ...

Read More »

‘Tis the season for thieves: tips to deter porch pirates

porch pirates

The popularity of online shopping has soared since the start of the pandemic, and with it the prevalence of thieves better known as porch pirates. And it’s not just random people stealing ...

Read More »

On Giving Tuesday, U.S. Christians donate generously to charities

giving tuesday

As Americans share with others on this Giving Tuesday, Christians once again are among the most charitable people. “It won’t come as a surprise that people who are invested in their Christian ...

Read More »

Walmart, Aldi offering price relief for Thanksgiving, Christmas meals

aldi walmart retailers

Despite persistent inflation, there is a bit of good news for consumers as the holiday season approaches. Walmart and Aldi both announced they will reduce prices for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. The ...

Read More »

Amazon charged shoppers an extra $1 billion, says FTC

Amazon is using illegal strategies and an algorithm that netted it more than $1 billion reports Reuters. The revelation comes from a new court filing, released by the U.S. District Court in ...

Read More »

Verdict on broker fees rocks real estate industry

verdict fees

The National Association of Realtors, HomeServices of America and Keller Williams plan to appeal a jury’s verdict finding them guilty of colluding to inflate or maintain high commission rates and fees. The ...

Read More »

Christian banking institution, Crown Ministries partnering to provide stewardship education

crown

AdelFi, a Christian banking institution in California, is teaming up with Crown Financial Ministries to provide biblical stewardship information. The exclusive banking partnership with Crown enables AdelFi to offer customized courses on ...

Read More »

Likelihood of recession still uncertain, Southeast Missouri State economist says

economy inflation graph finances missouri recession

The jury is still out on whether Missouri and the nation will experience a recession in the coming year, said David Yaskewich, an economist at Southeast Missouri State University. “Right now, it ...

Read More »

California raises fast-food wage to $20 per hour

California $20

Fast-food workers in California will now make $20 per hour. According to ZipRecruiter, as of Sep 21, 2023, “the average hourly pay for an Entry Level Rn in California is $28.94 an ...

Read More »

JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon: U.S. unprepared for ‘worst case’

Simon

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is issuing a stark warning, stating many U.S. businesses and investors are unprepared for the possibility of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates to a staggering 7 percent. ...

Read More »

Republicans remain divided with days left to avert shutdown

As the deadline to fund the government and avert a shutdown draws near, House Republicans find themselves deeply divided, despite initial hopes of reaching a compromise. While the House of Representatives successfully ...

Read More »

Mortgage applications tumble to lowest levels in three decades

mortgage applications

As monthly mortgage payments reached a record high, mortgage applications fell to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. Redfin reports that mortgage payments have reached a near-record high due to over ...

Read More »

Teens fall for online scams more than their grandparents

teens scams churches app

The joke may be on teens who think they know more about tech than their folks. A new study finds supposedly tech-savvy teens are falling for online scams at a higher rate ...

Read More »

Backlash against Target continued through school shopping

target school

Sales at Target stores continue to drop even as back-to-school shopping should normally boost sales.  The controversial retailer’s sales tumbled significantly in the third quarter as many consumers rebelled against the LGBTQ-themed ...

Read More »

Investors must admit to ESG considerations under new Missouri rule

missouri investors esg

Financial advisers and institutions in Missouri must have clients sign disclosure forms when an investment option could rely on environment, social and governance scores or prioritize elements that may not yield maximum ...

Read More »

Eroding donor privacy unites right and left against states

The threat to donor privacy is continuing despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling two years ago that many thought had ended it once and for all. Proposals introduced in more than a ...

Read More »

Business bankruptcies highest in 13 years

bankruptcies

Corporate bankruptcies in the United States this spring, based on the latest reports, with the first five months of 2023 seeing the highest number of filings since 2010. Filings from Serta Bedding ...

Read More »
X
X