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More than a third of Americans say their retirement savings are way off track – 7 ways to get your fund going

Business / Business News /

For many people, retirement is a major goal and represents a life milestone. Unfortunately, 35% of American workers feel significantly behind when it comes to their retirement savings, according to Bankrate’s 2024 Retirement Savings Survey.

The good news is it’s never too late to open a retirement account — or to boost your savings if ...Read more

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Michael Hiltzik: Black spatulas and mystery drones: Your guide to the unfounded panics of the season

Business / Business News /

The "silly season" of news coverage used to refer to the dog days of summer, when there was so little of importance happening that newspapers and cable channels filled the vacuum with fluff.

Not this year.

Starting in October and gaining intensity through the season, Americans have found themselves awash in panicky health and safety warnings ...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Lyft says San Francisco overcharged it $100 million in taxes, according to lawsuit

Business / Business News /

The ride-hailing company Lyft accused San Francisco of overcharging it $100 million in taxes over the last five years in a lawsuit filed last week.

Lyft, which is headquartered in the city, said in the complaint that the fees paid by riders to drivers are not part of the company's revenue and should not be taxed. The company considers its ...Read more

Kate Talerico/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Bay Area home sales are up 14% from last year, as once-reluctant buyers return to market

Business / Business News /

This fall, Risabh Kumar spent hours scanning home listings and touring open houses. He and his wife hoped there would be fewer homebuyers searching this time of year, especially with interest rates climbing back up again, but that hasn’t been the case.

“We’re trying to find a sweet spot and felt that, because interest rates are high, we ...Read more

Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

Universal pulls drones from 'CineSational' show

Business / Business News /

Universal Orlando has suspended the use of drones during “Universal CineSational,” its end-of-night show at Universal Studios theme park. The change comes on the heels of the Dec. 21 incident in which a 7-year-old boy was critically injured by a falling drone that was part of a show at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando.

“We have ...Read more

US continuing claims rise to highest in more than three years

Business / Business News /

Recurring applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose to the highest in more than three years, adding to signs that it is taking longer for out-of-work people to find a job.

Continuing applications, a proxy for the number of people receiving benefits, rose to 1.91 million in the week ended Dec. 14, according to Labor Department data ...Read more

Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Nantucket's economy would be crushed under NOAA proposed restrictions, fast ferry would be gone: UMass report

Business / Business News /

BOSTON — What would be the cost of trying to save whales from ship strikes?

Nearly $300 million and 1,500 jobs for the island of Nantucket, according to a new UMass report.

The proposed NOAA vessel speed restrictions would be devastating for Nantucket’s economy and would eliminate all fast-ferry services, the UMass Donahue Institute’s ...Read more

Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post/TNS

Colorado leads growing movement toward employee-owned businesses

Business / Business News /

Danielle Carre and her husband Brad started to think about exit strategies.

The couple sat on the verge of retirement, but first needed to figure out the future of their Western Slope solar company, Empowered Energy Solutions.

Carre thought back to college, when she read about worker cooperatives in Spain.

“In the back of our minds, we ...Read more

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Housing outlook for 2025: Stubborn mortgage rates, rebounding sales, and flat prices in most places

Business / Business News /

Home sales across the country should rebound in 2025 after two sluggish years. But buyers shouldn’t count on 30-year mortgage rates dipping much below 6%. And homeowners in many parts of the country will be lucky to capture price gains above 2% next year, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Realtor.com, however, has named ...Read more

Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Landlords beware: Rent-shamers are calling out overpriced listings online

Business / Business News /

LOS ANGELES — The Facebook post seemed straightforward enough, offering up a newly built ADU rental in Burbank. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,000 square feet. A private yard. Finishes “you wouldn’t find in any other ADU.”

The price? $4,500 per month.

“Dam, ya’ll need to chill out!! $4,500 for an ADU??”

“Let the rich become ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: How can we find our dream home?

Business / Business News /

Q: After several years of renting, we plan to purchase our first home in the new year. Do you have any advice on how we can find our dream home? —Joan

A: Buying your first home is an exciting but anxious time. Getting caught up in the process and ‘losing the forest for the trees’ is easy.

When starting the process, make a written list of...Read more

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Honda, Nissan deal may be key in fight against China's BYD

Business / Business News /

Honda Motor Co. absorbing Nissan Motor Co. could give the two struggling Japanese brands the scale they need to take on China’s BYD Co., sales figures released Wednesday show.

Honda, which earlier this week sketched out plans for a deal that amounts to an acquisition of Nissan, sold 3.43 million cars globally in the first 11 months of 2024. ...Read more

Scott Olson/Getty Images North America/TNS

Atlanta Teamster drivers end five-day strike against Amazon on Christmas Eve

Business / Business News /

Union organizers have called an end to a five-day strike against Amazon by about 100 Atlanta drivers who joined workers at hundreds of other locations around the country.

While the huge company did not acknowledge any impact and rejected calls for bargaining, labor leaders said the strike achieved the goal of raising public awareness about the ...Read more

Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

Rolling Starbucks strike grows to include workers at hundreds of shops

Business / Business News /

A rolling strike of Starbucks baristas has grown since kicking off Friday to include about 300 of the coffee giant's shops across the U.S., according to the union organizing the work stoppage.

The strike, set to end after Christmas Eve, seeks to pressure Starbucks during the busy holiday season to offer a better wage proposal over what would be...Read more

Jeremy Olson/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

As the workforce ages, dementia is a concern. Here are ways to help those affected

Business / Business News /

Families often discover during the holidays that loved ones are struggling with dementia and memory loss, and these cognitive issues are becoming yearlong concerns for employers, too, as they encounter an aging U.S. workforce.

The Alzheimer’s Association collaborated this year on its first report on dementia in the workforce, calling it a “...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

The war on wildfires is going high tech

Business / Business News /

Last December, a farmer was burning dry grapevines in his vineyard in Deir Mar Moussa, a hill town a dozen miles east of Beirut known for its 18th century monastery and stands of pine forest. Usually this would be dangerous, given that Lebanon’s hot and dry climate can quickly turn a spark into a conflagration.

But on this day the worst was ...Read more

Scott Olson/Getty Images North America/TNS

American Air says Christmas Eve delays caused by tech glitch

Business / Business News /

American Airlines Group Inc. said a technical vendor glitch was the cause of a brief groundstop on all U.S. flights on Christmas Eve, one of the busiest days of the holiday travel season.

The carrier said Tuesday the delay lasted about one hour, but the issue has been resolved and flights have resumed. It blamed an unspecified technology issue...Read more

Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Starbucks barista strike expands on fifth day of closures

Business / Business News /

A Starbucks Corp. barista strike has shut down about 170 cafes, according to the coffee chain, disrupting service at locations nationwide during the final days of the crucial holiday shopping season.

The union said it expects the number of stores impacted to hit 300, but it’s unclear if the group will hit that target by the end of Christmas ...Read more

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Starbucks baristas escalate strike on Christmas Eve

Business / Business News /

Workers at more than a dozen Chicago area Starbucks were on strike Christmas Eve, union organizers said, as baristas escalated a national walkout that began in three cities, including Chicago, on Friday.

Across the country, baristas at more than 300 cafes were striking, according to their union, Starbucks Workers United. The union had ...Read more

Robin Buckson, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS

Why automakers seek partnerships to reduce costs, advance tech faster

Business / Business News /

In the increasingly competitive automotive market, General Motors Co. and rival automakers have realized pairing up is not only beneficial but necessary for cost reduction and quicker technological advancement.

GM has long understood the benefits of partnerships. The Detroit automaker, for example, has a longstanding partnership with Japanese ...Read more