Economy
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Lower-priced new cars are gaining popularity, and not just for cash-poor buyers
Oct 22, 2024 7:41 am - Across the industry, auto analysts say, an “affordability shift” is taking root. The trend is being led by people who feel they can no longer afford a new vehicle that would cost them roughly today’s average selling price of more than $47,000 — a jump of more than 20% from the pre-pandemic average.
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How ‘millionaire’s tax’ ballot question hides a business tax hikeOct 20, 2024 6:02 am - The proposed tax promises property tax relief by hitting millionaires. But “millionaires” in Illinois more often than not are entrepreneurs, S-corps, partnerships, LLCs, farmers and sole proprietors.
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Wealthier Americans are driving retail spending and powering US economy
Oct 18, 2024 7:09 am - It’s a trend that has surprised many: Why, despite being squeezed by high prices, have Americans kept spending at retail stores and restaurants at a robust pace?
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Chocolate is on its way out. Why Halloween is about gummy candy now.
Oct 17, 2024 12:00 pm - High cocoa prices, combined with a growing preference among Millennial and Gen Z consumers for chewy and sour treats, have prompted many confectionery giants to shift strategy this spooky season.
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Swing-state consumers hurt more than most in credit card squeeze
Oct 13, 2024 6:00 am - Household finances all over the U.S. are feeling the pressure of high borrowing costs, and swing-state voters rank among the harder hit. Credit card delinquencies are run...
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U.S. consumer sentiment slips in October on frustration over high prices
Oct 13, 2024 5:15 am - WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ outlook on the economy soured a bit this month after two months of small gains, according to the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment ...
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Wholesale inflation remained cool last month in latest sign that price pressures are slowing
Oct 13, 2024 4:00 am - WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale prices in the United States were unchanged last month in another sign that inflation is returning to something close to normal after years of ...
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Bacon hogs the spotlight in election debates, but reasons for its sizzling inflation are complex
Oct 10, 2024 3:53 pm - Prices for bacon are always volatile. Among other things, they're subject to weather, animal disease, feed costs, seasonal demand and, according to Harris and other critics, some price gouging by giant food conglomerates.
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US inflation reaches lowest point since February 2021, though some price pressures remain
Oct 10, 2024 8:29 am - Inflation in the United States dropped last month to its lowest point since it first began surging more than three years ago, adding to a spate of encouraging economic news in the closing weeks of the presidential race.
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Social Security’s scheduled cost of living increase ‘won’t make a dent’ for some retirees
Oct 09, 2024 12:02 pm - The Social Security Administration makes the official COLA announcement Thursday, and analysts predicted in advance it would be 2.5% for 2025.