Big change in global growth is bullish for commodities: VanEck CEO

Investors should consider commodities due to a “big change” involving international expansion, according to VanEck CEO Jan van Eck. “The world economy started growing again,” van Eck told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week. He singles out China, the world’s second-largest economy behind the U.S., as a key driver in the expansion. “China which has been … Read more

Regional bank failures may be ahead, Fmr. FDIC Chair Sheila Bair warns

Regional bank earnings may expose critical weaknesses, according to Sheila Bair, former chair of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Their quarterly numbers begin hitting Wall Street this week. “I’m worried about a handful of them,” Bair told CNBC’s “Fast Money” on Tuesday. “I think some of them are still overly reliant on industry deposits, … Read more

What Social Security beneficiaries need to know about overpayment policies

Mstudioimages | E+ | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries who owe money to the Social Security Administration may see much lower default withholding rates from their monthly checks, thanks to new policies that are going into effect. As of March 25, the Social Security Administration no longer plans to collect 100% of a total monthly … Read more

Social Security commissioner vows to end benefit ‘clawback cruelty’

Former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-MD), President Biden’s nominee to be the next Commissioner of Social Security, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on November 02, 2023 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images Three months into his role as commissioner of the Social Security … Read more

U.S. funding bill blocks China from buying oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve

A measure in the U.S. funding legislation unveiled by congressional leaders on Sunday would block China from buying oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, or SPR. The desire for a hard line on China is one of the few truly bipartisan sentiments in the deeply divided U.S. Congress, and lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills … Read more

Many workers believe pensions are key to achieving the American Dream

A United Auto Workers union member holds a sign outside the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant to mark the beginning of contract negotiations in Sterling Heights, Michigan, on July 12, 2023. Rebecca Cook | Reuters Many Americans long for the days when companies guaranteed workers income in retirement. That includes Sara Schambers, a fourth-generation Ford … Read more

Fed sparks irrational market optimism on possible rate cuts: Sheila Bair

Market optimism over the potential for interest rate cuts next year is dangerously overdone, according to former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair. Bair, who ran the FDIC during the 2008 financial crisis, suggested Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was irresponsibly dovish at last week’s policy meeting by creating “irrational exuberance” among investors. “The focus still needs … Read more