Author: Anthony M. Orbison

(Reuters) -The top U.S. watchdog agency for consumer finance on Monday accused Rocket Homes, a unit of Rocket Companies, and The Jason Mitchell Group of real estate brokerages of an illegal kickback scheme to steer mortgage applications back to Rocket. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rocket Homes, one of the largest mortgage lenders in the United States, plied the real estate brokerages with referrals and other inducements so that the brokers and agents would steer real estate settlement business back to a Rocket affiliate. Jason Mitchell allegedly offered “dog bone” awards of $250 gift cards to agents making…

Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s largest cryptocurrency, was once considered a scam. The asset was previously condemned by global leaders and prominent personalities. However, the growth of the king coin has changed the perspectives of many. As Bitcoin began its rally and surged beyond the $100,000 mark, several started embracing the asset. Currently, an array of nations hold notable chunks of the king coin. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was seen making headlines as its holdings came to light.Also Read: Russia’s 10+ Nuclear Plans to Bypass Tariffs: Will It Accelerate De-Dollarization?Diving Into The UAE’s Bitcoin HoldingsSource: Watcher GuruAccording to reports, the…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.France’s new prime minister François Bayrou has selected Eric Lombard, head of state-backed financial group Caisse des Dépôts, as finance minister, handing him the key role of trying to enact a budget for next year.Lombard will be tasked with coming up with a tax and spending plan for 2025 that can be approved by France’s raucous hung parliament, while also starting to repair’s the country’s degraded public finances.Bayrou’s predecessor, Michel Barnier, was ousted by the national assembly in a vote of no…

When you book a cruise, you will have to pay port fees for every port the ship visits, whether you intend to get off the ship or not. These range from a few dollars to the whopping $42 per passenger fee that’s scheduled to be added for Mexican ports. That tax, which the cruise lines heavily oppose, was supposed to be implemented in January. Related: Royal Caribbean makes key decision on Labadee, Haiti portIn most cases, cruise ports work with the cruise lines when it comes to implementing fees. It’s quite common for an increase in fees to be negotiated…

Ethereum’s funding rate signals a potential rebound for ETH. ETH has declined by 16.48% over the past 7 days. Since hitting $4109, Ethereum [ETH] has experienced strong downward pressure. As such, over the past week, the altcoin has declined to a low of $3095 dropping by 16.48%. Despite the recent dip, Ethereum seems positioned for a comeback to $3,300. This is because Ethereum’s funding rate has cooled since facing two rejections at $4k. Ethereum’s Futures market cools after $4k rejection According to Cryptoquant, Ethereum’s failure to reclaim the $4k resistance resulted in massive liquidations in the futures markets. Source: Cryptoquant…

BMO Alto and Synchrony Bank are both popular online banks known for their no-fee models and competitive interest rates. So, is one better than the other? Let’s take a closer look at how BMO Alto and Synchrony’s banking products compare so you can decide if one is the right fit for your needs. This embedded content is not available in your region. BMO Alto is the online banking arm of BMO Bank N.A., which is part of the Bank of Montreal. Launched in 2023, BMO Alto focuses on providing high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) with competitive interest…

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -U.S. chip design software company Synopsys (NASDAQ:) is set to win conditional EU antitrust approval for its $35 billion buy of Ansys (NASDAQ:), people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday. The biggest technology sector deal since Broadcom (NASDAQ:)’s $69 billion purchase of software maker VMware (NYSE:) a year ago, it also marks the first Big Tech merger under new EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera. To address EU competition concerns, Synopsys this month offered to sell its optical design tool maker Optical Solutions Group as well as Ansys PowerArtist, other sources have…

Prominent meme coin Shiba Inu (SHIB) has garnered immense popularity after it turned the fortune of several investors. During its early days, the asset managed to create millionaires and billionaires. Since its debut in 2020, the asset has grown by 1596625.49% up until now. While this growth was seen in the past, the asset could still have the potential to reach better heights. But can the meme coin surge enough for an investor to retire?Also Read: De-Dollarization To End: Russia US Meet To Rekindle New Reforms?Shiba Inu’s (SHIB) Current Market SituationSource: Token MetricsAt press time, Shiba Inu was trading at…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the worldMatt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s former pick for US attorney-general, was accused by the House ethics committee of having sex with an underaged girl, paying women for sex and using illegal drugs in an explosive report published on Monday.The panel found “substantial evidence” that the former Republican congressman had violated not only House rules, but also state and federal laws. “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape,…

Target (TGT) has had a rough time attracting shoppers into its stores all year. After facing a boycott from consumers last year for marketing its pride collection to children, Target’s sales have tumbled for several financial quarters, especially during a time when inflation and higher costs of living has been putting extra strain on consumers’ wallets.💰💸 Don’t miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet’s FREE Daily newsletter 💰💸Target recently faced a small increase in sales. In its third-quarter earnings report for 2024, its comparable sales only rose by a mild 0.3% year-over-year. However, the amount of money that customers spent…