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Key Takeaways The highest-grossing movie franchise of all time is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The top two highest-grossing franchises, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, are both owned by Disney. Four of the five highest-grossing franchises are based on either a series of comic books or a series of novels. Just like sports franchises,

Social Security fraud statistics can be difficult to pin down. Some are grouped inside a larger category that the Social Security Administration (SSA) calls “improper payments,” which includes everything from innocent mistakes to willful fraud. The SSA estimates that it made about $7.9 billion worth of improper payments during the 2019 fiscal year. Social Security-related

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulators voted unanimously to accept an agreement Thursday that ordered Credit Karma to pay $3 million to consumers for misleading them with promises of credit card “pre-approvals” despite knowing those guarantees weren’t real. The order mandates that the company cease from making such claims in the future and requires extra record

Rates on 30-year mortgages bolted dramatically higher Thursday. The flagship average is now a full third of a point above the 6% threshold, as well as within just a few points of the highest level seen since 2008. National averages of the lowest rates offered by more than 200 of the country’s top lenders, with

The U.S. economy added 315,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in August 2022, but the unemployment rate rose to 3.7% from 3.5% in July. Notable job gains were observed in professional and business services, healthcare, and retail trade. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast job growth of 300,000 in August, with the unemployment rate remaining at 3.5%.

When the global COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, the U.S. Department of Education made the bold move to pause payments on eligible federal student loans while fixing interest rates at 0%. In the meantime, all collections activity on federal student loans was brought to a halt, which proved crucial as millions of Americans lost

Travelers who utilize travel search engines and fare aggregators such as Kayak may well wonder, since Kayak’s services are free to consumers, how such companies make money. Companies like Booking Holdings (BKNG)—formerly known as Priceline, which acquired Kayak in 2013—bring in billions of dollars in annual revenue. Kayak earns money through advertisements, when it refers

Profit margins are perhaps one of the simplest and most widely used financial ratios in corporate finance. A company’s profit is calculated at three levels on its income statement, starting with the most basic—gross profit—and building up to the most comprehensive: net profit. Between these two lies operating profit. All three have corresponding profit margins

What Is Contribution Margin? The contribution margin can be stated on a gross or per-unit basis. It represents the incremental money generated for each product/unit sold after deducting the variable portion of the firm’s costs. The contribution margin is computed as the selling price per unit, minus the variable cost per unit. Also known as

What’s wrong with the American tax system? Depending on their perspectives, taxpayers complain about a wide range of features. However, a recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that a majority express a concern that the system is unfair. They believe that it often requires low- and middle-income individuals to pay taxes on a

Identifying as nonbinary, genderqueer, agender, or bigender doesn’t disqualify a person from getting life insurance. Still, one must apply as either male or female because despite widening awareness that not everyone identifies as one gender or the other, the underwriting process hasn’t changed to keep pace. Key Takeaways Being nonbinary doesn’t disqualify an applicant from

Semiconductor firms Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reported new U.S. export restrictions would limit sales to China, sending shares of both companies and other semiconductor stocks tumbling on Thursday. While AMD claimed the new rules would not have a material impact on its business, Nvidia expects the change could mean a loss of

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who’ve been laid off or furloughed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, your cash flow may have slowed to a trickle or stopped altogether. But the bills, of course, just keep on coming. It helps to have a plan to manage your finances until the crisis

The Biden administration nominated a team of “liberal and centrist economic advisers” to help him steer America’s recovery. Here are the administration’s top picks. Key Takeaways President Biden won the 2020 election and nominated former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to be his treasury secretary. Shalanda Young, current OMB acting director, has been nominated as

Dividends vs. Buybacks: An Overview Many companies reward their shareholders in two ways—by paying dividends or buying back shares. An increasing number of blue chips, or well-established companies, are doing both. Paying dividends and stock buybacks make a potent combination that can significantly boost shareholder returns. But which is better—stock buybacks or dividends? A dividend payment

Space exploration has long been an endeavor many argue should be public sector domain. Not only is space exploration expensive, the uncertain economic returns are anathema to profit-seeking companies. In addition, critics worry that private sector involvement in space will sully pure science and lead to unrestrained land-grabs that will be difficult to adjudicate in

As of late 2021, American students are on the hook for approximately $1.75 trillion in student loans, according to data compiled by the Education Data Initiative. 43.2 million student borrowers owe an average of $39,351, up significantly from past decades. With that much money on the line, it’s reasonable to be curious about who might

Labor unions are associations of workers formed to protect workers’ rights and advance their interests. Unions negotiate with employers through a process known as collective bargaining. The resulting union contract specifies workers’ pay, hours, benefits, and job health and safety policies. Thanks to the efforts of labor unions, workers have achieved higher wages, more reasonable

The Department of Energy, the 12th Cabinet-level department, was established in 1977 during the Carter administration. The department’s mission was to oversee the development and testing of the country’s nuclear weapons and coordinate the various, loosely organized energy programs established by the federal government. Today, the position also manages the nation’s energy infrastructure and funds scientific

Amazon (AMZN) is one of the most valuable companies in the world, with a market capitalization exceeding one trillion dollars. One-way AMZN has continued to grow is by introducing new products and acquiring complementary businesses. One such product is Amazon Prime. This membership service gives subscribers certain perks like free two-day shipping of products, access