Sunday evening, Fed Chair Powell said the Fed had been served grand jury subpoenas from the Justice Department late last Friday, threatening a criminal indictment related to his June congressional testimony on ongoing renovations of the Fed's headquarters. Powell said, "The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than the preferences of the president."Also, credit card companies and bank stoc ...

President Trump attacked not only Fed Chair Powell in recent months, but over the weekend, he took verbal aim at credit card companies. The POTUS floated the idea of capping credit card interest rates at 10% , which, if made law, would significantlyFreelance Financial Writer | Investments | Markets | Personal Finance | RetirementI create written content used in various formats including articles, blogs, emails, and social media for financial advisors and investment firms in a cost-efficient way. My passion ...

President Trump attacked not only Fed Chair Powell in recent months, but over the weekend, he took verbal aim at credit card companies. The POTUS floated the idea of capping credit card interest rates at 10% , which, if made law, would significantlyFreelance Financial Writer | Investments | Markets | Personal Finance | RetirementI create written content used in various formats including articles, blogs, emails, and social media for financial advisors and investment firms in a cost-efficient way. My passion ...

Core Viewpoint - American Express is experiencing a decline in stock price following President Donald Trump's announcement of a proposed one-year freeze on credit card interest rates, which includes a 10% cap starting January 20th [1] Company Impact - The proposed interest rate cap could significantly affect American Express's revenue model, as lower interest rates may lead to reduced income from interest on credit card balances [1] Industry Implications - The freeze on credit card interest rates may set a precedent for other financial institutions, potentially leading to broader changes in the credit card industry [1] - This regulatory move could impact consumer behavior, as lower interest rates might encourage more spending on credit cards, affecting overall credit market dynamics [1]

The market’s focus this week will be on economic news and any fresh news on the Federal Reserve. On Tuesday, Dec CPI is expected to remain unchanged from Nov at +2.7% y/y and Dec core CPI is expected to edge higher to +2.7% y/y from +2.6% y/y in Nov. Also, Oct new home sales are expected to fall -10.6% m/m to 715,000. On Wednesday, Nov PPI final demand is expected to increase +2.7% y/y, and Nov core PPI is also expected to climb by +2.7% y/y. Also, Nov retail sales are expected to have increased +0.5% m/m a ...

The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% from its all-time high as U.S. stocks drifted through mixed morning trading, while prices for gold and other investments that tend to do well when investors are nervous rose. The value of the U.S. dollar also dipped against the euro and other currencies amid concerns that the Fed may have less independence in setting The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 179 points, or 0.4%, as of 10 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was nearly unchanged.Some of the market's sha ...

Market focus this week will be on economic news and any fresh news on the Federal Reserve. On Tuesday, Dec CPI is expected to remain unchanged from Nov at +2.7% y/y and Dec core CPI is expected to edge higher to +2.7% y/y from +2.6% y/y in Nov. Also, Oct new home sales are expected to fall -10.6% m/m to 715,000. On Wednesday, Nov PPI final demand is expected to increase +2.7% y/y, and Nov core PPI is also expected to climb by +2.7% y/y. Also, Nov retail sales are expected to have increased +0.5% m/m and +0. ...

(L-R) Wells Fargo CEO and President Charles Scharf, Brian Bank of America Chairman and CEO Thomas Moynihan, JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, State Street CEO Ronald OÕHanley, BNY Mellon CEO Robin Vince, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman, testify during a Wall Street oversight hearing by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, December 6, 2023.Bank executives were sent scrambling over ...

Core Viewpoint - Billionaire investor Bill Ackman raised concerns about credit card rewards programs, arguing that the current structure unfairly forces low-income consumers to subsidize benefits for wealthy cardholders [1] Group 1: Rewards Programs Structure - Points and rewards programs function as rebates on purchases, funded through merchant discount fees, which range from approximately 1.5% for basic cards to 3.5% or higher for premium cards [2] - Retailers charge uniform prices regardless of payment method, leading consumers without rewards cards to effectively pay an extra 2% premium to cover benefits for premium cardholders [3] Group 2: Broader Credit Card Reform Debate - The comments come amid a broader debate on credit card reform, including President Donald Trump's proposal for a 10% credit card interest rate cap, which has faced criticism from various political figures [4] - Ackman highlighted a structural issue in consumer finance where millions of lower-income consumers subsidize affluent cardholders through higher merchant fees embedded in retail prices [4] Group 3: Major Card Issuers - Major card issuers, including Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc., operate tiered reward systems that contribute to the issues raised by Ackman [5]

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has chosen JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) as the new issuer of the Apple Card, ending Goldman Sachs' (NYSE:GS) role in a move that significantly reshapes the consumer finance ambitions of all three companies. JPMorgan Chase Takes Over Apple Card From Goldman Sachs On Wednesday, JPMorgan Chase announced that it has reached an agreement with Apple to become the new issuer of the Apple Card, replacing Goldman Sachs. The deal expands the largest U.S. bank's already massive credit card busi ...