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[ad_1] Zulily is running a sale on some of the Season’s Best Trending Items that have been popular this year. There are SO many unique gift ideas in this sale — and many of them are at really great prices! Choose from over 10 pages of clothing, toys, socks, stocking stuffers, home decor, purses, jewelry, accessories, and so many other items! Here are just a few deals I spotted that are super fun… Get this 5-Pack Set of Women’s Gray Floral Socks for just $15.99 (reg. $45)! There are many other styles of sock sets to choose from, too! This Gray Multicolor Slouch Beanie is just $12.99! Such a great gift idea for the bohemian person on your list! These Women’s Bow Accent Color Block Slippers are only $12.99 (reg. $104)! Choose from two collors. This Women’s Mountain Landscape Pullover is just $19.99 (reg. $34)! It’s SO pretty!! This Women’s Plaid Hooded Shacket is only $24.99! Choose from three colors. This Push Pop Bubble Crossbody Purse is $19.99! There are multiple other Push Pop gifts included in this sale, too. This Gray Pom-Pom Hooded Throw is just $19.99 (reg. $60)! These wearable throws are SO popular right now! Shipping starts at $5.99. But if you place one order today, the rest of your orders will ship for FREE through 11:59 p.m. PT tonight! Go here to shop the entire Season’s Trending Items Sale! [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Japan considers releasing oil reserves to curb prices -Kyodo [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] From a cement demand point of view, it should shape up well. On the cement prices, we believe that to some extent the industry would be able to pass on the extra cost, incurred due to high energy costs, to consumers. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] This week’s HW+ member spotlight features Brian Hale, founder, and CEO at Mortgage Advisory Partners (MAP). Hale recently launched MAP, his new consultancy business, to help mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers, banks, homebuilders and real estate agents improve their mortgage-related businesses. With over 40 years of mortgage experience, Hale has held C-suite positions for some of the top housing companies in the industry, including ClosingMark Financial Group, Stearns Lending, MetLife Home Loans, MetLife Bank, Countrywide, Wells Fargo and Fleet Mortgage. Below, Hale answers questions about the housing industry: HousingWire: To start off, what is your current favorite HW+ article? Brian Hale: “In a purchase market, rookie LOs may struggle,” by Maria Volkova because it points out how ill-prepared in so many ways some, if not many, companies are to make the shift to the purchase market. HousingWire: What has been one of your biggest learning opportunities? Brian Hale: Listening to my father regarding life and dealing with people and building relationships (the ability to quickly build rapport with people from the barroom to the boardroom), and having four great mentors in my life who seemed to fortuitously come along at exactly the right moment, took an interest in me and taught me so much. HousingWire: What has been the most useful tech tool for you? Brian Hale: My iPhone combined with OneDrive and OneNote to allow me to be virtually paper-free in dealing with, assisting, and communicating with clients from anywhere, at any time. To be honest, at my desk, I would say my Dell XPS laptop is my most useful tech tool which powers ten different peripherals and is the operations center of my business. HousingWire: Could you name a time where you felt successful in your job?  Brian Hale: When I was named to HousingWire’s original Vanguard Award list. HousingWire: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Brian Hale: There is a difference between authority and responsibility. You can delegate your authority endlessly downward and even occasionally upward, but you can never delegate an ounce of your responsibility. HousingWire: What are 2-3 trends that you are closely following? Brian Hale: How companies are preparing for 2022 with 50% of the volume compared to 2020 and predominantly purchase volume, demographics (millennials), post-Covid technology-enhanced work models, outsourcing and margin compression vs. costs. HousingWire: What keeps you up at night and why? Brian Hale: Where the next generation is coming from in our business. There is a lot of young talent in our industry, but not enough. There is no natural feeder into our business. Which one of you went to graduate school to become a mortgage banker? The MBA is doing a good job with its CMBA programs for people in the business, but it’s also not enough. The industry supporting the single largest consumer debt market in the world needs a greater outreach to universities to develop talent the way many other finance industries have done. In addition, every leader in our industry has an obligation to mentor and develop. HousingWire: What do you think will be the big themes for the housing market in 2022? Brian Hale: Purchase volume will be key. Volumes will likely be 50% of just two years earlier. We will not have wrung enough capacity out of the industry so many players will be struggling, margins will likely have improved from earlier this year but still be challenged. There is now and will continue to be a recruiting war for good talent, continued deployment of technology and outsourcing in search of lowering unit costs, reduced compensation models, a renewed regulatory challenged environment. HousingWire: If you could change or implement one piece of housing regulation, what would it be and why? Brian Hale: The originator compensation rules. I think the original intent of the rules when written in 2010 were honorable but like many regulations, they have been proven to be unfair, unbalanced and more often than not counter to the original desire to protect customers. I am not arguing for a return to the old days or “overage”. Those approaches were always foolish and often discriminatory in nature. Smart people should be able to get in a room and fix how certain groups are unfairly impacted or enhanced with the current rules and level the playing field while embracing the original goals. I would be glad to consult with anyone working on this issue pro bono. To become an HW+ member, click here. For more information on HW+ benefits, click here. To view past issues of our HW+ exclusive HousingWire Magazine, go here. The post HW+ Member Spotlight: Brian Hale appeared first on HousingWire. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The post How to Make Money on YouTube Without Making Videos appeared first on Millennial Money. YouTube is a source of entertainment for billions of people. But believe it or not, you can make money on YouTube without making videos. Since you’re reading this, there’s a strong chance that you aren’t excited about being on camera. The good news is that just about anyone can make money from YouTube — even the camera-shy. If you don’t want to be filmed or lack the time or expertise to make high-quality videos, you can still rake in profits from this social media platform. Editing content, posting other people’s content, and selling merchandise are just a few ways you can earn. Keep reading to learn the best ways to make money on YouTube without making videos.  Posting Work From Other Content Creators Start a blog Post alternative content Invest in Google shares Advertise with YouTube Ads Become a YouTube consultant Sign up for Nielsen Work for YouTube Buy a YouTube channel Sell merchandise Use affiliate marketing Join the YouTube partner program How to Set up a YouTube Channel  Ready to make money on YouTube without making videos? Here’s how to start. Setting up a YouTube channel is super easy, and you don’t have to submit an application. No doubt, this is one of the reasons why YouTube is so popular — it’s free for most users and content creators. All you need to do is register for a YouTube account (which will link to your Google account) and begin setting up your channel. 1. Plan your channel Before you do anything, spend some time thinking about what you want your channel to offer. Pick your area of focus To do this, start by determining the type of content you want to promote. To make sure your channel stands out, think about tackling a niche category to start. After all, you can always expand or pivot down the road.  For example, rather than posting general cooking tutorials, consider making a most shocking mukbang compilation. You may even want to drill down further and focus on the most shocking pizza mukbang moments. Yup, I just went there. Choose a name  Your channel’s name plays a huge role in its overall success. For the best results, pick a name that’s short, simple, catchy, and related to the topic that you’re focusing on.  The name you choose shouldn’t be vulgar. It should also be easy to spell and pronounce.  Remember that the name you select is part of your brand. It’s one of the first things that your audience will see when searching for content. As such, it has a significant impact on how your channel is received.  2. Create a YouTube account Once you square away the basic details, head over to YouTube and open an account.  YouTube brand vs. personal accounts At this point, you have to determine whether you want to open a personal or brand account. When you open a personal account, the channel appears as your Google account name. A personal account is generally for non-business use.  Opening a brand account gives you greater control and flexibility. You can choose a different name, mask your email address, and manage multiple channels from a single location.  If you aim to use YouTube as an income stream, you’ll almost certainly want a brand account. It doesn’t cost anything, and it offers lots of upside.  3. Upload videos  Now that you have a channel in place, you’re ready to start aggregating videos and publishing content.  Publishing on YouTube is pretty straightforward. First, you need to make sure YouTube supports your file type. To do this, click “create a video” and either upload the file directly or drag and drop it from a source location. Videos can be either public or private. For your purposes, you will almost certainly want to set all videos to public. Additionally, you need to set captions for SEO, add tags, and write succinct video descriptions so people can find your content on the search engine. Don’t forget about video thumbnails when you’re uploading content. Think about the images that you want potential viewers to see when they’re browsing YouTube. When you use an eye-catching thumbnail image, you increase the likelihood of attracting new viewers.  Think of it this way. Suppose you have the option to pick one of two different sandwiches. One sandwich looks fresh and well put together. The other looks so-so.  The vast majority of the time, people will go for the better-looking option. The same concept holds true with all things online marketing.  Out-of-the-Box Ways to Make Money on YouTube (Without Making Videos) As you can see, it’s possible to make money on YouTube by leveraging other content.  It takes a bit of work, but it’s still a lot easier than going through the process of getting on camera, editing, and producing content. With that in mind, there are many other ways to generate profits from YouTube without making videos. Here are some of the top approaches.  Posting Work From Other Content Creators  The easiest and most common way to make money on YouTube without making videos is to publish third-party content. For example, YouTube allows you to post video content from other video creators through a strategy known as aggregation.  In other words, you curate content instead of publishing original clips. As such, it’s no surprise that aggregating or curating content saves you a lot of time. It also helps to attract viewers that are interested in what you’re sharing. For example, the Movie Coverage YouTube channel aggregates movie trailers for viewers. At the time of writing, it has upwards of 1.03 million subscribers.   Types of third-party content you can post on YouTube Interested in aggregating content on YouTube? Here’s how you do it. Original videos  YouTube allows you to post full, original clips from third-party providers on your own channel. However, you have to obtain explicit permission from that party and properly attribute

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[ad_1] U.S. and Taiwan to hold second round of economic dialogue next week [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Strong global demand for smelter feedstock alumina works to the advantage of the majority government owned National Aluminium Company (NALCO) which is left with large export surpluses of the chemical after meeting its own requirements. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Each week, Cut the Crap Investing founder Dale Roberts shares financial headlines and offers context for Canadian investors.  What’s in store for retailers this holiday shopping season?  It appears the holiday shopping season might come early in 2021. Consumers—a.k.a. gift givers—have been warned that thanks to supply chain issues, store shelves could become bare sooner rather than later. Or at least you might have to wait weeks and months for certain items. Many are crossing off that shopping list as soon as possible, jumping ahead of the queue.  Economists predicted a very strong October for U.S. retail sales. We might expect the same behaviour and results in Canada as well.  CNBC quotes Barclays chief U.S. economist Michael Gapen: “The October retail sales report is one of the earliest data readings for fourth-quarter gross domestic product. Gapen expects the economy to expand by 5% in the fourth quarter, after the surprisingly slow 2% pace of the third quarter. “If the number is as expected, ‘what it tells us is whether there’s momentum that was restored at the end of the third quarter and heading into the fourth quarter, we’re in pretty good shape,’ Gapen said. ‘It would be another data point that confirms the soft patch story rather than the slowdown.’ ”  And the U.S. sales figures did not disappoint. From Reuters:  “Retail sales jumped 1.7% last month, the largest gain since March, after rising 0.8% in September. It was the third straight monthly advance and topped economists’ expectations for a 1.4% increase. Sales soared 16.3% year-on-year in October and are 21.4% above their pre-pandemic level.” Those buoyant retail figures—and consumers willing to open their wallets—might provide another tailwind for the stock markets. And, of course, consumer spending is a main driver of the economy. It’s an important sign of economic health. Here’s another clip from that same Reuters article:  “Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, rose at a tepid 1.7% rate last quarter. Economists at JPMorgan boosted their fourth-quarter GDP growth estimate to a 5% rate from a 4% pace. Goldman Sachs raised its estimate by 0.5 percentage point to a 5.0% rate. The economy grew at a 2% rate in the third quarter.” What has to be considered at the same time though is the sustainability of that spending and disposable income. Is the spending due more to employment gains and wages, or is it the level of government transfer payments and debt?  We are now in the handoff stage. Many consumers and businesses were supported by record-levels of government support during the pandemic—and some of that support is continuing. How sustainable and true is this economic growth, as the support system gets removed? This is a tricky economic balancing act.  For now, investors are smiling. Especially those who received an early present from retailers like Home Depot (HD) and Lowe’s (LOW).  At Home Depot, earnings increased 23% from the same period last year. Revenues increased 9.8% year-over-year. After the earnings release on Tuesday, November 16, 2020, the stock climbed almost 7% into Wednesday.  Lowe’s adjusted earnings—taking special debt conditions into account—increased 38% year-over year. Revenue increased 2.2%. Lowe’s stock price tacked on another 4.5% increase after the release of earnings. We hold a position in Lowe’s in one of my wife’s retirement accounts.  Retail bellwether stocks Target (TGT) and Walmart (WMT) also topped estimates.  And while retail does not have a strong representation in the core Canadian stock indices, you will find a very healthy group of Canadian retailers available for those who manage their own stock portfolios. That includes some defensive companies, such as the grocers, that operate with the benefit of those wide moats.  At Loblaws (L), profit increased 28% in the third quarter.  How to use bonds to fight inflation  While we often write about commodities and certain types of stocks as the best inflation-fighters for your portfolio, we can also look to fixed income for additional support.  We can use inflation-adjusted bonds. You’ll often see them called real return bond funds in Canada, or Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) in the U.S. market.  Those bonds will offer an inflation adjustment on top of the yield. And, the price of bonds and bond funds will fluctuate based on rate increases or declines.  That said, in Canada, the recent returns history does not match the theory for real return bonds. Our real return bonds have not performed as expected in response to rising inflation.  This week we saw inflation in Canada jump to an 18-year high!  Canada's inflation rate jumps to 18-year high. pic.twitter.com/jv2WJTPZGV — CutTheCrapInvesting (@67Dodge) November 17, 2021 The problem with the Canadian real return bond funds is that they have extensive exposure to many longer-term bonds that respond negatively—the price goes down with more enthusiasm as rates rise.  For those who want to go deep on the subject, here’s good reading from Canso Investment Counsel on Canada’s inflation history and the prospect for real return bonds.  TIPS in the U.S. typically have shorter durations, and they’ve offered a solid inflation hedge. Several Canadian ETF providers offer TIPS ETFs.  Mackenzie offers a U.S. TIPS Index ETF, which is Canadian-dollar hedged and trades as QTIP-NE. That’s on the NEO-Exchange. Compared to negative returns for real return bonds and core bond index funds, QTIP is performing well.  QTIP—love the ticker!—has a year-to-date gain of 6.0%. Up to the end of October, the two-year average annual return is 7.5%. The three-year average annual return is 7.6%.  While QTIP holds longer dated bonds, there is enough on the shorter end that allows the fund to be more responsive to near-term changes in inflation. The modified duration (think of that as the average duration) is 7.6 years.  BMO offers U.S. TIPS in the Canadian-dollar currency-hedged ETF, the BMO Short-Term TIPS Index ETF (ZTIP.F), and the BMO Short-Term TIPS Index ETF (ZTIP.U) for U.S.-dollar accounts.  The BMO TIPS offering focuses on shorter term bonds. They should be more responsible for near-term changes in

[ad_1] The post 13 Ways to Get Paid to Ride Your Bike appeared first on Millennial Money. Are you the type of person who prefers pedaling from point A to B? Thanks to the gig economy, you can now get paid for doing what you love. In this post, I cover the best ways to get paid to ride your bike. From delivery apps to bike taxis to being a bike cop — if there’s a way to make money bicycling, you’re going to learn about it below. Top Ways to Make Money With Your Bike Do food delivery with DoorDash or Uber Eats Work as a bike messenger with BikeMessenger 24 Rent your bike through Spinlister Operate a pedicab Start a YouTube channel for biking Launch a bike blog Advertise with Ridevert Host bike tours Become a bike patrol officer Fix bikes Flip bikes Teach a spin class Work in a bike shop 1. Do food delivery with DoorDash or Uber Eats Delivering food on your bike is tough work. But if you can swing it, you can save money on your transportation expenses because you won’t have to fill up your gas tank like most delivery drivers.  In many cities, it’s faster to get around on a bike versus a car. Add it all up, and it means more profits. It also keeps you in good shape. If you’re interested in delivering food on your bike, check out the following apps. DoorDash DoorDash is a popular restaurant delivery app that’s available in all fifty states. The site aggregates menus from local restaurants and lets customers purchase items from a single online dashboard.  DoorDash allows you to deliver via bike in most major urban markets. You’ll use the DoorDash Driver app, but make sure to activate Bicycle mode.  According to Glassdoor, you can make $22 to $23 per hour delivering DoorDash on a bike. And you’ll essentially be paid to exercise.  Uber Eats Uber Eats is one of DoorDash’s top competitors. Like DoorDash, Uber Eats allows bike delivery in many cities. The company also allows scooter deliveries in some areas.  Uber Eats bike couriers use the Uber Driver app. Check it out in the Google Play Store or App Store if you’re ready to roll. Uber Eats drivers earn around $19 to $20 per hour, according to Glassdoor. Postmates Postmates is a delivery service for food, household items, and office supplies from local businesses. Following a recent acquisition, Uber Technologies now owns Postmates. Similar to Uber Eats, you can bike for Postmates in select cities. 2. Work as a bike messenger with BikeMessenger 24 BikeMessenger 24 is an app that connects people and local businesses with bike couriers. The service is available in most major U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. A top feature of BikeMessenger 24 is that it doesn’t take any commissions. That’s because the app is a portal rather than an agency. It merely connects you with customers and enables you to negotiate rates.  While it might take a bit more backend work to find jobs on BikeMessenger 24, the lack of fees is a huge upside. 3. Rent your bike through Spinlister Spinlister is a bike-sharing service that lets you earn passive income by renting your bike to others. Additionally, you can rent surfboards and snowboards. The process is pretty straightforward. Sign up for Spinlister, include photos and a description of the item you want to rent, and set an hourly rate. The site recommends $7/hr, $20/day, or $100/week. But you can choose whatever price point you’re comfortable with.  Technically, you’re earning money when other people ride your bike. However, if you’re riding your bike to and from the drop-off point, you’re still getting paid to ride.   4. Operate a pedicab A pedicab is the same thing as a bike taxi. You can find them in most major cities with crowded tourist areas — and you’re not alone if you’ve taken one of these home after a long night out.   Being a pedicab driver is one of the most lucrative gigs on this list because you can negotiate your own rates and you usually get paid in cash.  For example, if you pedal two tired people back to their apartment at 2 a.m., they’re likely to tip you well — even if the ride took only a few minutes. That said, it’s not uncommon for strong-willed pedicab drivers to pull home a few hundred per night.  If you happen to live in the Big Apple, I recommend checking out New York Pedicab Services. For other cities, do a quick Google search for “pedicab license (insert city),” and you should be able to find the information you need to get started. 5. Start a YouTube channel for biking  YouTube is an excellent resource for cycling enthusiasts. If you’ve got a creative mindset, why not set up a channel, hit the open road, and film your adventures? You can then post the footage on YouTube and potentially make money from subscribers and advertisers.  Once you start to attract subscribers, you may be able to partner with brands and become an influencer — showcasing items like water bottles, helmets, and shoes. This is a great way to get free stuff and maybe some cash at the same time. In addition, you could make money by offering bike repair tips. Check out Seth’s Bike Hacks for inspiration.  Learn More: How Much Do YouTubers Make? (A Lot!) 6. Launch a bike blog  If you’re camera-shy or simply don’t want to go through the hassle of putting together videos, consider posting biking content on your own blog. For example, you might go on trips and offer trail reviews and demos on cycling gear. You can then link to bicycle products through Amazon Associates and earn a commission every time someone makes a purchase through your links. Another way to make money is by becoming a Competitive Cyclist affiliate. You can