Special counsel Mueller investigating Jared Kushner's finances, Washington Post reports

Special counsel Robert Mueller is scrutinizing White House adviser Jared Kushner's "finances and business dealings" as part of the ongoing probe into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election, The Washington Post reported Thursday, citing unnamed officials familiar with the matter.

The financial dealings of other people tied to President Trump have also been examined by the FBI and federal prosecutors, the Post reported. Among them are former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and former adviser Carter Page.

The lawyer for Kushner, the president's son-in-law and close adviser, said there was nothing surprising about the Post's report.
"We do not know what this report refers to," attorney Jamie Gorelick said in a statement. "It would be standard practice for the Special Counsel to examine financial records to look for anything related to Russia.  Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about Russia-related matters.  He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry."

USA TODAY previously reported that the FBI was investigating Kushner for his contact with Russian officials, but there was no word at that time that his financial dealings were part of the probe.

Among those contacts was a meeting in December 2016 between Kushner, Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Russian banker Sergey Gorkov.

Gorkov is the chairman of Combativeness, which the Obama administration hit with sanctions in 2014 in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its support of separatists in Ukraine.

For More Information: William Cummings and David Jackson

james price aero financial | Stock market quotes Finance

Get real-time stock quotes & charts, financial news, currency conversions, or track your portfolio with Google Finance.

Rockford Finance Task Force meets

jim price aero financial

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) -- With a $6.5 million dollar deficit for 2018, the Rockford Finance Task Force is meeting for the first time to try to solve what many call a budget crisis.
SOURCE: MGN.

By the end of 2017, the city expects to be right on budget. However, getting to that point has required some adjustments. Although the city is on track on the expense side of the budget, they are about 3% under previous projections for revenue.

In 2009, a financial was created to solve a nearly $9 million budget deficit the city was facing. At today's meeting, the new finance task force reviewed the actions taken by the previous committee and their effectiveness.

The city's financial department also showed what will happen if the city continues doing the same thing they're doing now. Those projections show the gap between revenue and expenses continuing to grow.

"What I hope we can accomplish is by bringing all matters that we have to the table from all the difference perspectives - whether it be from the administration, whether it be from the Union, whether it be from the public - so then we can all hear each other's sides and try to come to a consensus on what's gonna work," says Rockford Water Plant Operator, Gary Cacciapaglia.

The previous committee only included members from management, and no city workers. Some members of the current task force believe that exclusion prohibited the task force from producing the most effective results possible.

The task force has yet to make a recommendation. Any recommendations they do make will be sent to City Council for approval.

For More Information: wifr.com

jim price aero financial | Investment Banking

To launch Bloomberg's newest set of features for Investment Bankers and Private Equity Professionals, Aggressive worked directly with Bloomberg's in-house creative team to concept and develop two spots which promote the powerful new tools available.

Combining live action scenes with stunning CG environments, Aggressive continues to evolve the Bloomberg visual aesthetic while telling the story of a never-ending monitor surface. The glistening reflective terminal screen changes shapes, seamlessly morphing from one environment to another while showcasing a brand new arsenal of investing tools. As seaports and cargo ships connect with data and analysis, we dive deeper, demonstrating the pure power that is the Bloomberg terminal. by james price aero financial

Jim Price Aero Financial | Finance Week for June 4 - 10

DIARY OF AUSTRALIAN FINANCE: Sunday, June 4 to Saturday, June 10.

SUNDAY, June 4

No items listed

MONDAY, June 5

Sydney - CoreLogic capital city house prices for the week just ended

Sydney 1130 AEST - Australian Bureau of Statistics business indicators for the March quarter

Sydney 1130 AEST - ANZ job advertisements series for May

TUESDAY, June 6

Sydney 1430 AEST - Reserve Bank of Australia board meeting and interest rate decision

Sydney 1130 AEST - ABS current account balance for the March quarter

Sydney - Thomson Reuters Australian Regulatory Summit

WEDNESDAY, June 7

Sydney 1130 AEST - ABS national accounts, including gross domestic product, for the March quarter

Perth - Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) mining conference

THURSDAY, June 8

Sydney 1130 AEST - ABS international trade in goods and services for May

Perth - AMEC mining conference

FRIDAY, June 9

Sydney 1130 AEST - ABS housing finance for April

SATURDAY, June 10

No items listed

For More Information: News

Finance Ireland to lend over €100m for commercial property deals

Finance Ireland, the country’s biggest non-bank lender, expects to provide more than €100 million in loans this year to finance commercial property transactions here.

The privately-owned company, led by former Permanent TSB chief executive Billy Kane, has revealed that it has financed more than 40 transactions since it entered the market in 2016, involving a combined €65 million in loans.

Ken Murnaghan, Finance Ireland’s managing director of commercial mortgages, told The Irish Times that its current run rate for lending was €10 million a month. “We’ve had a great first quarter of the year, and running at €10 million a month is a nice place to be.”

Mr Murnaghan said the Irish company had focused on lending to domestic borrowers at between €1 million and €5 million per transaction. This has been used to fund deals on income-producing assets with SME-sized tenants. This typically involves a small block of apartments, offices, retail or factories.

“It’s a targeted segment of the market. In this space we see that we’ve done more business than anyone else. We have our own money and our own balance sheet, and we make all of our decisions from this building.”

Urban areas

He said 85 per cent of the lending was used to support projects in urban areas (Greater Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick) and the balance in provincial centres.

Some 30 per cent was in both the residential buy-to-let space and retail, 25 per cent in office and other commercial, and 15 per cent in industrial.

Finance Ireland’s typical loan-to-value ratio is 75 per cent, with interest rates ranging from 6.5 to 8.5 per cent. The company is a regulated business, allowing it to lend to individuals as well as companies.

Mr Murnaghan launched Finance Ireland’s commercial mortgage division last year having previously held senior roles with both Ulster Bank and AIB. The company employs 10 staff in this area. 

For More Information :  Ciarán Hancock

Jim price aero financial - 7 features that hurt your home's value

If you own property, chances are you're constantly investing in new renovations to keep your home spiffy and fresh.

While you're most likely choosing restorations based on your personal preferences and tastes, you should always keep resale value in mind. You never know when your home is going to hit the market, and if you're hoping to sell your digs down the road, the money and effort you pour in now is going to come back around come bid time.

Unfortunately, some projects and renovations that you think are boosting curb appeal can actually trash your home's value.

Check out the gallery for 7 features that can cause property value to plummet:

https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2017/04/24/7-features-hurt-home-property-value/22053795/#slide=5002789#fullscreen 

For example, quirky, trendy features, like ornate lighting fixtures or black and white tiles, may depreciate in value over time and seem outdated in a few years.

And even though you love the color orange, an orange-painted bedroom will likely not sell as well as a cleaner, neutral wall would. A study by Zillow found homes with terracotta-colored living rooms sold for an average of $793 less than other homes. Instead, compromise with orange bedding, and stick to a more soothing hue on the walls, like cream or light blue.

Another tip? High-end gadgets and electronics can scare off potential buyers. Skip the over-the-top whirlpool tub, and opt for a simple stall with a state-of-the-art shower head. Your wallet will thank you down the road!

 For More Information:-  Aol.com

jim price aero financial - Global finance leaders find a more temperate Trump in Washington

Donald Trump took power in January pledging to overhaul a global order that he said cheated middle-class Americans with a promise to tear up trade agreements and impose tariffs on China and Mexico.

Some of Trump's policy advisers named allies like Germany and Japan as possible targets for economic retaliation.

Fast-forward almost 100 days into Trump's presidency and the world's most powerful finance officials, gathered in Washington for the International Monetary Fund spring meetings, have found an administration that is far from the disruptive force Trump promised.

Although Trump did act on his campaign promise to tear up a 12-nation Pacific trade pact that had been the cornerstone of President Barack Obama's Asian pivot, he has taken a much softer stance on other issues. He has refrained from pulling out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, did not carry out a pledge to label China a currency cheat, and his administration has signaled the United States may stay in the Paris climate accord.

Constraints being put on Trump by Congress and the courts on issues ranging from healthcare to immigration that would have filtered into the economy and the slow pace with which he is filling key administration jobs have played a role. And some foreign policy makers say they are still not sure who their counterparts are in the Trump administration.

But these policy makers said that important initial decisions have been far more centrist than might have been expected. The European Union's commissioner for economic and financial affairs, Pierre Moscovici, summed up a widely shared sentiment as he highlighted how two people at the top of Trump's economic team - Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council - have curbed the worst fears over the young U.S. presidency.

"We have the feeling that Mnuchin and Cohn are sensible people with whom we can discuss things, who are conscious of what an open economy requires," Moscovici told Reuters in an interview.

The European Union's view of a more pragmatic administration was shared by Mexico, which attracted some of Trump's greatest ire. Trump's threat to impose punitive tariffs on Mexican exports sent the peso currency tumbling, but it has since recovered.

Mexico's finance undersecretary, Vanessa Rubio Marquez, said discussions with the Trump administration so far have become "anchored" around a handful of issues "that Mexico would be able to deal with."

"There is still a lot of uncertainty," she said in a seminar on Wednesday. But "dialogue has been more structured, more constant."

"FREE TRADE WILL CONTINUE"

What Trump might mean for the U.S. and world economies has preoccupied central bankers, investors and analysts since the new president took office promising a virtual revolution in the way the United States relates to the rest of the world.

Though much about Trump's policies remain unformed as the administration approaches the 100-day mark, the more extreme risks - such as a trade war or a budget-busting fiscal program that unhinges inflation - seem to have receded.

"My belief is that a multilateral framework promoting free trade will continue. There won't be huge changes to that," Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda told reporters on Thursday.

In remarks on Thursday, Mnuchin said tax reform remained a priority as are other steps to boost U.S. growth. But he said the hope for faster growth would mean a stronger world economy, and that it was constructive to coordinate policies through international organizations like the Group of 20.

"This administration is willing to reach out and get ideas from the outside," Mnuchin told top-level bankers at a conference organized in parallel with the IMF meeting.

There are still risks. The Trump administration said on Thursday it would embark on a study of whether cheap steel imports from China and other countries were damaging national security. And there are still huge gaps in personnel at key bodies like Treasury and Commerce.

"Many of the top jobs are still vacant," said one European diplomat who was attending the IMF meetings and spoke on condition of anonymity.

For More Information:- Howard Schneider and Jan Strupczewski

North Financial services - Video Dailymotion

Jim Price Aero Financial - North Financial services - Video Dailymotion: How can having a trusted financial partner help you make better decisions?

Finance news you need to know today

HERE are eight things making news in business and finance today.

1. SYDNEY — The Australian stock market is set to open flat as brewing tension between the US and North Korea weighs on investor sentiment. At 0700 AEST on Tuesday the share price futures index was unchanged at 5,852.

2. SYDNEY — The Australian dollar is trading higher against its US counterpart, which has come under some pressure due to the geopolitical tensions over North Korea. At 0700 AEST on Tuesday, the Australian dollar was at 75.89 US cents, up from 74.81 cents on Thursday.

3. SEOUL/PYONGYANG — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence put North Korea on notice on Monday, warning that recent U.S. military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the resolve of President Donald Trump should not be tested.

4. PARIS — French centrist Emmanuel Macron is set to top the voting in the first round of France’s presidential election ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, and their leads over conservative Francois Fillon and leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon have widened, a poll showed on Monday.

5. BRASILIA — Brazilian President Michel Temer said on Monday some of his cabinet ministers are likely to resign after being placed under investigation in a massive corruption probe, as he seeks to draw a line under a scandal threatening his sweeping fiscal reforms.

6. SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix is on the verge of surpassing 100 million global subscribers, a testament to how much the video streaming service has changed the entertainment landscape since its debut a decade ago.

7. NEW YORK — Arconic said Monday that Klaus Kleinfeld has agreed to step down as CEO and chairman after the company’s board of directors discovered that he sent a letter to its largest shareholder without telling them.

8. MOSCOW — Alphabet Inc’s Google will open up its popular Android mobile operating system to rival search engines in Russia as part of a deal to settle a two-year dispute with Russian competition authorities. — Alphabet Inc’s Google will open up its popular Android mobile operating system to rival search engines in Russia as part of a deal to settle a two-year dispute with Russian competition authorities.

Finance news you need to know today

  HERE are five things making news in business and finance today.

 

1. SYDNEY — The Australian market looks set to open flat, mimicking international markets with investors heading for safer bets amid perceived greater geopolitical risks with increasing tension over Syria and North Korea. At 0700 AEST on Tuesday, the share price futures index was down two points, or 0.03 per cent, at 5,899.

 
2. SYDNEY — Meanwhile, the Australian dollar has crept just above 75 US cents, but remains vulnerable against a generally stronger greenback despite the US dollar index dropping 0.2 per cent on the day. The local currency was trading at 75.02 US cents at 0700 AEST on Tuesday, from 74.88 on Monday.

 
3. ROME — The new US administration of Donald Trump has scuppered efforts by the Group of Seven industrialized countries to reach a common stance on energy by asking for more time to work out its policies on climate change.

 
4. CHICAGO — Video of police officers dragging a passenger from an overbooked United Airlines flight is sparking uproar on social media.

 
5. NEW YORK — The New York Daily News and Pro Publica have won the Pulitzer Prize for public service journalism for coverage of police abuses that forced mostly poor minorities from their homes.

For More Information:- news.com

Richard Goldfarb MD Cholesterade segment - Video Dailymotion

Jim Price Aero Financial | Richard Goldfarb MD Cholesterade segment - Video Dailymotion: Cholesterade Featured on 'The American Health Journal'

New Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba will have to learn quickly

Economist Iraj Abedian says newly appointed Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba and is deputy will have to learn the ropes quickly.

“You’ve a minister and deputy minister who have zero experience in finance and a lot of unfortunate baggage in different capacities and positions.

“So there’s no doubt at all that they’ve a lot of learning to do, both from the financial point of view and from the fiscal management point of view

Econometrix economist Azar Jammine says the markets are not going to like the reshuffle.

“It was a purge of all those who were against Zuma, in favour of those who basically are going to be close to him and this relates to the finance ministry.”

The Presidency released a statement in the early hours of Friday morning announcing the adjustments affecting 20 people.

President Jacob Zuma says the changes bring some younger Members of Parliament and women into the national executive to benefit from their energy and experience.

On Thursday, the president called a meeting with the African National Congress (ANC)’s top six in the capital amidst speculations that he could be changing his Cabinet.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Peterson, Transport Minister Dipuo Peters, Public Service and Administration Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi and Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom have all been axed.

Ebrahim Fakir, who says the sudden changes at Treasury are cause for concern.

“We can’t be consistently having new people in portfolios which require a degree of stability over time. It doesn’t happen.”

Meanwhile, Dr Somadoda Fikeni says the reshuffle will not do the African National Congress (ANC)’s unity campaign any favours.

“It is likely to simply deepen divisions within the ANC alliance partnership and within the ANC itself and it might just make matters worse with the party heading to the policy conference.”

Economist Russel Lamberti says he cannot imagine a good outlook for the South African economy in the wake of the news of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his Deputy Mcebisi Jonas being fired.

Lamberti says South Africa may be in for a rough couple of weeks, with probabilities of the rand reacting the same way it did when former Minister Nhlanhla Nene was removed and even worse.

“The likelihood is that the foreign investment community, the local investment community are going to see it in a very bad light and it looks like we’re in for another rough ride. It looks like a repeat of December 2015 but this time maybe more rougher.”

INTEREST RATES

The rand is in free fall on the back of the Cabinet reshuffle and this could mean the interest rate may not be cut later this year as had been speculated.

Governor Lesetja Kganyago announced the repo rate will remain unchanged at 7%, leaving the prime lending rate at 10.5%.

He says although economic growth remains weak, the bank has adjusted its forecast upwards to 1.2% for 2017.

For More Information:- Mia Lindeque & Masego Rahlaga

Charles Schwab launches hybrid human-robo financial advice

A Charles Schwab office is shown in Los Angeles, California January 29, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brokerage Charles Schwab Corp on Tuesday launched a service that combines its automated investment management technology with human advisors, as financial institutions race to offer digital financial advice.

The service, called Schwab Intelligent Advisory, provides clients with a financial and investment plan, unlimited access to a human advisor via phone or video conference, and an investment portfolio of exchange-traded funds managed by computer algorithms.

The service, for clients with at least $25,000 to invest, includes an online platform that keeps track of financial goals and retirement plans, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement. It will charge a 0.28 percent fee on assets, with a quarterly maximum of $900.

The service comes less than two months after Betterment LLC, one of the first and largest online wealth managers known as rob-advisers, said it would offer two similar hybrid plans, with minimum investments of $100,000 and $250,000.

Betterment's move marked a surprising shift toward human advisors. Rob-advisers had focused on automation to capture lower net worth clients regarded as too expensive to service.

The sector prompted established financial institutions to launch similar services, raising concerns about whether small rob-advisers could survive the competition.

Large financial institutions can afford to charge less for rob-advice because they also offer the exchange-traded funds in their automated portfolios.

Schwab, which announced the hybrid service in December, has been one of the most aggressive established brokerages to fight back against rob-advisers. It launched its first rob-advice product two years ago and quickly added clients.

For More Information : - Anna Irrera

Duterte tax reform may be passed in first half finance official

MANILA – The first part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s tax reform package may be passed in Congress as early as the first half of this year, a finance official said.

This includes lower income taxes for the middle class, which will be offset by higher rates for the “ultra rich” and the removal of some value added tax exemptions.

“We plan to do this by simplifying our tax system, making it more progressive and making it more efficient,” finance undersecretary Bayani Agabin told ANC.

Agabin said the finance department uncovered some 100 VAT exemptions. “Every time you give exemptions, this gives rise to tax leakages. We are seeking to plug that,” he added.

Duterte is also seeking higher excise taxes on fuel and car purchases under the reform push.

“I do believe that passage of this reform will signal a very strong change, both the political will in our system as well as a signal that the economic team is trying to do the right thing relative to collections versus spending,” Philippine Stock Exchange president Hans Sicat said.

For More Information:- ABS-CBN News

The Buzzword Finance Loves and Hates

You’ve heard it at conferences, in meetings and maybe even bandied about at dinner parties. Ever since a wave of financial technology startups emerged after the 2008 subprime mortgage crack-up, "fintech" has become shorthand for a digital revolution that could sweep away antiquated banking practices. But its definition has become so elastic that it’s hard to know precisely what it is, let alone what it augurs for a global financial industry in dire need of innovation. Here’s a primer.
 

1. What, exactly, is fintech?

It’s a catch-all label applied to companies using the internet, mobile phones, cloud computing and open source software to make banking and investing more efficient. It’s divided into two spheres: consumer-facing companies that offer digital tools to improve the way individuals borrow, manage money and finance startups, and back-office ventures that help financial institutions streamline their operations behind the scenes.
 

2. Why all the buzz?

Fintech could reshape the financial industry and disrupt some of its biggest players. Already, peer-to-peer lenders use the web to match borrowers with investors, a model that’s shortened loan approvals to hours versus weeks at traditional banks. Online U.S. loan volume is expected to reach $120 billion by the end of the decade, up from $20 billion in 2015, according to Morgan Stanley. In investment management, giants such as BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. are using algorithms called "robo-advisers" to automatically adjust portfolios in accordance with a customer’s risk preferences. Some hedge funds are experimenting, with varying degrees of success, with artificial intelligence to make algorithms self-learning. In the capital markets, startups as well as stalwarts such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and the Bank of England are experimenting to see if blockchain, the freely available database that underpins the digital currency bitcoin, can replace existing methods of transmitting assets and currencies. Scores of institutions are also racing to use blockchain to simplify the way securities are traded, settled and recorded. All these endeavors fall under the fintech umbrella.
 

3. Who’s policing all this?

Watchdogs around the world have generally welcomed fintech because it promises to make financial transactions easier, cheaper and more transparent. Janet Yellen, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, has said blockchain technology could help improve the creaky global payments network, the system that links banks so they can move money around the world. Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, said fintech could fundamentally change how banks, companies and consumers manage credit, spending and saving. But regulators, he said, must also consider how these technologies might affect the financial system’s safety and soundness.
 

4. What threat could fintech pose?
While fintech companies offer an array of financial services -- online mortgages, auto loans and retirement accounts of all kinds -- the convenience may lure some consumers into commitments they don’t understand or can’t keep. Fintech could also supplant neighborhood brick-and-mortar banks, leaving low-income households without access to checking and savings accounts or credit cards. Some high-flying firms have also stumbled. In May 2016, LendingClub Corp., the San Francisco-based pioneer of peer-to-peer lending in the U.S., ousted Chief Executive Officer Renaud Laplanche in a corporate governance scandal. Its shares lost half their value in five trading days.
 

5. What are regulators doing so far?

They’re in the early stages of figuring out how to protect consumers and the financial system without stifling innovation. The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in December said it would begin issuing modified charters to fintech firms that would require them to follow some federal banking rules. Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority runs a "sandbox" program that works with early-stage startups to ensure they comply with regulations. Some fintech companies, meanwhile, are looking to limit regulatory scrutiny and expand their influence in Washington under President Donald Trump by forming and joining lobby groups.
 

6. Are investors betting on fintech?

Yes, big-time. Venture-capital firms plowed more than $17 billion into fintech startups globally in 2016, a sixfold jump from 2012. Last year, China overtook the U.S. as the top destination for fintech investment. Singapore alone has more than 100 fintech startups. Only a handful of ventures have gone public, so investors are anticipating a wave of share offerings and acquisitions as banks hunt for technology they can use and fintech startups mature.

For More Information:- Edward Robinson