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NEW YORK — Did you buy a new pink dress to watch the Barbie movie, only to never wear it again? An Oura ring because your favorite TikTok influencer had it? A new pair of baggy jeans because ’90s fashion is making a comeback? Niche trends fueled by social media can influence your shopping decisions. Participating often brings some happiness and a sense of community, but the problem comes when you do it so often that you’re not using your money to achieve your financial goals, or worse, you get into debt, said Erika Rasure, chief financial wellness adviser for Beyond Finance, a ...

What you need to know about annuities

Retirement researchers are often enthusiastic about annuities, but many consumers are reasonably skeptical. Here to discuss basic information about annuities and their pros and cons is Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: How do income annuities work, and how they are different from investing in something that pays out income like bonds? A: An annuity is a contract with an insurance company. In the most basic annuity type, income annuities, you give the insurance company a pool ...

Business briefs

MERIDIAN GROUNDBREAKING: Meridian HealthCare held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday to celebrate the launch of a $2 million expansion and renovation project at its Meridian Road campus. The project, partially funded by a $1 million state capital grant approved by the Ohio Controlling Board earlier this year, will add 3,000 square feet of new space and renovate the facility’s existing 26,094 square feet. This marks the fourth expansion at the Meridian Road campus in Youngstown. The expansion project will include a new on-site pharmacy, additional counseling offices and exam rooms to ...

Private equity firms see profits in power utilities

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Private investment firms that are helping finance America’s artificial intelligence race and the huge buildout of energy-hungry data centers are getting interested in the local utilities that deliver electricity to regular customers — and the servers that power AI. Billions of dollars from such firms are now flowing toward electric utilities in places including New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota that deliver power to more than 150 million customers across millions of miles of power lines. “The reason is very simple: because there’s a lot of money to ...

Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Telluride, a three-row SUV comparison

Suppose you’ve considered the Hyundai Palisade or Kia Telluride for your next three-row SUV. In that case, you probably know both models are nearly identical under the metal. Or rather, they were until recently. Redesigned for 2026 with new style, new engines and upgraded technology features, the second-generation Palisade refines an already impressive model that consistently finishes near the top of Edmunds’ annual SUV rankings. For now, Kia is standing pat with its Telluride. A redesign is coming, but so far Kia has not released any official details or a timetable. If you’re ...

State sees initial unemployment claims rise

Staff report The state witnessed a slight bump in initial unemployment claims while continued unemployment claims dropped, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday. Ohioans filed 4,482 initial unemployment claims last week, which was 126 more than the previous week. During the same period, Ohioans filed 41,353 continued unemployment claims, which was 800 fewer than the previous week. The total number of claims filed from Sept. 21 through Sept. 27 was 45,835. The state unemployment rate in August was 5%. The national unemployment rate in August was 4.3%. ...