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Covid relief bill will make health insurance more affordable for millions

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If getting health insurance through a public exchange has been too pricey for you, that could soon change.

The $1.9 trillion Covid stimulus package that’s expected to clear the House of Representatives on Friday includes several provisions that aim to make health care more affordable for households. They include: increasing premium subsidies (technically tax credits) through the federal marketplace and state exchanges for 2021 and 2022, expanding who qualifies for them and forgiving amounts due by taxpayers who received too much in subsidies in 2020 (and minimizing that issue for 2021).

While various parts

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Posted On : Published By : Mark Jensen
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8 Insurance Products You May Not Need

These days, it seems like every other television commercial is for yet another insurance product. While consumer choice can be a good thing, not all insurance is as essential as the ads make it seem. “There’s a lot of sales and marketing based on fear that especially targets retirees,” says Jonathan Howard, a certified financial planner with SeaCure Advisors in Lexington, Ky., as well as a former insurance salesman. “People end up buying because they’re terrified of a loss rather than to cover an actual insurance need.”

Although Howard believes insurance plays an important role in anyone’s financial plan, some

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Posted On : Published By : Mark Jensen
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AT&T spins off U.S. video business via deal with TPG

AT&T is spinning off three of its video services, including its satellite TV brand DirecTV, to create a new standalone video company called New DIRECTV.

Details: The company will be jointly owned by AT&T and private-equity giant TPG. AT&T will retain a 70{98cae0078f524eff3ab8ec32cf55b261677ef6c8a6ed6e94d92a4234b93f46b6} stake and TPG will own 30{98cae0078f524eff3ab8ec32cf55b261677ef6c8a6ed6e94d92a4234b93f46b6} of the firm.

  • The new company will also include AT&T’s digital skinny bundle service “AT&T TV” and its internet-based TV service “U-Verse.”
  • The business will be operated as a standalone and is expected to be removed from AT&T’s corporate financial statements, according to a statement announcing the deal.
  • New DIRECTV will
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Posted On : Published By : Mark Jensen
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As business travel falls, Airbnb sees opportunity in remote work travel

While business travel has been one casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, Airbnb plans to capitalize on the newfound work-life balance that emerged during the shift to remote work.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told CNBC’s Jim Cramer Thursday that the home rental company is seeing signs that consumers are leveraging the work-from-anywhere model that companies are adopting to get out of the home and find a change of scenery.

“The lines between traveling and living are starting to blur together,” he said in a “Mad Money” interview.

As opposed to just renting Airbnb sites for vacations, more people are using rentals

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Posted On : Published By : Mark Jensen
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Crayon-eating Marine launches edible crayon business

While finishing up a work project, Marine-veteran-turned-carpenter Frank Manteau decided to employ the use of a popular piece of Marine-issued gear: crayons. Switching from one color to another, he absentmindedly stuck one waxy stick in his mouth for safe keeping and continued scribbling. Before he knew it, he was doing what Marines do best: nomming on crayons.

When he finally realized the stereotype he was fulfilling, his next thought was, “Is there something to this?”

And thus, “Crayons Ready-to-Eat” was born.

(Courtesy of Frank Manteau)

“I know I’ve eaten crayons before when I was a kid, and now

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Posted On : Published By : Mark Jensen
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Ted Cruz speaking at CPAC on cancel culture while Biden is in Texas

President Joe Biden heads to Texas on Friday to tour some of the areas hit hardest by the winter storm last week. While he’s there, he won’t be meeting with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

Cruz has a speaking engagement that day at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida. He’s set to give a speech titled “Bill of Rights, Liberty, and Cancel Culture.” Cancel culture appears to be a major theme of the conference, called “America Uncanceled.”

Though senators typically travel with the president when he visits their state, limited space on Air Force One made it

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Posted On : Published By : Mark Jensen