Skimm'd while getting answers to our biggest money Qs

theSkimm50 West 23rd Street, Suite 5B; New York, NY, 10010, United States Update Profile

JANUARY 22, 2019

ARCHIVE

theSkimm
New Year Less Broke You

Skimm'd while getting answers to our biggest money Qs


  QUOTE OF THE DAY  

"We have had an overwhelming response" – A Pennsylvania police department asked for volunteers to get drunk and help with officer training. But you probably didn't need us to tell you how that turned out.

HOPPED OFF THE PLANE AT DAVOS

The Story

The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland starts today. Don't go back to sleep.

I'm up...but refresh my memory.

Every year, the world's elite (CEOs, world leaders, billionaires) jet off to the Swiss Alps and brag about how smart they all are. They also talk about issues like globalization, and how it affects the economy, the planet, jobs, and tech. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be there. So will Prince William, and biz leaders like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

What's the buzz this year?

China…as in whether the US and China can play nice on the world stage. The two largest economies have been in a trade war. And it's starting to take a hit on China's economy, which last year grew at its slowest pace since 1990. Cue: investors starting to sweat over how long this tension will last and the effect on the global economy. Trade talks are set to start up again next week.


The US…as in it's day 32 of the partial government shutdown. So President Trump had to decline his invite to tend to business at home. Here's the update on the shutdown: over the weekend, House Dems added $1 billion in border security funding in a spending bill to reopen the gov. Trump declined. Then he offered up another deal: three years of protection for Dreamers and people with temporary protected status, in exchange for $5.7 billion for the border wall. Dems declined. And...now you're all caught up.


The UK…as in Brexit is still a bloody mess. After UK parliament rejected PM Theresa May's deal, she had to come up with a plan B...in less than a week. Yesterday, she revealed the new plan to lawmakers. It looked a lot like the original one. Reminder: there's less than 10 weeks before Brexit goes into effect. We'll be here, keeping calm and carrying on.


The Fourth Industrial Revolution…as in some people think we're in the middle of one. It pretty much means that tech is changing the way we live, work, and interact, but it's not all rainbows and robotic unicorns. Unlike the last few Industrial Revolutions, companies, governments, and people might not be able to keep up with all these new changes. Expect this topic to come up.

theSkimm

Davos has long been a go-to networking event for the rich, powerful, and famous – and where they can talk policy and try to set agendas. But with geopolitical tensions and some key leaders sitting this one out, the tone is expected to be more somber this year.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What DC can't stop talking about…

Politics, because always. Here's the latest: yesterday, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) announced she's running for president in 2020. Harris – a first-term senator – made her announcement to coincide with Martin Luther King Jr Day. And with the same week 47 years ago that Shirley Chisholm announced her candidacy to be the first black woman to seek the nomination of a major party for prez. Harris joins seven other Democrats who are also eyeing the job. DC is also buzzing about BuzzFeed. Last week, it dropped a bombshell report that special counsel Robert Mueller has evidence that President Trump directed his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about an idea to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Lying to Congress is illegal, so the report had everyone talking. Then Mueller's team came out and rejected it – a rare move for them. BuzzFeed's been doubling down, saying its reporting is legit. But it's making people question the outlet's credibility. Speaking of things making waves, more is coming out about that viral encounter between a Native American man and high schoolers in MAGA hats. Turns out, the situation was more complicated than the initial video showed.


What to say when you feel victimized by personalized ads…

France knows le feeling. Yesterday, French regulators told Google to hand over about $57 million for violating GDPR – the strict data privacy rules the EU implemented last year. France says Google isn't being clear about how it collects and uses Europeans' data. It also accused the co of not properly getting consent to do things like show personalized ads. This is the first major penalty against a US company to come out of the new EU rules. Speaking of tech companies in the spotlight, WhatsApp. It's limiting the number of messages you can forward as a way to combat fake news. Last year, rumors spread on the platform and led to killings in India. Now, the co is limiting the number of times you can forward the same message from 20 down to five. It hopes this will slow down the spread of fake news and violence.


What to say when the same people keep getting promoted…

You again? The New England Patriots are heading to the Super Bowl for the third year in a row. And the ninth time with QB Tom Brady. Yes, Brady knows he has haters. No, he doesn't care. The Pats will be facing off against the Los Angeles Rams – who are making their first appearance in the Super Bowl in 17 years. And you'll be hearing about a controversial non-call that helped the Rams get there. The two will face off on Feb 3.


What to say when you have a million tabs open…

X...but how do I write it?

NEW YEAR LESS BROKE YOU

Investing. What like it's hard? Well not anymore. We Skimm'd some of the biggest things to know to grow your green:


- The investing terms and tips to know (think: ETFs, fiduciary, all the good ones)


- Financial planning for major life events (think: new raise, new living situation)


- Answers to your biggest money questions (think: never confuse a 401(k) and a Roth IRA again)


New Year, New...Less Broke You.

SKIMM'RS

Raise a glass to…Natalie H (MO) and Emily G (MO), who are getting their master's degrees this month. They did it while working at the same company...full-time. Because co-workers who get their master's together, stay together.


Cheers to…Ashley Mont (NJ), who had her first scientific paper published in a journal. And to Blayne W (PA), who is all self-taught when it comes to coding and web design. Oh, and just got a job in the field.


(Some) Birthdays...Catherine Levene (NY), Heather Hartnett (NY), Gordon Crawford (CA), CC Bernstein (NY), Aaron Kusch (CO), Carly Salczynski (TX), Christina Guanciale (OH), Grace Jemison (PA), Miranda Maier (KY), Dans Averbuch (AL), Daniela Suarez (MA), Scoops Karabach (MI), KK Phelan (IL), Nick Thompson (IN)


*Welcome to a new Skimm community section we're testing. Want to take it to the next level with us? Reach out here for a chance to be featured.