Image Source: 123rf.com Social media is more than just selfies and memes—it’s a powerful force shaping how we shop. You might think you’re just browsing, but platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are constantly nudging you toward your next purchase. If you’ve ever added something to your cart after watching a 10-second video, you’re not alone. Here are nine surprising ways social media is shaping your spending habits—without you even realizing it. 1. Influencer Recommendations Feel Personal When influencers talk about products, it feels more like advice from a friend than a sales pitch. Their curated lifestyles and “honest” reviews…
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This post is part of a series sponsored by Expert Insured. Managing the entire insurance lifecycle can be a daunting task for MGAs and wholesalers, with processes spanning from underwriting to policy issuance and accounting. Expert Insured is a comprehensive agency management system developed with over 15 years of field experience and a recent refactor in .NET Core. Designed with scalability and configurability, it integrates AI-driven automation, robust rating tools, policy lifecycle management, and insurance-specific accounting into one powerful platform. This all-in-one solution empowers MGAs to maximize efficiency, minimize operational costs, and stay competitive. Leveraging Two Decades of Expertise Selectsys…
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raising the hands of Alyansa senatorial candidates in Tacloban rally. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Life goes on for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas as campaign resumes in Antipolo City, Rizal — marking the first sortie wherein his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, is officially dropped from the slate. During the campaign rally on Friday, President Marcos deviated from his usual battle cry of “Labing-dalawang Alyansa” — literally an alliance of twelve in English — and instead called on voters to pick “Alyansa all the way.” Article continues after this advertisement The…
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Among the thousands of layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week were many staff who handled public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images Teams that fulfilled requests for government documents lost their jobs on Tuesday as part of the Trump administration’s 10,000-person staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services. Their work, mandated by Congress since the 1960s under the Freedom of Information Act or FOIA, gives the public a view of the inner workings of federal health agencies. Some public…
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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled a cautious policy stance on Friday, hinting that slowing economic momentum is not yet enough to ease the Federal Reserve’s inflation concerns, as higher tariffs threaten to complicate the path toward price stability. Speaking at the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing conference, Powell said the economy is still “in a good place,” but acknowledged that growing uncertainty tied to trade and regulatory changes has raised the risk of both slower growth and rising inflation. Just minutes before Powell took the stage, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, urging the Fed chair…
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There’s no question that the recent market volatility, including the trillions lost in the stock market recently on the release of President Trump’s retaliatory tariffs, is difficult to stomach. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell almost 4%, the NASDAQ shed nearly 6%, and the S&P 500 index fell almost 5%. In a sea of red, the natural inclination is to take action. Our lizard brains tell us it’s fight or flight, not fight or flight or sit and get eaten by a lion. But in most cases, it’s not what you should do. We don’t abandon ship amid heavy swells.…
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The 2025 NFL Draft is still a few weeks away. But today could clarify how the first round unfolds. Decision makers from around the NFL will descend upon Boulder, Colorado today for the Colorado NFL Showcase, which features two of the more fascinating prospects in this year’s NFL Draft class. One of those players is CB/WR Travis Hunter Jr., who comes off a Heisman Trophy season and is already viewed as a consensus Top-Five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Then there is the player who threw Hunter so many passes over the past few seasons. After opting not to…
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Nimble, a CRM platform tailored to small businesses and marketing professionals, has introduced its new Email Marketing feature, enabling users to conduct large-scale, HTML-powered, and trackable email campaigns directly from within the platform. The feature, announced on April 3, 2025, is designed to support outreach efforts such as newsletters, webinars, and promotional messages. According to Nimble, the new capability helps users bypass the limitations of email platforms like Google and Microsoft, which typically restrict daily sends to around 500 emails per user. The Email Marketing feature allows users to send unlimited emails to segmented lists and manage campaigns reaching tens…
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Image Source: 123rf.com Should you rely only on social security benefits in retirement? The answer is probably no. Social security benefits should be seen as a supplement to income rather than the only source of income in retirement. The average benefit often covers only a portion of living expenses. Also, the program is facing long-term funding challenges, so if you haven’t collected yet, you may not receive benefits in the future. In addition, Social Security benefits most likely won’t be adjusted as inflation raises costs and makes healthcare more expensive. Paying into Social Security Social Security is collected through payroll…
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Since we largely avoid candy and other processed foods, I have to get creative and come up with other Easter basket ideas each year. As kids, my brother and I always looked forward to Easter, getting baskets with a chocolate bunny, and going on Easter egg hunts. Because of these special memories I work hard to make my kids’ baskets just as special (with less of the junky stuff). Our family focuses on giving experiences instead of material gifts, and I wanted to find ways to bring this into our holiday celebrations. Over the years I’ve found some unique ideas and…