MONEY MASTER

  What’s Changing Capital Requirement : Minimum investment to rise  6x to ¥30m (US$203k)  from current  ¥5m . Employment : Must hire  at least 1 staff member . Eligibility Checks : Applicants to undergo  education & experience reviews . Business Plans : Mandatory vetting before approval. Permit Duration : Still up to  5 years . Context Program popularity has grown:  41k visa holders in 2024  vs.  27k in 2020 . Japan has sought to attract entrepreneurs but with  mixed success . Immigration agency says new rules will ensure  “appropriate acceptance”  and align with  international standards . Implementation : Expected  mid-October 2025 , pending public feedback. Implications Foreign Entrepreneurs : Higher barriers to entry — favors  serious, well-capitalized applicants . Startups/SMEs : Could discourage smaller-scale ventures, especially in services. Policy Signal : Balancing need for innovation with  ...

 Big Tech in Focus Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Qualcomm (QCOM), Ford (F), and Robinhood (HOOD)  are all set to report earnings after the market closes. Hershey (HSY)  and  Kraft Heinz (KHC)  will post their results before the opening bell. SoFi (SOFI) The fintech company announced a  $1.5 billion public stock offering . Shares dropped  7% premarket  after hitting a record high Tuesday, following better-than-expected earnings and raised guidance. Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) Shares  jumped 10% premarket  after the FDA allowed shipments of its gene-therapy drug  Elevidys  to resume. Starbucks (SBUX) Shares gained  4% premarket  despite missing earnings estimates. The coffee giant is  investing $500 million in staffing and ditching pickup-only stores  to combat slumping sales. Visa (V) The credit card company beat forecasts on strong consumer spending. Despite solid results, shares were down  nearly 2% p...

Strong Earnings Signal Consumer Resilience Visa (V) posted an  8% increase in quarterly profit  to  $5.3 billion , highlighting that  consumer spending remains healthy  despite lingering inflation concerns. Adjusted earnings came in at  $2.98 per share , beating Wall Street estimates of $2.85, while revenue surged  14% to $10.2 billion , also topping forecasts. Transaction Volumes Keep Climbing Global payments volume on Visa-branded cards rose  8% , with U.S. volumes up  7%  and international volumes climbing  10% . This growth underscores continued strength in both discretionary and everyday spending. For retail investors, these numbers show that Visa’s business model benefits directly from consumer activity regardless of economic uncertainty. Shares Dip After-Hours — Opportunity? Despite the earnings beat, Visa shares fell  2.6% in after-hours trading , likely due to profit per share coming in slightly below some estimates. H...

Visa Inc. has teamed up with Coinbase Global Inc. to allow customers with eligible Visa debit cards to make real-time deposits into their Coinbase accounts, marking a significant development in the crypto space. This partnership enables instant fund transfers for users in the US and the European Union , allowing customers to take advantage of 24/7 trading opportunities , according to a statement released on Tuesday. Eligible Visa debit card holders can now use their cards to purchase cryptocurrencies on Coinbase and cash out directly to their bank accounts, providing greater flexibility for crypto traders. The collaboration between Visa, which already powers the Coinbase debit card , and Coinbase aims to streamline the connection between traditional payment systems and the digital-asset sector . The crypto industry has historically faced difficulties in integrating with traditional banking due to concerns over market volatility and industry scandals. However, as crypto regul...

  Visa Inc. is collaborating with major UK banks to revamp how account-to-account payments are handled, as consumers continue to lose billions due to fraud and unauthorized transactions. The initiative, involving banks like Barclays, Lloyds, and HSBC, aims to introduce a new system providing consumers a formal process to dispute payments made via bank transfers. Key Points: Revamping Direct Debit Payments : Visa is focusing on enhancing direct debit payments, a popular automated payment method for bills and subscriptions. Despite its convenience, direct debit transactions have contributed to substantial losses from fraud, unauthorized renewals, and inflexible payment arrangements. Last year, UK consumers made about £3.70 trillion in payments using account-to-account technology. New Dispute Process : The proposed system by Visa will allow customers to formally dispute payments, aiming to improve the payment experience and reduce losses. Visa is already working with Pay.UK, the opera...