MONEY MASTER

Vice President Kamala Harris is intensifying her outreach to Black men, proposing a series of initiatives aimed at improving economic security and increasing access to capital . With Donald Trump gaining support among Black voters, Harris has unveiled a plan centered around Black entrepreneurs , offering fully forgivable loans up to $20,000 for those facing barriers in accessing financing. Her plan aims to provide 1 million loans, helping Black business owners and others who have struggled to secure funding. Harris is also advocating for a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency , a key area of interest for the 20% of Black Americans who have owned or invested in digital assets. Additionally, she supports the legalization of recreational marijuana , with a focus on creating opportunities for Black men in the cannabis industry , both in terms of jobs and business ownership. The Democratic nominee’s proposal also includes expanding apprenticeship and job opportunities and increasi...

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) , led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz , are weighing new subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) as a key element of their economic strategy ahead of next year’s elections. The party is proposing a revival of purchase premiums for battery-powered cars , tax rebates for electric corporate vehicles , and EV quotas for leasing providers , according to a strategy document viewed by Bloomberg. The move comes as Germany’s auto industry faces challenges adapting to the transition toward EVs, particularly as demand weakens and competition intensifies from more affordable Chinese brands like BYD Co. . The removal of state subsidies for EV purchases in Germany and other EU countries has contributed to a downturn, with Volkswagen’s EV sales dropping 12% in Europe last quarter. Germany’s automakers, including BMW AG , Mercedes-Benz Group AG , and Volkswagen AG , are also grappling with slower sales in China , where a real estate crisis has impacted luxury spending...

Australia 's efforts to resolve its housing crisis are mired in political deadlock, as rental vacancies remain near record lows and home prices continue to rise. A key part of the Labor government’s housing program , designed to assist first-time homebuyers, was postponed for two months after opposition parties voted to delay the legislation on Wednesday. The bill is centered on a shared equity scheme to help Australians enter the housing market with a smaller deposit. A second bill, which aims to provide tax incentives to developers to build rental housing, faces a similar challenge, with criticism from opposition parties. The center-right opposition , led by Senator Andrew Bragg , opposes the idea of corporations becoming landlords, saying it would "corporatise the housing market." The housing market is under severe strain, with rental vacancies in August falling to 1.39% , close to the record low of 1.09% in February, as per PropTrack data. Rising home prices , ...

The problem with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is not a one day story. This is not the first time we heard about the amount of losses made by the airline company.  In 1972, the Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) became MAS and SIA. In the last 10 years from 2002- 2011 SIA reported a total pre-tax profit of Singapore $13,992 million, averaging S$ 1.4 billion per year. This created a big question mark over the reliability and management skill of those who are appointed to lead MAS.  MAS has just reported a loss of RM 830 million for 3 quarters ending September 2013 which is larger than the loss of Rm 483 million in the same corresponding period last year.   As usual, there are the incorrigibly optimistic cheerleaders for the airline who are unable to see the writing on the wall.   These ‘experts’ are still touting that the company is in recovery mode and will soon be returning to profitability. If you look at the Business Times, you will find that one of the Head...

Following are the highlights of the National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2014 that was unveiled by the Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. But if you are anticipating for cheaper car prices, you are wrong. In fact, the NAP 2014 raises a lot of questions and very few answers. It appears that the NAP 2014 isn't quite ready but probably due to the pressing concerns by the big players to know the upcoming policy, the announcement was made.... Here are the HIGHLIGHTS.... OBJECTIVES: * to promote competitive and sustainable domestic automotive industry including the national automotive companies.   * to transform Malaysia into a regional automotive hub in energy-efficient vehicles (EEV)   * to promote higher value-added activities   * to bolster exports of vehicles and components   * to encourage participation of Bumiputera companies in total value chain of the domestic automotive industry   * to safeguard consu...