A recent study by LegalShield reveals that many small businesses are facing serious financial setbacks due to avoidable legal issues—yet most still avoid hiring legal counsel.
The report, released in recognition of National Small Business Month, shows that nearly 1 in 5 small businesses lost over $5,000 last year because of preventable legal troubles. Additionally, 47% reported losses of at least $500, while 40% missed new business opportunities due to fear or uncertainty around legal matters.
Despite these challenges, 60% of small business owners said they avoided hiring a lawyer, citing concerns about cost and complexity. The reluctance to seek legal help stems from outdated beliefs that are costing businesses both time and money, according to LegalShield.
The findings also reveal that 83% of small business owners believe affordable legal services are vital, yet 61% worry about unintentionally breaking laws or regulations. Alarmingly, 25% have considered closing their business due to legal stress, and over one in four spend 3–5 hours weekly addressing legal tasks.
“Waiting until you’re in legal trouble is like ignoring health problems until surgery is needed,” said Michael Fiffik, a LegalShield provider attorney. “Proactively working with an attorney helps businesses avoid fines, navigate contracts, and stay compliant.”
Warren Schlichting, CEO of LegalShield, emphasized the hidden costs: “Every hour spent dealing with legal issues is time taken from running and growing a business. Legal services should be easy, accessible, and affordable.”
The study surveyed 299 small business owners and managers across the U.S. as of April 5, 2025, with participants from diverse age groups and regions, ensuring a representative sample.
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News Source: Finance.yahoo.com
In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump has announced the creation of a strategic bitcoin reserve, positioning cryptocurrency as a key component of the U.S. economic strategy. The initiative was introduced during a digital assets summit at the White House, co-hosted by AI and crypto advisor David Sacks, and attended by industry leaders such as Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov.
Trump criticized past administrations for selling off billions worth of bitcoin seized by the government, declaring, “From this day on, America will follow a simple rule every bitcoiner knows — never sell your bitcoin.”
The strategic reserve aims to retain bitcoin seized through criminal and civil asset forfeitures rather than liquidating it. The U.S. currently holds approximately 200,000 bitcoins, valued between $12 billion and $21 billion, making it the largest national holder globally. Trump’s executive order instructs the Treasury and Commerce Departments to explore budget-neutral strategies to acquire more bitcoin without additional cost to taxpayers.
This approach marks a departure from previous administrations, which either ignored or discouraged government involvement in digital assets. Crypto experts view this as a symbolic but potentially impactful move that could inspire other nations to embrace bitcoin as a reserve asset — similar to how countries manage oil reserves.
The executive order also outlines the formation of a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile for other seized cryptocurrencies. Unlike bitcoin, the government will not actively acquire more of these assets and may sell existing holdings. The initiative seeks to centralize oversight and establish a more structured management approach for digital assets in federal possession.
While some in the industry praised the move, others expressed skepticism. Critics argue the plan lacks concrete action, such as direct purchases. Charles Edwards, founder of Capriole Investments, called the announcement underwhelming, labeling it as merely repackaging existing holdings.
On the economic front, analysts like Russ Mould of AJ Bell caution against aggressive government bitcoin buying, suggesting it could undermine the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency.
As Trump’s stance on crypto evolves — a notable shift from his neutral approach in his first term — some observers have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Trump’s family has since entered the crypto space with their company, World Liberty Financial, recently launching a stablecoin called USD1. However, experts argue that the real focus should remain on the financial implications of past bitcoin sales and the future value potential of retaining these assets.
Ultimately, the strategic bitcoin reserve reflects a growing recognition of cryptocurrency’s role in the global economy, even as debate continues over its place in U.S. fiscal policy.
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News Source: Finance.yahoo.com
Charter Communications announced Friday it will acquire Cox Communications in a $21.9 billion cash-and-stock deal, combining two major U.S. cable and broadband players. The deal positions Charter to better compete against streaming platforms and wireless internet providers by expanding its bundled service offerings.
As traditional cable TV continues to lose ground to platforms like Netflix, media companies are rethinking their business strategies. Charter aims to leverage the merger to deliver integrated broadband, TV, and mobile services—a move that recently helped it surpass revenue expectations.
“This combination will strengthen our capacity to innovate and deliver high-quality, competitively priced offerings,” said Charter CEO Chris Winfrey, who will lead the merged company.
Under the terms of the agreement, Charter will also assume approximately $12.6 billion in Cox’s debt and liabilities, bringing the deal’s total enterprise value to around $34.5 billion. Cox Enterprises, Cox Communications’ parent company, will retain a 23% stake in the combined entity. Its CEO, Alex Taylor, will serve as chairman.
Following the close—expected to align with Charter’s pending Liberty Broadband acquisition—the merged firm will adopt the Cox Communications name corporately, while Spectrum will remain the consumer-facing brand in Cox’s markets. Liberty Broadband shareholders will gain a direct stake in Charter through the deal.
Cox, the largest division of family-owned Cox Enterprises, was founded in 1898 and maintains interests in cable, media, and automotive sectors, including a stake in Axios. Charter and Cox previously explored a merger in 2013, but talks had stalled until renewed interest surfaced after Charter’s recent moves to consolidate.
Charter’s stock rose 9% in premarket trading following the announcement.
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News Source: Finance.yahoo.com
San Francisco-based AI video generation startup Hedra has raised $32 million in a Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s Infrastructure fund. The latest investment brings Hedra’s valuation to $200 million, according to a Reuters report citing an inside source.
This round saw continued support from earlier investors, including a16z Speedrun, Abstract, and Index Ventures. With this funding, Hedra’s total capital raised now stands at $44 million since its previous funding announcement in 2024.
Hedra specializes in AI-powered video creation tools designed for enterprise marketers. At the core of its platform is Character-3, an omnimodal foundation model that fuses text, image, and audio to generate lifelike digital characters. These AI-driven characters can deliver a range of outputs—from cinematic full-body visuals to close-up shots—suitable for brand mascots, spokespersons, and other digital storytelling needs.
Character-3 also powers Hedra Studio, a creative platform that helps users convert simple concepts into immersive visual narratives. With the fresh capital, Hedra aims to enhance the realism, precision, and user control of its models.
“We’re building the next generation of storytelling tools for content creators and marketers to scale their narratives,” said Michael Lingelbach, Founder and CEO of Hedra. “Crossing the uncanny valley with compelling digital performance remains a key challenge, and we’re committed to solving it with Character-3.”
Currently employing 20 people, Hedra plans to triple its team by year-end. The startup envisions becoming the leading creative platform for a new wave of media creators—from solo content producers to global enterprises.
Andreessen Horowitz partner Matt Bornstein, who joins Hedra’s board, praised the startup’s innovation: “Hedra is building core technology for the future of media. Character-3 is a standout model in its ability to deliver highly expressive, controllable AI-driven characters—unlocking opportunities across marketing, entertainment, and the creator economy.”
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News Source: Finance.yahoo.com
UK social enterprise Fusion21 has named 145 suppliers for its newly renewed Building Safety and Compliance Framework, a contract valued at up to £800 million ($1.05 billion) over the next four years.
The framework, designed to assist Fusion21 members with building safety management and regulatory compliance, provides both regional and national coverage and adheres to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
Notably, 81% of the appointed suppliers are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), reinforcing Fusion21’s commitment to supporting local businesses.
Initially announced in November 2024, the updated framework reflects supplier and member feedback. It introduces a dedicated lot for sprinkler and mist systems, among a total of 12 lots that encompass services such as:
- Asbestos surveying, consultancy, and removal
- Legionella and water hygiene consulting
- Fire safety inspections and risk assessments
- Passive and active fire protection
- Fire suppression systems
- Warden call and telehealth systems
- Electronic security solutions
Fusion21 emphasized that the revamped framework is built to serve all types of public sector buildings. It offers a streamlined procurement route, pre-qualified suppliers, and flexible call-off options. Moreover, the framework aims to generate visible social value in communities, aligning with the priorities of its member organizations.
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News Source: Finance.yahoo.com
Haydock Finance has reported a significant increase in asset finance transactions exceeding £500,000, strengthening its position as a leading player in high-value deal structuring.
The UK-based SME lender attributes this growth to its strong credit appetite, flexible underwriting, and broker-led origination model—elements that enable the delivery of strategic, tailored funding solutions for businesses navigating complex financial landscapes.
Jon Hercman, Head of Specialist at Haydock, emphasized the importance of providing more than just standard finance packages in today’s economic climate. He highlighted Haydock’s ability to execute sophisticated funding deals with speed, clarity, and close collaboration.
A recent standout example involved a regional taxi firm facing high debt servicing costs and a convoluted ownership structure with international entities. Haydock swiftly arranged a £1 million Sale & Hire Purchase Back facility over 36 months, cutting the client’s monthly payments from £90,000 to £33,000. The rapid execution, following swift asset inspections and cross-team coordination, showcased Haydock’s agile approach—earning praise from both broker and client.
To accommodate the rise in large-value deals, Haydock has expanded its operational capacity. The company raised the automation threshold for high-value transactions and formed a specialised team to manage complex, large-ticket funding—particularly for multi-asset portfolios or clients with challenging financial profiles.
In addition, Haydock has aligned its operations and credit teams with this strategy through targeted training and sector-focused accreditation. In April, the firm hosted dedicated forums for brokers handling £500k+ deals, offering in-depth insights into its approach through live case studies and process deep-dives.
Originally published by Leasing Life, a brand owned by GlobalData, this development reflects Haydock Finance’s commitment to driving innovation and responsiveness in the commercial finance sector.
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News Source: Finance.yahoo.com
Databricks (DATB.PVT) announced on Wednesday its acquisition of database startup Neon in a deal valued at approximately $1 billion. The move strengthens Databricks’ position in AI-powered data management, aiming to streamline how businesses deploy AI agents.
The San Francisco-based analytics company noted that the acquisition addresses a key hurdle for enterprises—ensuring AI systems can rapidly access the data they need to function effectively.
Databricks, which reached a $62 billion valuation after raising $10 billion last year, offers a unified platform that enables users to ingest, analyze, and build AI applications using complex datasets from multiple sources.
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News Source: Finance.yahoo.com
Citigroup has announced the sale of its wealth alternatives unit, Citi Global Alternatives, to fintech company iCapital, as part of its strategy to streamline operations. The deal, revealed on Tuesday, marks another move by Citi to simplify its business structure under CEO Jane Fraser’s leadership.
Citi Global Alternatives oversees more than 180 funds across asset classes such as private equity, infrastructure, hedge funds, and private credit. iCapital, headquartered in New York, will take over the management and operation of the platform. However, Citi will continue distributing the funds and providing clients with insights on alternative investments.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Citi Wealth and help expand their global alternatives business,” said Lawrence Calcano, CEO of iCapital. “Our technology will enhance the efficiency and scalability of their alternative investments platform.”
Additionally, iCapital will support Citi Wealth’s global sales efforts with a dedicated team to drive further growth. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
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News Source: finance.yahoo.com
Tax Alpha: A Smarter Way to Enhance Investment Returns
In today’s unpredictable markets, losing 1% to 2% of investment returns to taxes is a common issue—and one that often outweighs the fees paid to financial advisors. Range highlights this “tax drag” as a major factor that can eat away at overall gains. However, with strategic tax planning, investors can generate what professionals call “tax alpha”—extra returns achieved through tax efficiency rather than market risk.
Unlocking Tax Alpha Through Proven Strategies
While tax-loss harvesting remains the backbone of tax alpha, combining it with other techniques can significantly enhance overall tax savings.
How Tax-Loss Harvesting Works:
This method allows investors to use temporary declines in asset value to their advantage. The steps are straightforward:
- Spot Losses: Identify assets currently trading below their purchase price.
- Sell to Realize Losses: Use these losses to offset capital gains or deduct up to $3,000 in ordinary income annually.
- Maintain Exposure: Buy similar—but not identical—assets to stay invested and avoid violating the IRS wash-sale rule. For example, swapping one S&P 500 ETF for another from a different provider works effectively.
The Power of Direct Indexing
Direct indexing gives investors an edge by allowing them to hold individual stocks within an index, rather than buying a broad ETF. This opens more opportunities to harvest tax losses at the stock level. Even in strong years like 2023—when the S&P 500 gained over 25%—nearly 70% of individual stocks had dips over 15%, creating potential tax-saving opportunities traditional ETF investors missed.
This strategy also offers flexibility for aligning investments with personal values or existing holdings.
Tax Alpha: Control What You Can
While no one can predict the market, investors can manage taxes with precision. Tax alpha strategies are especially useful for those navigating equity compensation, where timing on vesting and selling can have serious tax consequences.
Research indicates that optimizing for tax efficiency can increase returns by 1% to 1.5% annually. Over two decades, this could mean an extra $350,000 to $525,000 on a $1 million portfolio—money that would otherwise go to taxes.
By focusing on tax alpha, investors can build portfolios that not only grow but also retain more of their earnings—ultimately securing a stronger financial future.
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News Source: Yahoo.com
The best high-yield savings accounts offer annual percentage yields (APYs) that are well above average. Many of the top rates available today are above 4%, and one or two are still around 5%.
Inflation rates have been edging higher and the U.S. economic outlook is cloudy. That means the Federal Reserve is likely done with rate cuts for now—and while that’s mixed news for some parts of the economy, it suggests that average savings account APYs could remain unchanged for a while longer.
Whether you’re looking for a better return on your savings, or just want to open a new account for a new financial goal, Fortune has partnered with the financial industry consultants at Curinos to give you an accurate look at the highest savings account rates available today.
Today’s best savings account rates: Earn up to 5% APY
Today’s best high-yield savings account interest rate of 5% can be found at Varo Money. Fortune monitors the top rates offered by leading U.S. financial institutions to help readers obtain the best possible return on their savings.
FDIC average national deposit rates January 2020 to present
Choosing a high-yield savings account guarantees that you can beat the low average rates offered by most savings institutions in the U.S. The national average savings rate right now is 0.41%%. This is down from 0.47% in March 2024, months before the Fed reduced interest rates in late 2024.
High-yield savings account news in 2025
The Fed’s decision to lower interest rates last year had an immediate impact on savings accounts. Average savings rates tend to follow the lead of the federal funds rate: When the Fed raises its benchmark rate, banks generally raise APYs on savings accounts to remain competitive. Conversely, when the central bank cuts rates, savings account yields decline.
Just keep in mind that while this correlation is true for average rates, individual banks decide to raise or lower their savings account APYs based on a variety of factors beyond just Fed rates. These include their own financial goals, promotions for attracting new customers, and other market conditions. Beware, banks can change your savings account APY at any time, for any reason.
Savings account rates should remain static for now. While the Fed cut rates at three meetings in a row from September to December 2024—reducing fed funds to 4.25% to 4.50%, where it remains today—no further cuts are expected in the immediate future. Thanks to this outlook, banks won’t have much incentive to further reduce the best rates available on high-yield savings accounts.
Why should you choose a high-yield savings account?
To be clear, there’s no such thing as a special class of bank accounts called “high-yield savings accounts.” There’s simply a group of U.S. financial institutions that tend to offer savings account rates that are much higher than the industry average. Financial experts call them high-yield savings accounts.
For example, while the average savings rate in the U.S. is 0.41%, many high-yield savings accounts offer rates above 4%—that’s ten times the average rate.
Banks that offer conventional savings accounts with lower rates tend to have bricks-and-mortar branch networks and offer a full suite of deposit and lending products. Meanwhile, institutions that offer high-yield savings accounts are typically online banks with a very limited menu of other banking products and no access to physical branches.
People who want the highest possible returns on their savings should opt for a high-yield savings account. They often have no minimum balance requirements or monthly fees, making them an ideal choice for your emergency fund or short-term financial goals. Online banks are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), providing the same protection as conventional banks.
Before choosing a savings account, consider the following factors:
- Interest rates: Look for competitive APYs to maximize your earnings.
- Low or no minimums: Many high-yield accounts have no minimum balance requirements.
- No monthly fees: Avoid accounts with monthly maintenance fees that can eat into your savings.
- Accessibility of funds: Ensure you can easily withdraw or transfer money when needed—some banks have withdrawal limits and charge fees for foreign ATMs.
- Security and insurance: Verify that the account is FDIC-insured.
No matter what type of savings account you hold, you can expect to pay taxes on any interest you earn.
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Source: https://fortune.com/article/best-savings-account-rates-4-28-2025/
Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) pulled in their largest inflows since December last week as the original cryptocurrency continues to move higher on news that President Donald Trump’s tariff negotiations are coming closer to a resolution.
Bitcoin ETFs, a group of 12 investments traded on the stock market that track the price of Bitcoin, cumulatively raked in more than $3 billion last week, according to data from SoSoValue, a crypto research platform. Inflows into this type of asset are often seen as an indicator of market sentiment about crypto, as they signal investor confidence and mainstream adoption.
The ETF buying spree comes as Bitcoin reverses its downward slide from earlier this month, climbing from a low of $75,000 on April 7 to above $95,000 on April 28. In the last seven days, the original cryptocurrency has jumped 8%, growing to $95,500 and reclaiming highs not seen since February.
“Bitcoin’s climb back toward $95,000 this week isn’t just a price movement, it is a signal that investors are ready to spend again,” Gadi Chait, head of investment at crypto bank Xapo Bank, told Fortune. “A convergence of factors, ranging from robust institutional inflows via ETFs to strong bullish options activity, has cemented Bitcoin’s path toward potentially breaking $100,000 in the near term.”
After experiencing a similar decline, the broader crypto market has also made a comeback over the past few weeks. Ethereum is up 11% in the last seven days, XRP is up 9% and Solana is up 8%.
Trump’s sweeping tariff policy announcement at the beginning of this month led to a market meltdown beginning on April 2, and the S&P 500 wiped out $2.5 trillion within a single day. Investors also quickly fled risky investments like equities and crypto to brace themselves for the expected impacts of the policy, including large-scale disruption of supply chains and subsequent inflation.
But the bleeding began to slow for both the traditional markets and crypto after Trump authorized a 90-day pause on most tariffs (with the exception of China)—leading the S&P 500 to its largest single-day increase since 2008 and Bitcoin to rebound 9% on April 9. The S&P 500 is up 1% since Trump announced the pause on April 9. But Bitcoin has significantly outpaced those gains, adding 14% since the pause was announced.
James Butterfill, head of research at ETF issuer CoinShares, told Fortune that divergence shows that investors are beginning to view Bitcoin as a flight to safety during times of economic uncertainty because the currency is detached from a centralized entity like a government or central bank.
“While equities are weighed down by tariffs and declining corporate earnings prospects,” he tells Fortune. “Bitcoin remains unaffected and has benefited from investors seeking alternative safe-haven assets.”
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Source: https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/04/28/bitcoin-climbs-above-95000-bitcoin-etfs-big-week/
NCC Group, a UK-based global cybersecurity specialist, said on Monday it is exploring various strategic options for its Escode business, including a possible sale.
The group comprises two distinct businesses — cyber security and Escode, which specializes in software escrow and verification services.
Shares of NCC rose as much as 12% to 157 pence by 1530 GMT on the London bourse, reaching their highest since December 10, 2024.
The company said no proposals have been received yet and no decision has been made regarding any transaction.
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