US
UK’s Inventive Solutions to Preserve the Beloved Christmas Card Tradition”
As prices rise, more people are buying just for close family and friends, or breaking down glitter glue and making their own.
Christmas Card Tradition Brits are buying Christmas cards individually or using glitter glue to make them, choosing quality over quantity to keep their festive traditions alive despite high postage costs. ing. Recent research shows that one-third of people want to send fewer cards this year to save money. The price of a second class stamp has risen by nearly 30% in five years to 75p. Over the same period, first class stamps rose by almost 90% to £1.25.
As the cost-of-living crisis puts pressure on budgets, consumers are getting creative, buying one-of-a-kind items for close family and friends, and buying craft scissors and glue sticks for the ultimate personal touch. Retailers say they are also picking up items. John Lewis said sales of single cards were up 36%, and Hobbycraft and The Works were in high demand for festive blank cards, stamps and stickers.
Christmas Card Tradition Lisa Roth-Johnson, director of purchasing at The Works, said, The cost of postage means shoppers are sending fewer cards and are instead sending personalized pieces for close friends and family. I think it's possible that people will start spending more time creating things."This year, we’ve found that customers are purchasing more ornaments for creative card making than traditional packs of ready-made cards.”
In a move prompted by the pandemic, cards EID has canceled this pop-up shop opening at the church hall. A vacant storefront that once sold bulk Christmas cards for various charities. These days, supporters are encouraged to shop on the site.
“We’ve had a fantastic year raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities,” said Hilary Bloom, director of the Charity Advisory Trust, which supports the Card Aid initiative. “We discontinued it because people weren’t buying cards anymore.”
At its peak, Card Aid was preparing inventory for sale in the October half to “help people declutter”, with an average purchase of around 30 cards. It was one piece. “It was tough…but life isn’t like that now,” Blume continued. “If the [postal] service is so bad that it costs £1.25 per person plus the card fee, why would you do that? Are you going to spend £40 or £50 on a Christmas card?”
Card Although it’s no longer the norm to have a mantel full of cards or hanging them all over the room on ropes, the British are still prolific card dealers. It is difficult to estimate the total number of cards exchanged as many Christmas cards are sold in schools and charity shops. However, the Greeting Card Association (GCA) estimates that number to be a shockingly high 1 billion per year.
GCA chief executive Amanda Ferguson said sending cards was a “very British thing” as the overall market for personal cards, including birthday cards, was £1.5 billion last year. . She said while some people may be sending fewer cards this Christmas, her research found that 18 to 34-year-olds are sending more cards than a generation ago. said. “In the UK, cards are part of our lives.”
She added: “When I was little, my mother would come home with a box of 50 or 100 Christmas cards. We all sat around a table and wrote cards.Nowadays, there is more emphasis on choosing small amounts of cards and individual cards for special people.
“Postage does have an impact.” Mr. Ferguson added. But she added that being able to send a card anywhere in the UK for 75p is “still good value for money”.
The bags of Christmas cards delivered by the Royal Mail are smaller these days, but the annual deal is still a win for its smaller rival Scout Post. A Scouts spokeswoman said the unofficial postal service was thriving, with 50 services operating across the country this year.
Scout posts, with an average fee of 40p per card, are an important source of funding, he said, adding: “In some programmes, individual Scout groups cover a village, while others cover a wider area. Some band together to work in the community,” he added. Approximately 250,000 cards are expected to be delivered by Christmas. ”
The US monitoring institution’s plan to monitor companies like Apple (AAPL.O) and Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL.O) that provide digital wallets and payments apps pushing some players out of the market, their lobby group said on Monday.
Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) – among which members of Amazon (AMZNO), Facebook Parent Meta (META O) and X, previously known as Twitter, were responded to a proposal by the American consumer in November. The Financial Security Bureau (CFPB), which said that technical giants’ smartphone payments and wallet services are rivals to traditional payment methods but lacks consumer security measures.
The CFPB proposal, which has not been finalised yet, shall subject to a similar surveillance to companies which are currently imposed on banks in which Agency testers inspect compliance with laws on improper or misleading practices and privacy security, as well as investigating the conduct of officers.
Officers expect the proposal, as currently written, will cover 17 companies responsible for paying 13 billion annually.
Some bank industry representatives have warmly responded to the proposal, saying companies that provide services like bank should be regulated and direct supervision like banks.
However, CCIA’s regulatory policy chief Criszatian Katona said in a statement reviewed by Reuters that this proposal has a risk of more loss than the advantages as wider, highly cumulative or heavy-filled digital regulation could significantly impede new startups in this industry. “
In a comment letter handed over to the CFPB, reviewed by Reuters, the CCIA said the CFPB’s proposal had failed to identify specific risks for consumers that he had sought to address and saw non-bank digital providers and banks inappropriate as direct competitors.
The letter said, even if there are some examples where banks and non-bank institutions compete, the reality of the market shows that there are more examples where their palette helps consumers provide supplemental services. “
In a separate comment letter released on Monday, the Financial Technology Association, the members of which include PayPal (PYPL.O), owning the Wenmo service, and Block Inc. (SQN), which operates the Cash App, shared similar concerns.
It said that the current rules were sufficient and called for the CFPB to suspend the process of making rules.
Top 10 bank in United States: The United States has one of the most developed and complex banking systems in the world, with thousands of banks operating across the country. However, over the past few decades, consolidation in the banking sector has led to just a handful of banks controlling a significant majority of assets. Here is an overview of the 10 largest banks in the U.S. as of 2024:
1. JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States with total assets of over $3.2 trillion. Headquartered in New York City, JPMorgan Chase operates consumer banking and lending services through a network of nearly 5,000 branches in 38 states. The bank was formed in 2000 after the merger of J.P. Morgan & Co. and Chase Manhattan Bank. JPMorgan Chase has leading market share in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, investment banking, wealth management, and commercial banking. The bank employs over 250,000 people globally.
2.Bank of America
Top 10 bank in United States Bank of America is the second largest bank in the U.S. with just over $2.7 trillion in total assets. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bank of America serves approximately 66 million consumer and small business customers. It has approximately 4,200 retail financial centers and 16,000 ATMs. The bank was formed after the 1998 merger between NationsBank and BankAmerica. It has a strong retail banking franchise and also provides investment banking, wealth management, and asset management services.
3. Citigroup
Top 10 bank in United States: Citigroup is the third largest banking institution in the U.S. with total assets of $2.2 trillion. Headquartered in New York City, Citi provides financial services to over 200 million customer accounts in more than 160 countries. Citi is a global bank with an international network spanning 98 markets. It provides services in consumer banking, credit cards, corporate & investment banking, securities trading, and wealth management.
4. Wells Fargo
Top 10 bank in United States: Wells Fargo has $1.9 trillion in assets and is ranked the fourth largest bank in the country. Headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo has a coast to coast presence with over 5,000 branches. The bank offers various financial products and services for retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients. Following a massive scandal regarding the opening of fake accounts, Wells Fargo has been working to rebuild its reputation and brand in recent years.
5. Goldman Sachs
Top 10 bank in United States: The only major investment bank on this top 10 list, Goldman Sachs dates back over 150 years to 1869. Headquartered in New York City, Goldman Sachs has $1.2 trillion in total assets. The bank is a leader in investment banking, securities, investment management, and prime brokerage services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals. Goldman Sachs also provides consumer banking services through its online platform Marcus and credit cards with Apple.
6. Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a multinational investment bank with over $1 trillion in assets. Headquartered in New York City, Morgan Stanley provides services in investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management. The bank has offices in over 40 countries serving corporations, governments, institutions, and individual investors. Morgan Stanley was formed through the merger of Dean Witter and Morgan Stanley in 1997.
7. U.S. Bancorp
U.S. Bancorp, commonly known as US Bank, is the 7th largest bank in America with $540 billion in assets. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US Bank operates over 3,000 branch locations in 25 states primarily in the West and Midwest. US Bank provides banking, investment, mortgages, payments, corporate, and commercial financial services to consumers, businesses, and institutions. It has a growing national presence but remains a strong regional bank.
8. PNC Financial Services
PNC is the 8th biggest bank in the U.S. with assets totaling $462 billion. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PNC operates retail banking and commercial financial services in approximately 20 states, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. PNC provides consumer and corporate banking, residential mortgages, wealth management, and asset management services. The bank expanded significantly after acquiring National City during the financial crisis in 2008.
9. TD Bank – Top 10 bank in United States
TD Bank is the U.S. subsidiary of the Canadian multinational Toronto-Dominion Bank. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and has over $384 billion in assets. The bank operates from Maine to Florida with a focus on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. TD Bank provides retail, small business, and commercial banking services. It is known for convenient hours and customer service compared to competitors.
10. Truist – Top 10 bank in United States
Formed in 2019 from the merger of BB&T and SunTrust, Truist is the sixth largest commercial bank in the U.S. with $324 billion in assets. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist has leading market share in many southeastern states. The bank offers retail, small business, commercial, corporate, and investment banking services. With its recent formation, Truist is focused on integrating the two merged banks into a cohesive new brand and bank.
Top 10 bank in United States: In summary, the U.S. banking system is dominated by a few mega banks like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup which each have trillions in total assets. Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley are other leading national players. Regional banks like PNC, TD, and US Bank have hundreds of billions in assets and strong presences in their geographic areas. The newest bank in the top 10 is Truist which formed in 2019 but has quickly grown through acquisitions to become one of the largest U.S. banks. The top 10 list illustrates the dominance of a handful of banks that control the majority of all banking assets in the country.
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb for a touchdown pass late in the first half to help the Dallas Cowboys claim the NFC East title and the conference’s No. 2 seed, the quarterback swung his right fist and ran into the end zone. , meet his star warmly and ask for a handshake and hug.
Meanwhile, the thousands of Dallas fans who filled Washington Commanders Stadium shouted, “Let’s go, Cowboys!”
For Prescott, his club, and the fans, the atmosphere, the performance, the atmosphere. It was clearly improved compared to last year. Unlike last time out in Week 18, when the regular season ended with a loss against Washington, Prescott, Lamb and the Cowboys accomplished their goal Sunday against the rival Commanders, winning 38-10 and advancing to the postseason. It broke in.
“Look at last year, getting to this point and not being able to finish the season the way we wanted to, and where we are now,” Prescott said. Prescott caught two of four touchdown passes to Lamb, making him 31-36-279. yard. “The growth, the coaching staff, the players, the responsibility. communication. Clarity.
Dallas leads 12-5 for the third time in a row and will host the Green Bay Packers — a team as current dallas cowboys coach Mike McCarthy once called them — on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. He led them to a Super Bowl victory. European summer time.
This is a big deal for a club that was 8-0 in Dallas this season and won 16 straight games there.
“I think you’re going to love this drama,” McCarthy told reporters about the game against Green Bay.
At the other end of the spectrum are Washington (4-13 overall, 0-6 in the NFC East), who is in last place, and Ron Rivera, who is likely to leave the team, tied for the most losses in a season.
Rivera is scheduled to meet with owner Josh Harris on Monday.
“We’re going to have a conversation and go from there,” Rivera said.
The manager’s losing streak has reached 8 games. That includes going 0-6 after Rivera fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and became a ball-side playmaker.
Good news for commanders? Sunday’s result ensures they will have the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft and may look to replace quarterback Sam Howell, who had two interceptions Sunday and leads the NFL with 21 picks this season. I can’t. He was also fired four more times, resulting in a league-worst total of 65 games.
Last season, Prescott led the NFL with 15 interceptions and 23 touchdown throws. This season? He led the league with 36 TD throws and just nine picks.
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