This Week in Finance News: 13 Stories You Need to See

A roundup of the week's most newsworthy financial industry press releases from PR Newswire, including home price growth and private school funding opportunities.

NEW YORK, July 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the finance industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. Home Price Growth Again Surprises to the Upside
   "With the 30-year mortgage rate once again approaching 7 percent, it's yet to be seen whether mortgage demand will finally cool in response, or whether higher rates will simply further suppress supply," said Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist.
2. Amid macro uncertainty, investors have ample incentive to get moving, reveals Bain & Company's Private Equity Midyear Report 2023
   "Sitting around because the market is down has never been a particularly effective strategy in private equity," said Hugh MacArthur, chairman of the global Private Equity practice at Bain & Company. "Past cycles have shown that for dealmaking to rebound and continue, buyers and sellers need a reasonably stable economic environment – not necessarily an attractive one."
3. FAU Poll: Hispanic Consumer Confidence Rises as Inflation Eases
   "Overall, the upswing in optimism reflects a recovery in attitudes generated by the early-month resolution of the debt ceiling crisis, along with more positive feelings over softening inflation," said Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., director of FAU BEPI in the College of Business. "Views of their own personal financial situation were unchanged, however, as persistent high prices and expenses continued to weigh on consumers."
4. Unidef Launches Ground-breaking Initiative To Assist Crypto Investors Who Have Lost Money Due To Centralized Platforms' Misconduct
   This initiative comes in the wake of the recent bankruptcy filing of a centralized exchange and allegations of account disabling coupled with offshore fund transfers without that client's approval, leaving numerous clients uncertain regarding their asset status.
5. Financial Advisors Report 40% of Their Clients Were Forced to Retire, Edward Jones Survey Finds
   Almost all financial advisors surveyed (97%) agree that retirement involves more surprises and challenges than their clients expected while an equal number (98%) agree that preparation, flexibility and willingness to adapt are key to success in retirement.
6. RE/MAX National Housing Report for June 2023
   "June's month-over-month gain in sales is largely seasonal, but it shows the market's resiliency in the face of low inventory and higher interest rates," said RE/MAX President and CEO Nick Bailey.
7. Why the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Remains Frequently Overlooked by Charitable Organizations
   Many U.S. charitable organizations have dismissed the possibility of Employee Retention Credit ("ERC") eligibility due to stable or increased revenues over the tested eligibility period (i.e., 2020 – 2021).
8. Hub International Launches Multi-Industry Franchise Insurance Solutions for Franchisors and Franchisees
   While franchising is regulated at the federal level, there are also state-level franchise laws. Franchisors and franchisees must be compliant in the state where they are headquartered and, in the states where the franchises are located. HUB Franchise Insurance Solutions helps ensure franchisors and franchisees understand these complexities and are insured appropriately.
9. Oklahoma Opens Doors to Funding Opportunities for Private School and Homeschool Students in 2024
   Oklahoma takes a significant step towards educational empowerment with the state's Parental Choice Tax Credit Act. This program will provide participating families with a refundable tax credit of up to $7,500 per student for eligible learning expenses, ensuring that tuition is no longer a barrier for families looking for the type of school that best suits the needs of their kids.
10. 50 State Report Card on Affordable Housing Policies Highlights Room for Improvement on Racial Equity, Healthy Building Practices
    The BlueGreen Alliance Foundation announced the release of a thorough analysis of measures for affordable housing investments in all 50 states and three cities.
11. National Foundation for Credit Counseling Launches "Make it R.E.A.L" (Renter Equity at Last) to Address Renter Insecurity Across the Country
    U.S. housing insecurity has dramatically increased in recent decades and its effect on mental health, financial systems and neighborhoods is increasingly felt. After all, a lack of stable housing can impede interpersonal relationships as well as the ability to work or pursue higher education.
12. Weekly Earnings Up for Low-Income Workers, According to Ludwig Institute
    While overall inflation-adjusted wages for the median American worker remained flat, low-wage workers saw a notable increase in the second quarter of 2023, with the rate of "functional unemployment" in the U.S. at an all-time low, according to a report by Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP).
13. New Student Loan Research Brief on How to Help Borrowers Return to Repayment
    Pulling together recent survey results and relevant data into one document, the paper provides readers with a fresh perspective on the complicated nature of the federal student aid system.

Read more of the latest finance-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNfinance on Twitter.

Can't-Miss Earnings

In addition to these popular releases, several must-read earnings reports crossed the wire this week, including the quarterly results for Bank of America, Ally Financial, and PNC.

Catch up on all the latest earnings reports here.

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