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Foreign businesses try to keep US clients

NEW YORK — At Fleece & Harmony, a woolen mill and yarn shop in bucolic Belfast, Prince Edward Island, in Canada, owner Kim Doherty used to be able to send yarn skeins to U.S. customers across the border with little fanfare. The yarn orders usually met an import tax exemption for packages valued at under $800, meaning it could be imported tariff-free and avoid the customs process. But ever since the Trump administration eliminated the exemption as of Aug. 29, the cost to send yarn to U.S. customers has skyrocketed. The bill for a $21 ball of yarn now includes $12 to $15 in brokerage ...

How to rebalance investment portfolios in a lofty market

If you’ve chosen a target asset allocation—the mix of stocks, bonds, and cash in your portfolio— you’re probably ahead of many investors. But unless you’re investing in a set-and-forget investment option like a target-date fund, your portfolio’s asset mix will shift as the market fluctuates. In a bull market you might get more equity exposure than you planned, or the reverse if the market declines. Rebalancing involves selling assets that have appreciated the most and using the proceeds to shore up assets that have lagged. This brings your portfolio’s asset mix back into ...

US stocks rise for fifth straight day to close out volatile month

Wall Street rose for a fifth straight day to put the wraps on a volatile month. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% in abbreviated trading Friday and closed out November with a slim gain of 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 289 points, or 0.6%. The Nasdaq gained 0.7% but ended November with a drop of 1.5% because of losses for some big tech stocks. Stocks swooned in mid-month as investors worried that stocks boosted by the frenzy around artificial intelligence such as Nvidia had gotten too expensive. Nvidia lost 1.8% Friday and closed the month with a double-digit loss. Oracle fell 23% ...

Focus on care: Home Instead marks 25 years in region

Home Instead has been providing personal care for area senior citizens for 25 years. The Blair County office, now in Duncansville, was opened by Theresa Zurilla in 2000. Owner/general manager Mindy Sheehan bought the franchise 3.5 years ago and also serves as owner and general manager of ...

Workplace

New hires and promotions Michael Johnson has joined Keller Engineers Inc. as bridge inspection team leader. With over 20 years of experience, Johnson brings a wealth of knowledge in leading bridge inspection teams, conducting scheduled inspections, generating reports, training and responding to emergency situations involving bridges and public safety. In addition to holding an associate degree in architectural drafting from Triangle Tech, he is a certified bridge safety inspector and has completed numerous bridge safety trainings. Awards and honors Celina Seftas, director of ...

Best ways to steadily build an emergency fund

NEW YORK — Maybe your car broke down, your computer was stolen, or you had a surprise visit to urgent care. Emergencies are inevitable, but you can prepare to deal with them by building an emergency fund. “There are so many things that happen in our lives that we don’t expect and most of them require financial means to overcome,” said Miklos Ringbauer, a certified public accountant. The industry standard is to save three to six months of expenses in an emergency fund. However, this can feel daunting if you live paycheck to paycheck or if you have debt. But if you’re in either ...