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Choice Privileges Now Lets You Share Points With Friends and Family for Free
Choice Privileges Adds Free Points Sharing
Choice Privileges has rolled out a useful new feature that allows members to share points with friends and family for free. There is no transfer fee, making it easier to combine smaller balances into one account for an award redemption.
For example, if you’re short a few thousand points for an award night, another Choice member can transfer points into your account rather than having you purchase the additional points or waiting until you earn more.
This is a simple but valuable improvement. Free points sharing makes Choice points considerably easier to use across a household, especially when several people have small balances that may not be useful on their own.
Zohran Mamdani says ‘you have to luck out in some big way’ to achieve the American Dream now
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the American Dream should be a guarantee and not a vague hope, lamenting that it’s now viewed as being less attainable than winning a lottery jackpot.
In an interview on Theo Von’s podcast This Past Weekend, Mamdani warned that if the American Dream is just an ideal that’s out of within reach, then people may start to give up.
The democratic socialist compared it to legendary NYC Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s observation during the rise of fascism in Europe, saying people turned away from democracy not because they were tired of liberty, but because they were tired of being hungry.
“So if democracy doesn’t mean the better life that it has to, it’ll lose its worth. And the same thing with the American Dream: if it’s something you can only see when you turn on your TV or you hear about that one guy you grew up with who made it, that doesn’t mean enough,” Mamdani said.
That’s why his administration has focused on making housing, child care, and groceries more affordable, he added, calling them the “basic aspects of a good, dignified life.”
Smaller efforts also make a big difference, Mamdani explained, pointing to free child care for a night to give parents a chance to go out or providing free tickets to the opera.
When asked later if he thinks the American Dream is still alive, he replied, “It feels like you have to luck out in some big way. In many ways, I feel like it’s why a lot of people play the lottery. For many, it feels like their only chance. People think that they have better odds playing the lottery than making it in their own life. What does that say about the country that we live in?”
New York City has the added dimension of having plenty of wealth while many others grapple with wages that haven’t kept up with the soaring cost of living, Mamdani noted.
That’s not due to a lack of opportunity. Instead, that opportunity is “being consolidated,” he argued.
While Mamdani has sought to tap some of the city’s wealth with an annual surcharge on luxury, non-primary residential properties, it’s run into some legal setbacks.
Last month, a judge threw out New York’s rollout of its pied-à-terre tax, ordering the city to cancel the notices it sent to property owners and restart the process of deciding who owes the surcharge.
Harnessing some of the city’s wealth is key to making New York more affordable, Mamdani insisted during the podcast interview.
“Because right now it feels like the city is becoming a museum—something a middle-class family can afford to visit once a month, maybe on the weekends. We want people to live here, and there’s more than enough money for everyone to be able to,” he said.
For his part, Mamdani has acknowledged that he is one of the lucky few. When asked on the Fourth of July if he was living the American Dream, he told CNN the “I’m living one of them.”
“I think the beautiful thing about today is it’s a chance to celebrate that the promise of our nation is still true—that promise of opportunity, of freedom, of self determination,” he added. “And to be the mayor of our city today, it’s something more than i could ever ask for.”
Mamdani’s comments come as the affordability crisis has threatened some of the key hallmarks of the American Dream, such as homeownership, a car or two, and kids.
While U.S. households still, on average, believe it can be achieved, their hopes are fading fast while some economists see a “Great Postponement.”
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has also warned the American Dream is in trouble, and has committed the New York-based banking giant to a sweeping multiyear effort to expand economic opportunity across the country.
“The American Dream is alive, but it’s slipping out of reach for too many people—and for future generations,” he said in March. “This slows economic growth, hurts communities, and prevents many people from getting ahead.”
More recently, Dimon has teamed up with Ford CEO Jim Farley, who said America’s skilled-trades shortfall has become too large and too varied by region and occupation.
“Skilled trades are the backbone of our country and American manufacturing, and the backbone of the American Dream,” Farley said last month.
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Record-Low 31% Of Americans Say College Is “Very Important,” Gallup Finds
Just 31% of U.S. adults now say a college education is “very important,” according to a new Gallup poll. That is four points below last year’s 35% reading, the previous record low, and less than half the 70% who said the same in 2013.
The result now sits slightly below Gallup’s 1978 starting point of 36%, adding to the long-running debate over whether college is still worth the investment.
Skepticism on the value of college has also grown just as fast. The share calling college “not too important” climbed from 6% in 2013 to 29% today, while “fairly important” rose from 23% to 39%. In 2013, a 64-point gap separated the “very important” and “not too important” camps, and that gap has shrunk to two points, a sharp reversal for families weighing what a college degree actually returns.
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Why It Matters
The price of college appears to be driving much of the shift. Gallup pointed to a recent Lumina Foundation-Gallup survey in which only 12% of U.S. adults called a four-year college education affordable. That view aligns with the rising average cost of college and a national student loan balance that has reached $1.86 trillion.
The drop is not confined to one group. Comparing combined June 2019 polls with combined August 2025 and 2026 polls, Gallup found double-digit declines among women, middle-aged and older adults, Democrats, Black and Hispanic adults, and college graduates, all groups where a majority called college very important in 2019.
For parents trying to navigate the cost of college before a child enrolls, the doubt on value now reaches nearly every household type.
The Disconnect With People Closest To College
The Gallup poll did flag a gap between public opinion and personal experience. The Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education Study found that 73% of adults without a degree or credential say earning a two-year or four-year degree is at least as important as it was 20 years ago, along with 69% of college graduates.
Most parents also say they would prefer their child pursue a two- or four-year degree right after high school, which suggests Americans question college in the abstract while still planning on it for their own kids, a split that shows up in the case for and against a degree as a good investment.
How This Connects
The importance numbers line up with Gallup’s July reading on trust, when confidence in higher education fell to 38%, down from 57% in 2015.
They also land as federal policy pushes more options outside the four-year track, including new Workforce Pell Grants for short-term job training programs and federal student loan changes rolling out from 2026 through 2028.
What’s Next
The open question is whether attitudes turn into behavior. Watch fall 2026 enrollment counts, FAFSA filing volume for the 2027-28 school year, and early uptake of Workforce Pell, especially as borrowers adjust to what’s changing for student loans in 2026.
Editor: Colin Graves
The post Record-Low 31% Of Americans Say College Is “Very Important,” Gallup Finds appeared first on The College Investor.
Could mortgage rates hit 9%? One economist lays out the scenario
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.5% as Hepp spoke, a level that reflects the sustained pressure long-term Treasury yields have placed on home lending costs throughout this rate cycle.
That pressure stems from structural forces that Fed policy cannot easily reverse: expanding fiscal deficits, rising term premiums, shifting global capital flows, and evolving investor appetite for US debt.
As those dynamics have taken hold, bond yields have pushed mortgage rates higher in ways that have surprised many in the industry, reinforcing Hepp’s point about where brokers and their clients need to focus their attention.
What it would actually take to reach 9%
Hepp addressed the headline scenario — 9% mortgage rates — but was direct about what it would require.
“It’s possible that mortgage rates go up to 9%, but it’s really not our base case scenario,” she said. “It’s more of a severe scenario in which Treasuries go up to 6% or 7% and that would be really triggered by several major disruptions.”
FlyDubai co-pilot used cockpit’s crash axe to try seizing control of flight and was barred by Oman
The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound flight with an axe and trying to seize the controls was an Omani national who had been barred from flying on his country’s airline because of concerns about extremist views, officials said Saturday.
The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and a Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation, said the co-pilot attacked with the cockpit’s crash axe and tried to take control of the plummeting plane in a “terrorist attack” Wednesday. His actions nearly crashed the flight with 182 people on board before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him.
The new details raised questions about how thoroughly FlyDubai vets potential employees, and how the co-pilot’s presence on a flight filled with Israeli passengers got past Israel’s strict security protocols.
Israel has said it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots of nations without diplomatic ties from flying there. Israel and Oman don’t have formal diplomatic relations. The UAE government has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses.
The incident occurred at a sensitive time for Israel, a week before the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. It also came weeks before a highly contentious election in which security, and Oct. 7 security failures, have been central issues.
FlyDubai hired the co-pilot after Oman Air barred him
Separately, a regional official and a person familiar with the matter said the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns that he had adopted extremist views. The official said he was moved to an administrative job at Oman Air. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They gave no details about the alleged extremist views.
The co-pilot was later hired by UAE-based airline FlyDubai, the person said. It wasn’t immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot was vetted. The Gulf diplomat said he had undergone standard security checks before being hired, but it appears that the checks focused on whether he had been convicted of criminal charges and didn’t go deeper into examining his background for potential signs of radicalization.
The regional official also said security agencies from four regional countries were working to establish the co-pilot’s motives, aided by the United States and other Western governments. The Gulf diplomat said investigations were trying to establish whether the co-pilot acted alone or “has any connection with any extremist groups.”
The regional official said the co-pilot was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian. He obtained Omani nationality from his father, also an Omani national. The regional official also said the co-pilot had traveled to Syria, with no details.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” but provided no evidence. There was no immediate comment Saturday from Israel’s government.
A social media account was deleted the day of the flight
A FlyDubai spokesperson said in an email that the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged “there are many questions at this stage.” There was no immediate comment from Oman Air, and Oman’s government has said nothing publicly in response to repeated questions since the incident.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national carrier, said the co-pilot “completed a three-month theoretical training period with the airline in 2025, as part of the pre-employment process. At the end of this training period, his application was not selected for employment.” There were no details.
Keith Coles, a spokesperson for Buckinghamshire New University in England, told the AP that al-Hammami previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management there but “did not undertake any pilot training.” There were no details on the timing.
Little else was immediately known about the co-pilot’s background. His Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and then deleted.
Captain and passengers have described drama on board
Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit that could be used in an emergency to break open a window to escape or break open a panel to access a fire.
The captain, who was badly wounded, has said he used his remaining energy while being attacked to unlock the cockpit door, allowing people who had noticed alarming sounds to come in, tackle the co-pilot and stabilize the flight while passengers screamed.
The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a descent so extreme that part of the rudder was torn away, and aviation experts have marveled that it didn’t crash. FlyDubai has said crew traveling on the plane helped to stabilize it and land. They haven’t been publicly identified.
Both the captain and co-pilot were later taken to the UAE. The passengers, most of them Israeli, flew home later Wednesday on a separate plane, to cheers.
Bank of America Air France/KLM FlyingBlue Card 70,000 Signup Bonus + 100 XP (Plus, Enhanced Benefits)
Update 10/2/26: Available again, but not nearly as good as the recent 100k + 100 XP deal.
Update 7/22/26: Available again, also the 60k + $100 + 100 XP offer available via dummy booking as well. Hat tip to reader Nate.
The Offer
Direct link to offer | another link
- Bank of America is offering a sign up bonus on the AirFrance/KLM FlyingBlue credit card of 70,000 miles after $3,000 in spend within the first 90 days from account opening.
- You’ll also get a bonus of 40 XP after meeting the minimum spend. That’s on top of the standard 60 XP awarded upon approval. Total 100 XP.
They’ve also enhanced a few things about the card, generally. See Card Details, below.
Card Details
- Annual fee of $89
- Card earns at the following rates:
- 3x miles per $1 spent on AirFrance/KLM and Skyteam members
- NEW: 3x miles per $1 spent on Dining
- 1.5x miles per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 60 XP (Experience Points) upon approval
- 5,000 anniversary bonus miles when you spend at least $50 in your previous card member year
- Annual bonuses:
- 20 XP (Experience Points) on card anniversary
- NEW: an additional 80 XP if you spend $15,000 or more in your previous card member year
- NEW: Earn an additional 60 XP (totaling 160 XP) on the account anniversary after you spend $25,000 or more on purchases within the anniversary year.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Visa Signature benefits
Our Verdict
We saw the same 70k + 100 XP bonus last year. Some people are getting a dummy booking offer of 60k + 100 + $100, so you’ll have to decide which you prefer.
Note also the card is now Visa Signature, they added 3x Dining, and they added/changed the annual XP bonuses for spend.
If you want to apply for this card I’d recommend reading our post with all the things you should know about Bank of America credit cards first. We’ll add this to our List of Best Current Credit Card Signup Bonuses.
Hat tip to readers Jon and Fifthman
Energy Transfer’s 2020 Dividend Cut Still Haunts Some Investors. Here’s Whether That Risk Is Still Real.
“Once bitten, twice shy” is a common idiom that refers to a person who was hurt or disappointed once being much more cautious or hesitant to try something again (it’s the title of a song originally released in 1975 that gained some commercial success when it was covered in 1989).
“Once bitten, twice shy” is also an idiom common to dividend investors, who, after enduring one dividend cut from a company, are reluctant to allocate their hard-earned capital to those shares again.
So it’s understandable that Energy Transfer‘s (ET +1.84%) 2020 payout cut, one largely brought on by the need to conserve capital during the coronavirus pandemic, still weighs on some equity income investors.
Following a 2020 cut, Energy Transfer’s dividend is again growing and safe. Image source: Getty Images.
Investors should remember that with any dividend stock, there’s no such thing as a 100% guarantee against possible cuts. Several now-former Dividend Kings, or firms with dividend-increase streaks of at least 50 years, have been permanently shunned for paring payouts. For investors considering Energy Transfer, the good news is that a 2020 repeat isn’t imminent and appears unlikely in the long term.
Mending dividend fences
Following the October 2020 payout reduction, Energy Transfer’s annualized dividend slumped to $0.61 a share, or half the prior distribution. Fortunately, that didn’t last long. By the fourth quarter of 2021, the midstream company’s annualized dividend had risen to $0.70 per share, marking the beginning of a renewed commitment to payout growth.
Sporting a yield of 6.8%, Energy Transfer now has a streak of dividend increases spanning 19 quarters, or almost five years. No, that doesn’t erase a prior distribution cut, but that run goes a long way toward restoring investors’ confidence that this pipeline operator is committed to payout growth and safety.
Today’s Change
(1.84%) $0.37
Current Price
$20.47
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$70BMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.
Day’s Range
$19.98 – $20.50
52wk Range
$16.18 – $21.84
Volume
11.1M
Avg Vol
8.9M
Gross Margin
10.94%
Dividend Yield
6.57%
Speaking of safety, the data confirm it’s a long shot that Energy Transfer will be a dividend offender again anytime soon. At the end of the second quarter, the energy company had a distributable cash flow (DCF) coverage ratio of 2.2, implying the dividend isn’t a burden. DCF is an important metric because it measures pipeline companies’ cash generation relative to how much of that cash is paid out as dividends.
Investors who are experienced with master limited partnerships (MLPs) such as Energy Transfer know that, at a minimum, coverage ratios below 1 are potential warning signs. In contrast, ratios above one are the place to be. Energy Transfer more than doubles the preferred coverage ratio.
Debt trending the right way
One of the hallmarks of companies that deliver dividend dismay is high debt. Midstream is a capital-intensive industry, so it’s not uncommon for operators to carry liabilities that appear significant. To that end, what matters are the debt ratios.
Specific to Energy Transfer, its desired net debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) is 4x to 4.5x and stood at 4.4x at the end of last year. It could decline into the high 3s this year before stabilizing in the mid-3s. In plain English, the company’s debt ratio is heading in the right direction.
That’s vital information for investors because not only does Energy Transfer’s debt-reduction progress free up cash to grow the business or pursue deals, but it’s also potentially supportive of better credit ratings and long-term payout growth.
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION I CLASS 12 I Concept of Management (UNIT2)
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION I #businessadministration #class12
Nature of Management can be identified through study of management as Science, Art or Profession.
Management as Science
Management as an Art
Management as profession
Concepts and thoughts of management – Classical Approach, Neo Classical Approach, Contemporary Approach.
Classical Approach can be categorized into Scientific Management, Bureaucratic Theory, Administrative Theory
Scientific Management – It means knowing exactly what you want them to do and seeing that they do it in the best & cheapest way according to F.W. Taylor.
Administrative Theory – It constituted of 14 principles which were propounded by Henri Fayol.
Neo Classical Approach – This approach emphasized on human and social aspect of the worker instead of production.
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