A look at the events that are sure to make the market move next week — the final week of 2019!
Illinois is ringing in the new year by legalizing pot. On January 1st, residents that are at least 21 years old will legally be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana flower, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate and products infused with half a gram of THC. Non-residents will be allowed to purchase half of those amounts. Stores are planning to open their doors as early as 6am Wednesday to manage the anticipated rush.
Next week is a big travel week as the holiday season comes to a close. AAA says a record 115.6 million Americans will have traveled between December 21st and Wednesday, January 1st. More than 90 percent will travel by car, the most on record. But AAA doesn't expect many delays from the influx in travelers — unless you're in big cities like New York or Washington DC. Traffic in those cities will triple next week.
There's also been a 5% jump in air travel, the biggest year-over-year increase since AAA began tracking this data in 2000.
Not everyone was happy with their holiday presents this year. On January 2nd, National Returns Day, people are expected to deposit 1.9 million packages according to UPS. That's an increase of 26% from last year. Thursday is set to mark the seventh consecutive record National Rreturns Day, following growing e-commerce gift purchases. A rise in returns spells out bad news for retailers, costing up to millions of dollars in lost sales.
Apple recently acquired augmented reality company Mira following its launch of the Vision Pro headset. Cheddar News explains how Apple is looking to tap into the AR market long dominated by Meta.
Fiserv President and Chief Executive Frank Bisignano spoke to Cheddar News about what the transfer to the New York Stock Exchange means for his company and how Fiserve plans to use its partnership with the exchange in the fintech space. "We do believe that we could do a lot here creatively with the stock exchange," he said. "
It's never too early to save for retirement but many people don't have access to an employer-sponsored plan. Pratik Patel, managing director and head of family wealth strategies for BMO Family Office, joined Cheddar News to discuss other options to ensure safe retirement.
Joe Mazzola, director of trading and education with Charles Schwab, joined Cheddar News to discuss Wednesday's trading session as markets closed mixed.
Summer camps across the country will open this month, but parents may experience some sticker shock. With the cost of goods and services rising, so is the price of camp. Cheddar’s Ashley Mastronardi spoke to experts who shed some light on how this will affect your wallet.
