consumer

A person pulling credit cards out of a wallet.

Proposed federal rule would lower credit card late fees

BY: - February 7, 2023

As Americans continue to struggle with high credit card rates, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed a rule to help lessen some of their financial burden — in the form of lower late fees. The new rule would limit late fees to $8. Currently credit card companies can charge as high as $41 — […]

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (left) and Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe) talk before Hutchinson presents his fiscal year 2024 state budget at the Nov. 10, 2022, meeting of the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee. (Photo courtesy of Gov. Asa Hutchinson)

Economists predict ‘mild recession’ as Arkansas gears up for 2023 legislative session

BY: - January 2, 2023

A mild recession and a holiday spending hangover. That’s what economic forecasters predict for 2023 as lawmakers head to the state Capitol in January.   Rising interest rates and persistent inflation will push the economy into a downturn, experts say, and those economic clouds could also cause the 94th General Assembly to consider any robust spending programs […]

Photo of pigs in a feedlot to illustrate story about USDA grants to small meatpacking operations.

USDA gives $73 million to create, expand smaller livestock processors

BY: - November 2, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its first grant awards on Wednesday — totaling about $73 million — to increase the processing capacity of smaller, independent meatpackers in 16 states. They range from a $292,000 grant to provide independent Montana farmers with a USDA-inspected meat processing facility — which is required to sell the products […]