Economy

BUDAPEST (Reuters) -European leaders meeting in Budapest on Thursday urged Donald Trump from afar to avoid trade wars, maintain support for Ukraine and to refrain from unsettling the global order following his victory in the U.S. presidential election.Trump’s win is a major challenge for Europe, opening an era of huge uncertainty at a time when the continent is already grappling for unity and its two biggest powers, Germany – whose government just broke apart – and France, are weakened.Trump’s relationship with his European peers was tense and rocky for much of his first term, and his return to power brings uncertainty over U.S. backing for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, the U.S. commitment to the NATO military alliance and the prospect of tariffs on exports to the United States.”I trust the American society,” European Council chief Charles Michel said as he and others urged Trump to continue to support Ukraine, as they arrived at a meeting of nearly 50 European leaders in Budapest.”They know it is in their interest to show firmness when we engage with authoritarian regimes. If the United States were weak with Russia, what would it mean for China?”European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was now up to the European Union to be united. No EU member state on their own can manage the upcoming challenges, she said.On Ukraine, she said: “It is in all our interests that the autocrats of this world get a very clear message that is not the right of might, that the rule of law is important.”HOPE TO AVOID TRADE WARMany of the leaders said they were looking forward to working with Trump. The summit host, Hungary’s rightwing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, is one of Trump’s few close allies among European leaders, and has said he would pop champagne corks if Trump won. Diplomats have speculated that Orban might arrange for Trump to address the European leaders by video link.But others were blunt about concerns, including over trade and Trump’s brusque treatment of allies.”President Trump is known sometimes for a degree of unpredictability, a degree of volatility, so we need dialogue,” Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden said. “We will seek dialogue, but we will not give up our principles.”Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said he was concerned about the prospect of a trade war: “It should not be allowed to happen,” he said. “Let’s now try to influence the U.S. and Trump’s future policy so that he understands the risks involved.”Adding to the uncertainty hanging over the Budapest gatherings, Germany’s three-party government broke apart on Wednesday evening as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a general election.”One thing is for sure, Europe is not strong without a strong Germany,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said.The summit will first include a meeting of leaders of the wider European Political Community which includes non-EU states such as Britain, expected to renew their commitment to support Ukraine, before sessions on migration and economic security.Mark Rutte, head of NATO, said it was important to see Ukraine as a problem that extends beyond Europe, describing Russia’s partnership with North Korea as “a threat, not only to the European part of NATO, but also to the U.S.”In the evening the EU’s 27 leaders will weigh transatlantic relations, as well as Georgia, where the ruling Georgian Dream party, seen as increasingly pro-Russian, claimed victory in a disputed Oct. 26 election. The EU has frozen Georgia’s membership bid over concerns about democratic backsliding. More

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A couple of years ago, Amanda Coffee and her husband were poring over her company’s open enrollment options, when she noticed an intriguing legal benefit.“The benefit cost roughly $200 for a year of legal services, which is a lot less than contracting a lawyer on our own,” says Coffee, 38, who is a New York City communications consultant. “We opted into the benefit and took advantage to draft a will and trust.”The savings? Roughly $4,000.But when benefits season rolls around, most people are not paying careful attention to their choices like Coffee. In fact, about half of benefits-eligible American workers spend less than 20 minutes reviewing all options, according to a survey by Voya Financial (NYSE:VOYA).That means you could be leaving money on the table.Here are two good reasons not just to check the same boxes as last year: First, your company might be rolling out new benefits, and second, your own life might be changing in important ways. So do a little fortune-telling and figure out what Future You might require.“Maybe you have an upcoming planned procedure, like a knee replacement,” says Tim O’Connor, a vice president at Prudential (LON:PRU) who leads group insurance enrollment and engagement strategy. “Or maybe you are starting a family. If you know what’s coming, you can help cover a lot of those costs.”Keep in mind the clock is ticking, since most companies like to wrap open enrollment up by Thanksgiving. Here are the three benefits that warrant a closer look. FUND A HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTHSAs are “one of the most commonly overlooked benefits,” says Alyson Basso, a financial planner in Middleton, Massachusetts.HSAs are typically offered in conjunction with high-deductible health plans, as a way to defray healthcare expenses. They do that by being triple-tax-advantaged: Pre-tax contributions, tax-free earnings, and tax-free withdrawals, as long as you use the money for qualifying expenses.Because you can actually invest the money, an HSA can essentially act as an additional retirement account as unused funds roll over year after year – for instance, if you have maxed out your 401(k) or IRA. But only 3% of working Americans even understand the full benefits of an HSA, according to the Voya Financial survey.OPEN A DEPENDENT CARE FSAAny parent knows the cost of raising a kid these days is astronomical. Prepare to budget an eye-popping $237,482 from birth to age 18, according to one estimate from LendingTree — and that is not even counting college.So would you like to save around 30% on costs like daycare or preschool, babysitting, or summer day camps? You can – using a dependent care FSA (flexible spending account), for kids under 13. For singles or married couples filing jointly, the current annual maximum contribution is $5,000.“For working families with children, a dependent care FSA is invaluable—especially since most incur at least $5,000 in dependent care expenses annually,” says Spenser Liszt, a financial planner in Dallas. “It’s a great way to avoid taxes on a necessary family expense.”  GET INSURED TO THE HILTFor individuals looking to take out their own policies for life, short-term or long-term disability or liability, costs can often be prohibitive.But if your company is offering policies through open enrollment, it can be a game-changer, thanks to group rates that make such policies much more affordable. With liability, for instance, you could get millions in extra coverage, in case you are ever on the receiving end of a lawsuit.“One of the most undersubscribed benefits I see is disability insurance,” says Cathleen Tobin, a financial planner in Rhinebeck, New York. “Group coverage through an employer costs employees almost nothing – and can be a financial lifesaver if it’s ever needed.” More

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NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India is open to offering easier market access for U.S. firms if Washington reciprocates under President-elect Donald Trump, who has long called out New Delhi for its high tariffs, sources aware of the matter said.Trump, who made a stunning political comeback four years after being voted out of the White House, recently labelled India a “very big abuser” of trade ties, vowing to raise tariffs on all imports by the United States during his campaign.During his first term as president from 2017 to 2021, Trump warred with the South Asian nation over tariffs but shared a healthy relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Closer to the end of his time in the White House, India and the United States agreed to negotiate a limited accord, in an effort to bridge their differences.”India is open to lowering tariffs for entry of U.S. companies if that means better trade terms for Indian goods,” said one of the sources aware of the government’s thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity.The South Asian nation could lower import tariffs in sectors such as automobiles, the source added.”We had a fairly good convergence during his first term in office,” said Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who was India’s ambassador to Washington during Trump’s first term.”I think his second term will be even better because the two sides have developed a certain amount of mutual understanding and respect, especially at the level of the leaders.” India had almost concluded a mini trade deal during Trump’s first term but for the COVID-19 pandemic, the retired diplomat added. “So, there is a scope to conclude a free trade agreement under Trump II.”New Delhi is not too worried about the fate of its trade ties with Washington in Trump’s coming term, the sources said, with China largely front and centre for his tariff threats.Trump’s approach to trade matters is transactional, which New Delhi believes helps in talks, another source, who is a senior government official, said days before Trump won the election.India’s external affairs and trade ministries did not immediately reply to mails seeking comment. STEADY PROGRESSModi, who flaunts warm ties with Trump, was of one the first world leaders to speak to him by telephone after his historic win. Despite criticising India on trade, Trump called Modi “fantastic” during his campaign.The Indian leader also had good relations with Democratic presidents such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden.The White House rolled out the red carpet for him last year, touting deals on defence and commerce as Washington increasingly views New Delhi as a counterweight to China’s growing regional influence.Regardless of who occupies the White House, trade ties between the two nations have grown steadily over the last decade. The United States is India’s top export destination, with goods and services exports of $120 billion in 2023. More

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany’s opposition conservatives urged Chancellor Olaf Scholz to allow a vote of confidence immediately and hold elections in January, the day after his rocky three-way coalition collapsed and plunged the country into political turmoil.The coalition fell apart on Wednesday when years of tensions reached their peak in a row over how to plug a multi-billion-euro hole in the budget and how to revive Europe’s largest economy, which is headed for its second year of contraction.The break-up creates a leadership vacuum at the heart of Europe just as it seeks to form a united response to Tuesday’s election of Republican Donald Trump to a second term as U.S. president on issues ranging from possible new U.S. trade tariffs to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the future of the NATO alliance.Scholz, of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), said he fired his finance minister from the fiscally conservative Free Democrats (FDP) for opposing his plan to suspend the debt brake again in order to raise more funds for Ukraine and the economy.That led to the FDP withdrawing from the government, leaving Scholz’s SPD and the Greens. The chancellor said he would hold a confidence vote in January, which he would likely lose, triggering new elections by the end of March – six months ahead of elections originally scheduled for September.Joerg Kukies, a top official in the German chancellery and close SPD ally of Scholz, will be named finance minister, a government spokesperson said on Thursday.Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition conservatives who are leading in nationwide polls, called for a vote of confidence immediately, “by the beginning of next week at the latest”.Elections could take place in the second half of January next year, Merz said. His comments were echoed by other opposition parties.”We simply cannot afford to have a government without a majority in Germany for several months now, followed by an election campaign for several more months and then possibly several weeks of coalition negotiations,” he told reporters.”Time is of the essence.”German industry, reeling from high costs and fierce Asian competition, also urged Berlin on Thursday to hold snap elections as soon as possible.”Especially in these challenging times, we need a solution-oriented federal government capable of taking action,” said Wolfgang Grosse Entrup, who heads the VCI lobby group for Germany’s key pharma and chemicals sector. “We cannot afford a months-long standstill and political deadlock.”BLESSING IN DISGUISE?Merz said he would urge Scholz to speed up the confidence vote in his meeting with him scheduled for midday.Scholz may have to heed those calls given that, due to his coalition’s demise, he will have to rely on cobbled-together parliamentary majorities to pass any serious measures.The political crisis comes at a critical juncture for Germany, with a flatlining economy, aging infrastructure and an unprepared military. But it could also be a “blessing” given the tensions that had plagued this coalition, the first of its kind at national level, said ING economist Carsten Brzeski.”Elections and a new government could and should end the current paralysis of an entire country and offer new and clear policy guidance and certainty,” he said.The rise of both leftist and rightist populism in Germany, as elsewhere in Europe, however, means that even with new elections, the country could struggle to form a coherent coalition with a strong parliamentary majority.Currently the opposition conservatives are polling first nationwide on twice the support for the SPD. A poll published by Forsa on Tuesday put the conservatives on 33%, followed by the SPD and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) tied on 16%.The Greens follow on 10%, with the new populist leftist BSW on 6% – with the FDP and far-left Left party no longer reaching the 5% threshold to enter parliament. More

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