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Mobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a "state of credit card report" for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use digital wallets more frequently than traditional payment methods. To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card. From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card. The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet. The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use. But again, these days it's not just about the rewards. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer immediate access to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet. Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases. Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away. As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer a more efficient way to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don't use often. They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders' status and arrival time. Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called tokenization when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted "token" that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible. And again, because a mobile wallet doesn't require you to have your physical cards present, there's less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse. More From NerdWallet Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com . The article Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet Step originally appeared on NerdWallet.niceph 33 。

Iran names new ambassador to Afghanistan

'Improvise, adapt, overcome'

Oklahoma's throwback offensive approach against Alabama gets LSU's attentionThe world’s “most expensive banana,” as dubbed by some media outlets, has just been sold at Sotheby’s in New York. The collectibles broker auctioned a viral 2019 artwork by Italian artist and prankster Maurizio Cattelan on Wednesday and sold it for a whopping $6.2 million. The piece of conceptual art titled ‘Comedian’ involves a banana duct-taped to a wall. The artwork gained prominence back in 2019 when it was first displayed at Art Basel Miami Beach. At that time, it was priced at between $120,000 and $150,000. An image of a duct-taped banana went viral on social media at that time. A performance artist, David Datuna, also ripped the fruit off the wall and ate it at that time. Eventually, the exhibit was removed altogether. The work also became a media sensation and appeared on the cover of the New York Post at that time. Cattelan himself called his art piece a satirical jab at market speculation, questioning the origin of a value ascribed to an object in an art system. In total, Cattelan created three editions of this artwork; all of them were sold. One of them was then presented to the Guggenheim Collection by an anonymous donor, with the other two remaining in private hands. One of the two remaining owners then decided to resell it and that is how it ended up with Sotheby’s, according to CNBC. The piece of art was eventually purchased by Justin Sun, a Chinese-born entrepreneur and investor who owns a crypto exchange and the TRON blockchain ecosystem. The businessman made the highest bid in a heated battle against six other potential buyers, according to CNBC. The entrepreneur himself said on X (formerly Twitter) that he purchased the artwork for $6.2 million. “I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve bought the banana,” he wrote, calling the art piece a “cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.” Sun also expressed his hope that “this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history,” adding that he looked “forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world.” I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve bought the banana🍌 !!! @SpaceX @Sothebys I am Justin Sun, and I’m excited to share that I have successfully acquired Maurizio Cattelan’s iconic work, Comedian for $6.2 million. This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon... pic.twitter.com/lAj1RE6y0C The businessman also revealed that he was planning to “personally eat the banana” in the coming days “as part of this unique artistic experience.” Except, according to the media, the man did not get the fruit itself. For his $6 million, Sun would get a roll of duct tape, instructions on how to “install” the banana and a certificate guaranteeing the authenticity of the original work by Cattelan, multiple reports said, adding that the banana would need to be constantly changed anyway since it quickly rots. According to CNBC, the fact that the price of the art piece was derived from a certificate and not from the object itself made it similar to an NFT in the eyes of the crypto community. A non-fungible token or NFT is a unique digital identifier that is recorded on a blockchain used to prove ownership or authenticity of an object.Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations

Target Co. ( NYSE:TGT – Free Report ) – Roth Capital lowered their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Target in a research report issued on Thursday, November 21st. Roth Capital analyst W. Kirk now expects that the retailer will post earnings per share of $2.16 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.45. The consensus estimate for Target’s current full-year earnings is $9.55 per share. Roth Capital also issued estimates for Target’s Q2 2026 earnings at $2.76 EPS. Target ( NYSE:TGT – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The retailer reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.30 by ($0.45). Target had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 33.10%. The business had revenue of $25.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.87 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.10 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Read Our Latest Report on Target Target Stock Performance NYSE TGT opened at $125.01 on Friday. Target has a 52-week low of $120.21 and a 52-week high of $181.86. The stock has a market cap of $57.59 billion, a PE ratio of 12.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $151.27 and a 200-day moving average of $149.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.90. Target Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. Target’s payout ratio is presently 46.28%. Insider Buying and Selling at Target In related news, insider Richard H. Gomez sold 6,348 shares of Target stock in a transaction on Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.17, for a total transaction of $997,715.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 123,551 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,418,510.67. This trade represents a 4.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Also, CAO Matthew A. Liegel sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.13, for a total transaction of $153,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,114,173.88. The trade was a 12.08 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have sold 52,348 shares of company stock worth $8,290,995. Insiders own 0.15% of the company’s stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Target A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Target by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,684 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $257,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Invst LLC boosted its stake in Target by 2.4% during the third quarter. Invst LLC now owns 11,760 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,833,000 after acquiring an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Target in the third quarter valued at $326,000. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group raised its holdings in shares of Target by 234.3% during the third quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 7,237 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,159,000 after purchasing an additional 5,072 shares during the period. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Target by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 8,140 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,269,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares in the last quarter. 79.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Target Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Target Corporation operates as a general merchandise retailer in the United States. The company offers apparel for women, men, boys, girls, toddlers, and infants and newborns, as well as jewelry, accessories, and shoes; and beauty and personal care, baby gear, cleaning, paper products, and pet supplies. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Target How to Plot Fibonacci Price Inflection Levels Tesla Investors Continue to Profit From the Trump Trade Investing in Commodities: What Are They? How to Invest in Them MicroStrategy’s Stock Dip vs. Coinbase’s Potential Rally What is the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index? Netflix Ventures Into Live Sports, Driving Stock Momentum Receive News & Ratings for Target Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Target and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — One week after President-elect Donald Trump shocked Florida by naming U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz as his pick for attorney general, Gaetz has withdrawn his nomination. The week since Gaetz’s nomination has been dominated by talk of a House ethics investigation into allegations Gaetz had sex with a minor. 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