Hawaii ranks No. 1 for well-being of those over 55

Hawaii has the highest well-being ranking for people 55 and older, according to a new study.

The inaugural Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index for older Americans, compiled in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, is based on self-reported data in more than 114,000 interviews with people 55 and older.

The interviews focused on five elements of well-being: purpose, social, financial, community and physical. Hawaii ranked No. 1 in community and physical, No. 2 in purpose, No. 7 in financial and No. 20 in social well-being.

Montana ranked second, South Dakota was third and Alaska and Iowa filled out the top five. West Virginia ranked last among the 50 states.

Group to honor L&L founder Flores

L&L Franchise Inc. President and CEO Eddie Flores Jr. will be honored by a national nonprofit organization at a gala Thursday in Los Angeles.

The group Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics will honor Flores for his leadership and accomplishments, in furtherance of LEAP’s mission to achieve full participation and equality for Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Flores is the first Hawaii businessman to be honored by the organization.

As founder of L&L Drive-Inn and franchised locations operating as L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Flores has led expansion of the Hawaii-based chain to some 200 locations in Hawaii, the mainland, Guam, China, Japan, Indonesia and New Zealand.

Flores, also a community leader, recently was installed as president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

Investors look to earnings to buoy stocks

NEW YORK » After fretting over a Greek bailout, a collapse in Chinese stocks and the timing of an interest rate increase, investors are hoping U.S. corporate earnings will bring more reassuring news this month.

Companies have started to report second-quarter results, and early announcements bode well for investors unnerved by worrisome headlines and a shaky U.S. stock market.

Aluminum company Alcoa, one of the first big companies to report earnings, announced July 8 that its earnings edged up from a year ago. A day later PepsiCo said higher sales from Frito-Lay helped its earnings beat expectations.

Oil released by Iran deal could hit prices

Oil prices that slumped steeply earlier this year might take another hit once a historic deal between the West and Iran allows that country to start pouring more crude into a market already brimming with supply.

Many analysts estimate that Iran, OPEC’s fourth-largest oil producer, has piled up tens of millions of barrels on floating barges that can be exported in fairly short order after sanctions have been lifted.

The country will follow that with increased production from its oil fields.

Honda settles in discrimination case

LOS ANGELES » Honda reached a settlement Tuesday to resolve allegations that the company discriminated against minority car buyers by marking up interest rates on loans, a practice industry experts describe as common because of the discretion given to individual dealerships.

The Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accused Honda dealers of charging higher interest rates to thousands of black, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander customers than white car buyers.

ON THE MOVE

The Plaza Assisted Living (The Plaza) has hired Ann Batterman as the new resident relations manager for the Plaza at Wai­kiki, which is scheduled to open in the fall. Her responsibilities include developing and maintaining positive relationships with residents and their family members as well as assisting them throughout the admission proc­ess. Batterman has more than 15 years of sales experience and customer service in various industries.

Boy Scouts of America Aloha Council has elected Barry K. Tani­gu­chi as the new president as well as the board chairman, a voluntary position. He was previously a KTA Super Stores’ chairman and chief executive officer.