Author: Money Mechanics

The main stock indexes were lower on Monday as oil prices and interest rates surged amid what looks more and more like a stalemate at the Strait of Hormuz. Investors, traders and speculators cast wary eyes on the Middle East ahead of the release of consumer and producer inflation data on Wednesday and Thursday.A cooler-than-expected July jobs report lifted odds the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will stay on pause when it meets again in September. Price action shifted back in favor of a rate hike today, though, as it appeared any durable peace in the Middle East will leave…

Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps let you transfer money to friends and family in just a few taps, making them one of the most popular ways to exchange money. But while these apps are convenient, they aren’t all the same.  Understanding how P2P payment apps work, what they cost, and the security features they offer can help you choose the right one and avoid costly mistakes. What is a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment app? Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps let you send and receive money from friends and family members using your bank account, debit card, or a balance you carry on the…

Job seekers wait in line for free resume preparation services as they attend a Inspire Together job and resource fair in Los Angeles, California, July 29, 2026.Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesJob growth isn’t expected to show much improvement in July, with payrolls and the unemployment rate likely holding relatively steady and economists looking through the headline numbers for further clues about labor market health.Nonfarm payrolls are expected to post a gain of just 83,000, with the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.2%. That would come off a slow June, which saw an increase of just 57,000 jobs.Outside the…

Competing Android app stores are now back on Google Play in the U.S., and Aptoide is the first to take advantage of the new option. On Monday, the Portugal-based app distributor brought its games store back to Google Play after more than a decade, crediting the loosening of restrictions that had been criticized as anticompetitive. For the first time in many years, U.S. users will be able to install a competitor to Google’s Android app store directly from Google Play itself, a milestone in terms of opening the app market to more competition. Aptoide’s independent app store is one of…

(World Oil) – ADNOC Gas has taken final investment decisions (FID) on the next phases of its Rich Gas Development (RGD) project, awarding $8.2 billion in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts that will expand natural gas processing capacity and support the company’s long-term growth strategy. The awards include a $3.9 billion Phase 2 contract to Wison Engineering and a $4.3 billion Phase 3 contract to Tecnimont. Combined with the $5 billion Phase 1 investment announced in 2025, total investment in the RGD program now stands at $13.2 billion. The investment prompted ADNOC Gas to increase its long-term growth outlook, raising its targeted EBITDA growth to 60% by 2030 compared with 2023 levels, up from…

Article published at 9:30 a.m. CTJJ Kinahan is Senior Vice President, Head of Retail Expansion and Alternative Investment Products at Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe).Key Takeaways:Markets calm after hectic weekMarket expects flat CPI results WednesdaySpaceX options interest on the upsideThe markets are barely budging in early trading after the strongest week we’ve seen since April, spurred by robust momentum in artificial intelligence and earnings beats coupled with disappointing employment numbers – easing interest rate hike fears – that helped the market finish strongly to the upside.The S&P 500 Index is sliding lower after notching two record high closings and one…

June inflation reports gave Wall Street something it hadn’t seen in a while: negative month-over-month readings. These came as energy prices slumped on a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.It’s unlikely that we’ll see similar readings when the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) is released Wednesday morning, considering oil prices surged more than 20% last month as peace talks between Washington and Tehran fell apart.Unless a new ceasefire can be agreed upon, expect inflation to rise again, writes David Payne, staff economist and reporter for The Kiplinger Letter, in the Kiplinger inflation outlook. He anticipates the 12-month inflation rate will…

Wealth Wise is Kiplinger’s advice column on navigating retirement-related dilemmas. Got a question? See below for how to send it to us.Dear Wealth Wise: My partner and I are both 75, with an approximate net worth of $1.5 million. I am retired and he is still working. When he retires, we will both have fairly generous pensions and Social Security. Right now, we have a fairly aggressive portfolio with a tenth of it invested in a momentum tech stock. We are around 60% stocks and 40% fixed income (the classic 60/40 portfolio). The fixed income is primarily held in bonds…

In the past three to four decades, many successful real estate developers, sponsors, syndicators and operators have built substantial portfolios of commercial real estate using high-net-worth investor capital.Through careful acquisitions, development expertise, market appreciation and operational oversight, these sponsors have amassed portfolios worth tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars.While this success story is one that many real estate entrepreneurs aspire to achieve, it often creates an entirely new set of challenges later in life. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4…

Many successful families have a high degree of confidence in their financial plans. They’ve saved well, invested thoughtfully, purchased insurance, built equity in a home, created an estate plan and worked hard to provide stability for the people they love.But there is one area that can still catch even the most prepared affluent families off guard: The cost and complexity of future care.The issue is not simply whether a family has enough assets. The real question is whether those assets are organized, accessible and structured in a way that can support care decisions if health, mobility or cognitive capacity changes.…