Author: Money Mechanics

Article published at 9:15 a.m. CT.JJ Kinahan is Senior Vice President, Head of Retail Expansion and Alternative Investment Products at Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe).Key Takeaways:Western Digital and Sandisk weigh on chip stocksSpaceX’s first tranche of IPO lockup opensDiageo launches $1 billion restructuring planThe markets seem to be mostly taking a breather after an active period of trading prompted by earnings results. Most were stronger, but some offered forward guidance that seemed to disappoint investors, leading to downward pressure.In early trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is on track to touch another record close after five straight sessions to the…

Nearly half of baby boomers buying homes are making all-cash offers, according to a new report.Among boomers aged 71 to 79, 46% purchased their home without financing, while 39% of boomers aged 61 to 70 paid cash, according to the National Association of Realtors® 2026 Generational Trends Report.For comparison, 26% of all buyers paid cash for their home, a share that shrinks to just 3% for younger millennials and 7% for older millennials.Among baby boomers who did finance their homes, 26% of younger boomers and 35% of older boomers used financing to account for less than 50% of the cost…

Markets were mostly lower on Thursday as oil prices and interest rates rose amid uncertainty about the U.S. position on a deal between Oman and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. While we’re still seeing strong data from the earnings calendar, price action today reflected both high expectations, as well as concern for the future.The front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures contract was up 3.6% to $77.93 per barrel. The Islamic Republic’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Iran wants to ban American and Israeli ships from the Strait of Hormuz. Fars also said Iran is seeking compensation…

Emerald Wealth Partners, an independent asset and wealth management firm based in Zurich, released its Q2 2026 investor letter for the “Focused Equity Strategy.” A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Strategy reported a 0.8% gross return for the second quarter of 2026. Equity markets rallied after the first quarter’s Iran shock faded and oil prices reversed their spike, but the advance remained narrow and concentrated in cyclical semiconductor and memory stocks benefiting from supply constraints. The letter warned that investors were treating peak-cycle earnings as durable, while FOMO, IPO demand, and a US cyclically adjusted P/E ratio near…

The letter arrives unexpectedly in the mail, tucked among bills and junk mail, and many people are likely intrigued.A former employer has a proposition. The letter’s recipient is vested in a pension at their former workplace, and that pension is still on track to be paid every month for life once they reach a certain age.The employer has an offer: The person can take a one-time lump-sum amount now instead of future monthly pension payments. The window for making a decision comes with a deadline, so don’t wait too long to decide, the letter says. From just $107.88 $24.99 for…

Think you need $1 million or more to retire happily? You’re not alone. Northwestern Mutual’s 2026 Planning & Progress Study found that Americans think they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably. High-net-worth Americans think they need even more — an average of $2.67 million. Meanwhile, conventional wisdom says you should save at least 10 times your annual salary.But here’s the reality: many retirees do just fine with far less.You don’t have to spend your entire working life chasing a seven-figure benchmark. Combined with Social Security and smart estate planning, a retirement fund of $300,000 to $400,000 is often enough to…

Between the wildfires in Canada and those raging in Washington, it seems like wildfires are getting more common and widespread. If the news has you worried, there are two things to know.First, your home may be at a higher risk of fire than you think – especially if you’ve never given much thought to fireproofing before. Secondly, most of the best practices for making your home more resilient to fire are simple, DIY-friendly projects you can knock out in a weekend.While those in especially fire-prone zones might also need to look at bigger home upgrades like installing fire-rated siding and…

You found your dream home, the seller accepted your offer, and you’re eager to close on the sale. But as you finalize the paperwork, make sure you don’t overlook a policy that could prove invaluable down the road: owner’s title insurance. Without it, you could lose your home and the money you’ve put into it if someone else one day lays an ownership claim to the title — your legal right to own the property.Many home buyers assume that the title insurance their mortgage lender requires them to pay for at closing protects their interests. However, that policy applies only…

As more people in the U.S. remain in their homes as they grow older (“age in place”), the cost of making a home safer and more accessible can be a significant hurdle.A new proposal in Congress would ease that burden by creating a federal tax credit for older homeowners who invest in accessibility upgrades.The Senior Accessible Housing Tax Credit Act of 2026 would provide a credit of up to $10,000 for taxpayers age 60 and older who make qualifying improvements to help them remain safely and independently in their homes. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a…

My wife and I are expecting our third child later this year. When a client is expecting, I generally advise them to start thinking about their baby’s financial future right away.Trump Accounts allow parents to open an investment account on behalf of any children under age 18 who are U.S. citizens. If the child is born from 2025 through 2028, the government will deposit $1,000 into the account for your child.Thanks to philanthropic donations, an extra $250 will be deposited into the account if you live in a ZIP code with a median income below $150,000. From just $107.88 $24.99…