Author: Money Mechanics

Seven years after unveiling Mirror at TechCrunch Disrupt 2018, Brynn Putnam is returning to the stage where it all began. The serial entrepreneur who turned a fitness concept into a $500 million acquisition by Lululemon will debut her latest venture at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 at San Francisco’s Moscone West in October. Putnam’s path from that breakthrough Disrupt moment to today is a story of very smart timing. Mirror, the connected fitness device that brought boutique workout classes into homes, launched just as the pandemic created unprecedented demand for home fitness solutions. The timing proved so prescient that Lululemon acquired the…

Key Takeaways Nvidia shares climbed Monday after the chipmaker said it plans to invest up to $100 billion in ChatGPT maker OpenAI to build out AI data centers.Shares of several Nvidia partners and companies that make equipment to manufacture chips also rose.Nvidia and OpenAI said they expect to finalize the details of the partnership in the coming weeks. Nvidia and OpenAI’s business relationship is entering a new phase. The chipmaker at the heart of the AI boom and world’s most valuable company said Monday it plans to invest up to $100 billion in ChatGPT maker OpenAI to build out AI…

(Oil Price) – The Trump Administration is pushing the World Bank to boost funding for oil and gas in what would be a U-turn in the lender’s policy not to finance new fossil fuel projects. Back in 2017, the World Bank Group said it would no longer finance upstream oil and gas after 2019. But the group noted that “In exceptional circumstances, consideration will be given to financing upstream gas in the poorest countries where there is a clear benefit in terms of energy access for the poor and the project fits within the countries’ Paris Agreement commitments.” The U.S. Administration is now…

Key Takeaways Wedbush analysts raised their price target for Apple’s stock over the weekend, pointing to signs of stronger-than-expected demand for the iPhone 17.”The Street is clearly underestimating this iPhone cycle,” the analysts said, after a launch that raised worries among analysts that many consumers could wait for bigger design changes and AI features.Wedbush said the stock could also stand to get a big bump when Apple releases more details on its artificial intelligence strategy. Apple’s iPhone 17 is turning some heads on Wall Street with signs of surprisingly strong demand, after a lackluster launch. Shares of the stock added…

Key Takeaways Shares of a test equipment firm soared on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, while reports of a looming announcement from Trump administration officials weighed on a consumer health stock.Teradyne shares surged after a research firm boosted its price target on the chip equipment provider, citing strong demand trends.Shares of Tylenol maker Kenvue dropped following reports that health officials plan to link the medication to increased autism risk. Shares of a semiconductor testing company rose Monday after an analyst highlighted strong demand trends and collaboration with a major chip-industry player. Meanwhile, reports of an impending product safety announcement dragged down…

Key Takeaways The Federal Reserve cut interest rates last week and may lower them again this fall. That could mean lower returns on savings accounts.Connexus Credit Union, open nationwide and easy to join, is offering a rare trio of deals that can boost what you earn on your cash.These include 5% interest on a checking account, a $300 cash bonus, and a 4.60% certificate of deposit (CD)—one of the top CD rates currently available across the U.S.You can increase your total return by combining two or more of these offers, as long as you meet the account requirements. The full…

For many Americans nearing retirement, the home is more than where memories are made; it is often the single largest financial asset they own. Yet while homeowners may be “house rich,” they frequently feel “cash poor,” especially when large expenses strike, or income sources fall short. While purchasing a home it is often about “location, location, location” but in retirement the home should be equally about “cash flow, cash flow, cash flow.” In retirement, the home must balance lifestyle with retirement income cash flow. The key challenge: how can retirees unlock the hidden housing wealth without compromising long-term stability?Fortunately, housing…

For the second year in a row, China (including Hong Kong) and India had the second- and third-highest number of billionaires with 516 and 205, respectively. India’s Mukesh Ambani was the 18th-richest billionaire with $92.5 billion, while TikTok co-founder Zhang Yiming of China was the 23rd-richest person with a net worth of $65.5 billion. A total of 288 new billionaires entered the list in 2025, including some famous names: Bruce Springsteen, with a net worth of $1.2 billionArnold Schwarzenegger, with a net worth of $1.1 billionJerry Seinfeld, with a net worth of $1.1 billion Forbes has been publishing its list…

Key Takeaways Millennials are surpassing their parents in retirement account participation. 401(k)s are a favorite retirement vehicle for millennials. The automatic enrollment option has significantly increased the number of 401(k) participants. Millennials face significant financial challenges, including child care costs, student loan debt, and rising housing costs. Millennials are diving headfirst into saving for retirement. In 2016, 59.3% of baby boomers held retirement savings accounts. By 2022, the boomer participation rate had dropped to 57%, while their millennial-aged children had surpassed them, with a participation rate of 61.5%.  Today’s workers have more retirement plan options than their predecessors. The 401(k)…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.If you can’t make it, buy it. Pfizer is following this principle with the zeal of a late convert.Having failed to bring its own experimental weight-loss pill danuglipron to market, the New York-based drugmaker announced a deal to buy Metsera, a biotech that specialises in next-generation obesity drugs, for as much as $7.3bn. For investors who have watched Pfizer’s market valuation plummet from a peak of more than $342bn in 2021 to just $141bn, any move is long overdue. Indeed, the drugmaker’s shares…