Author: Money Mechanics

“People want to live their money,” Pete Dorsey, financial industry veteran and co-founder of the new AI-based financial planning and investment app, Wing, told me. “They don’t want to just accumulate over time.”No, they don’t, and that’s inconvenient, considering that perpetual accumulation has been the financial industry’s model for at least a hundred years. Is this winning the game, or not?gettyLet’s face it, the financial industry doesn’t profit from helping people spend their money, but by helping them pile it up. And that’s a shame, because the emotional benefits of accumulation pale in comparison to the joy of intentional living,…

A bright yellow toy with a cheerful squeak, the rubber duck has long been linked to children’s playtime. But what if that little duck could also help you uncover surprising questions about your retirement tax plan?If the idea sounds strange, you might not have spoken with a computer programmer in recent decades.A book, “The Pragmatic Programmer,” written in 1999 by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas, tells how a rubber duck can help solve some pretty sophisticated issues. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free…

Nu’s impressive growth trajectory comes from a rapidly expanding customer base. Management is running things efficiently, as demonstrated by Nu’s strong profits. Even after the stock’s monster three-year gain, the valuation looks attractive. 10 stocks we like better than Nu Holdings › Digital bank Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU) has a market capitalization of $72 billion — and that makes it a sizable business. However, many American investors might not know that much about the company because it operates in Latin America and has no U.S. presence. Here’s a perfect example of why it’s important to understand that there are investment…

The precious metals market has experienced a remarkable surge in 2025, with and reaching unprecedented heights amid a complex global economic landscape. Driven by a confluence of factors including geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and shifting monetary policies, these traditional safe-haven assets have captured the attention of investors worldwide. The rally has been particularly notable, with gold breaking through the $4,200 per ounce barrier and silver crossing the $50 per ounce mark for the first time in decades, signaling a potentially transformative moment in the commodities market. Understanding the 2025 Precious Metals Rally The current precious metals rally is rooted in…

AI-generated image for “investor aiming at confusing target.” Source: Perchance.org By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Auctions for new 5-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities happen twice a year, in April and October. Because of the relatively short term, and the different inflationary conditions leading up to each maturity date, the 5-year TIPS auction is hard to predict. I got caught by this phenomenon in October 2023, when a new 5-year TIPS (CUSIP 91282CJH5) auctioned with a real yield of 2.440%, well below the “market” yield of about 2.55% or higher. I was surprised. But I shouldn’t have been. I wrote about this in…

Housing demand started to pick up more than three months ago and has stabilized the housing market. One reason many people are behind the curve on housing data is that they rely on outdated reports that are three to six months old. This is why it’s very critical to track weekly live fresh housing data — while understanding that weekly data can be very volatile, especially around national holidays like Columbus Day that result in a long weekend.  Today, I want to focus on showing the data that the housing market stabilized in mid-June and how mortgage rates dropping below…

(World Oil)– Oil headed for a third weekly decline as traders focused on growing signs of oversupply and the fallout from renewed U.S.-China trade tensions. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold a second meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin “within two weeks or so” aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, raising the possibility of more supply. Brent traded near $60 a barrel, on track to drop another 4% this week in its longest losing streak since March. Investors worry that rising friction between the two biggest crude consumers could hurt global economic growth and energy demand. Meanwhile, forecasts…

Stocks alternated between gains and losses this week, as strong earnings from the big banks were offset by some credit concerns among select regional banks. Tariffs and trade concerns with China also contributed to investor anxiety. With all the major indexes near all-time highs, it doesn’t take much to give investors a reason to take profits. However, the trend is still bullish and is likely to be confirmed by strong corporate earnings. On Oct. 24, investors will get the latest reading on inflation when the delayed September consumer price index (CPI) is released. This will happen just a few days…

Trade is the talk of the town this week. Investors will be watching for updates on trade policy ahead of a scheduled meeting between President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping, as well as a highly anticipated inflation reading, after a volatile week of trading marked by worries about bad loans at regional banks. Friday’s release of the Consumer Price Index for September, delayed by the government shutdown, is likely the last major piece of data the Federal Reserve will receive before its interest rate decision next week. Other government reports could remain delayed until there is a resolution to…

KEY TAKEAWAYS More Gen Z high school graduates are opting out of traditional four-year bachelor’s degrees and choosing shorter trade degrees or certificate programs.President Donald Trump’s administration is providing funding for students to attend trade schools and is planning to make it easier for states to create and administer programs. More young Americans are choosing to skip traditional university for a trade degree or certification, and the Department of Education has plans to support this shift. College enrollment numbers have declined since the onset of COVID-19, as university costs rise and become too expensive for some. Instead of college, many Gen Z…