Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Failing to plan for health care can ravage your retirement finances and even family relationships. A typical 65-year-old couple will need about $330,000 for health care in retirement, according to Fidelity. Medicare covers only part of medical costs and provides little help with long-term care. Long-term care can cost more than $100,000 a year and quickly drain savings. Most Americans are woefully unprepared for the true cost of health care in retirement. Fidelity estimates that a 65-year-old couple needs about $330,000 saved to cover medical expenses in retirement, excluding long-term care, which can add hundreds of thousands more.…

Key Takeaways The average retired household spends around $5,000 per month, with housing, healthcare, and food being the largest expense categories.With a median 401(k) balance of $210,724, retirees relying on the 4% withdrawal rule and Social Security benefits often face a shortfall in covering monthly costs.Retirees can bridge the gap by boosting savings, delaying retirement, cutting discretionary expenses, or exploring additional income sources like part-time work or rental properties. One of the most pressing questions individuals face is: How much money will I need to maintain a comfortable lifestyle once I stop working? To answer that question, you have to…

Key Takeaways The Senate has voted to confirm Stephen Miran, a White House economic advisor, to a seat on the Federal Reserve’s board of governors.Critics of Miran’s appointment say it undermines the central bank’s independence from political influence.Trump has pressured the Fed to lower interest rates dramatically despite concerns that tariffs push inflation. The Senate has voted to confirm President Donald Trump’s appointee to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, clearing the way for him to vote at a key interest rate policy meeting later this week.The Senate approved Stephen Miran in a 48-47 party vote, giving him a place…

Stocks notched comfortable gains Monday as market participants cheered President Donald Trump’s upbeat commentary on U.S.-China trade negotiations. Market participants also looked ahead to this week’s Fed meeting, where the central bank is expected to issue its first rate cut of the year.At the close, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was up 0.9% at 22,348 and the broader S&P 500 had added 0.5% to 6,615 – new record closing highs – while the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average tacked on 0.1% to 45,883.Trade talks between top officials from the United States and China continued for a second day today, with…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.No listed Nordic company has ever raised more capital in one go than Ørsted, which on Monday launched a DKr60bn ($9.4bn) rights issue. What’s more, Ørsted is doing so at a time of unprecedented turbulence in the renewable energy industry. Its bankers will want to make sure that they’re not left holding the bag.The Danish power group is raising money equivalent to more than 70 per cent of its current market capitalisation, printing new shares at a huge discount. The price of DKr66.6…

Medicare generally covers the COVID-19 vaccine, including all updated versions, at no cost to beneficiaries. However, some people have been charged or turned away due to recent issues with pharmacy billing and system updates, as well as a delay between the FDA’s and CDC’s formal recommendations.Here’s what Medicare beneficiaries need to know about getting the COVID-19 vaccine this fall.Does Medicare cover COVID-19 vaccinations?Medicare’s coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine falls under Medicare Part B, which also covers other preventive vaccines like the flu and pneumonia shots. This means you should not have to pay a copay, deductible, or any other out-of-pocket…

Once upon a time, if you wanted to invest in gold, you’d need to find a reputable dealer, verify the authenticity of the product, arrange payment and then secure transportation and storage of the physical bouillon all on your own.For many, the result was the most expensive headache you’d ever endured. The time-consuming process made investing in gold feel like a luxury reserved for the ultra-wealthy or most dedicated of hobbyists.Today, digital platforms are rewriting the gold investing story. You can buy gold while handing logistical headaches over to someone else. This modernization has not only streamlined the investing process…

Gold (GC=F) futures opened at $3,680.20 per ounce on Monday, up 0.8% from Friday’s close of $3,649.40. Gold has opened above $3,600 daily since September 9. Investors are awaiting the Fed’s next interest rate decision on September 17. A 25-basis-point cut is widely expected, though President Trump told reporters Sunday that he expected “a big cut.” The Fed will also release its dot plot this week, a chart outlining how each Fed committee member predicts interest rates will evolve over the next few years. The dot plot is an indicator of future rate changes, given the information available today. The…

Oracle Corp ORCL shares were trading higher Monday, continuing a remarkable surge from last week. The stock is building on a five-day gain of nearly 25%, as investors cheered the company’s aggressive pivot towards artificial intelligence infrastructure.The stock is gaining on Monday after Berenberg maintained a Hold rating and raised its price target from $202 to $306. The stock may also be up after President Donald Trump hinted at TikTok deal.What To Know: The rally ignited last week despite Oracle narrowly missing fiscal first-quarter revenue and earnings estimates. Wall Street quickly looked past the slight miss, focusing instead on the…

In-brief analysis September 15, 2025 Per capita CO2 emissions from primary energy consumption decreased in every state from 2005 to 2023, according to recently released data in our State Energy Data System. Total energy-related CO2 emissions in the United States fell 20% over that time, and the population grew by 14%, leading to a 30% decrease in per capita CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions across the country primarily declined because less coal was burned in the electric power sector. Increased electricity generation from natural gas, which releases about half as many CO2 emissions per unit of…