Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways About 10% of Americans say luxury handbags could fund their retirement, according to TIAA’s new survey. Some designer bags, like Hermès Birkins, have significantly climbed in value—but that’s the exception, not the rule. Experts say handbags can have resale potential, but they’re not a reliable plan for retirement income. About 10% of Americans say their best shot at funding retirement might come from either winning the lottery or investing in luxury handbags, according to a new TIAA survey. It sounds like a punchline—until you realize the gut punch behind it. Dig into the data in this and other…

Key Takeaways Walmart shares closed at a new high Wednesday, adding to gains that followed news yesterday the big box retailer had become the latest company to team up with ChatGPT developer OpenAI.Walmart shares staged a decisive breakout from a symmetrical triangle on Tuesday, laying the groundwork for a continuation move higher.The measured move technique projects a bullish near-term price target of $113. Investors should also watch crucial support levels on Walmart’s chart around $105, $100 and $96. Walmart (WMT) shares hit a fresh all-time high Wednesday, adding to gains that followed news yesterday the big box retailer had become…

Adequately saving and investing for retirement means balancing a mix of investments that manages your risk while providing earnings. How you should spread your investment dollars across bonds, stocks, and other assets depends on your risk tolerance and how soon you plan to retire. Although you might want to lean more heavily toward the side of caution and invest conservatively, that’s not always the best option. Discover what allocation investment managers believe is too conservative and how you can rebalance to ensure you have enough money in retirement. The Risks of a Conservative Portfolio Playing it safe can backfire, thanks in…

Name Company  Industry  Elon Musk  Tesla, SpaceX  Automotive  Larry Ellison  Oracle  Technology  Mark Zuckerberg Meta Technology Jeff Bezos Amazon Technology Larry Page Google Technology The Wall Street Journal also highlighted a few other names, including ABC Supply’s co-founder, Diane Hendricks. The net worth of these billionaires was roughly $5.7 trillion in September 2025. About $3.86 trillion of that belonged to the top 100. Collectively, three billionaires—Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg—have over $1 trillion in wealth. Compared to the median household net worth of $192,900, their combined net worth is the equivalent of about 5.2 million U.S. households. Holding…

By Miho Uranaka and Sam Nussey TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese e-commerce and finance heavyweight Rakuten is weighing an initial public offering in the United States of its credit card business, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Rakuten began considering a potential U.S. listing of one of Japan’s largest credit card businesses last month, the sources said. The considerations are in the early stages, with other potential options including a stake sale to a strategic buyer, one of the sources said. One trigger for considering a U.S. IPO of Rakuten Card was rival SoftBank’s plans to list app pay operator…

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about artificial intelligence (AI).1 AI is a powerful and rapidly advancing technology that has captured everyone’s attention. If you’ve watched enough sci-fi, you know that major technological change is usually either dystopian or utopian—the robots either take over the world or improve it. These polarized views are also common among economists and technologists. On one side, there are the doomers—those convinced that new technologies will destroy jobs, widen inequality, and concentrate power. On the other, there are the techno-optimists—those convinced we’re on the brink of an unprecedented leap in productivity,…

Bermuda’s continued leadership within the insurance-linked securities (ILS) and reinsurance markets was a topic of discussion at the ILS Bermuda Convergence conference today, with the island’s ability to stay ahead, through its reputation for adaptability, collaboration and foresight, highlighted as key.As the industry continues to face rapid change driven by digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and shifting global risk dynamics, a panel session outlined how Bermuda is redefining what it means to stay ahead. Moderator of the session, Richard Lowther, Managing Partner at Integral ILS, an independent alternative investment manager focused on natural catastrophe insurance and reinsurance investments, asked the…

An awful auction. A decent result. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Back on October 22, 2020, a new 5-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Security — CUSIP 91282CAQ4 — auctioned with a depressingly low real yield to maturity of -1.320%, which at the time was the second-lowest real yield ever recorded for a 5-year TIPS at auction. Think back: Just five years ago, investors were willing to accept a real yield that was guaranteed to under-perform inflation by 1.320% for five years. Seems mind-boggling today. But that was the investment reality in 2020, as the Federal Reserve ramped up bond-buying quantitative easing at the…

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) ZDNET’s key takeaways The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 are available for $299 in five colors. They offer stellar immersive sound experience, all-day comfort, and excellent noise-canceling performance. However, bugs can cause connectivity issues, and the case is larger than preferred. more buying choices oct / 2025On paper, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) tech specs may seem painfully incremental, but there’s more to them than meets the eye. It’s impressive how seemingly innocuous updates from one generation to the next can significantly enhance the user experience, and Bose is a masterful player in this…

Key Takeaways Despite a move toward value-seeking in the U.S., Americans helped bolster sales at LVMH Moët Hennessy, the luxury goods conglomerate said.Research shows wealthy Americans are spending more freely than others and playing an outsize role in the economy. Americans haven’t fallen out of love with luxury goods. While retailers and consumer-goods companies say Americans are particularly focused on value these days, high-end brands like Tiffany and BVLGARI are building momentum in the U.S. LVMH Moët Hennessy said its brands gained ground in the U.S. last quarter amid soft sales in other parts of the world, underscoring research showing…