Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways The Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cut came as home construction remained constrained by high borrowing costs.Housing starts data from August showed that builders still aren’t constructing enough homes to meet demand.Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that lower rates would likely help the housing market and could potentially impact mortgage rates. Homebuilding in America has cratered. Several factors weigh on housing construction, including a weak jobs market, higher supply costs from tariffs, and labor shortages due to immigration crackdowns. However, high borrowing costs might be the biggest headwind for construction. Last week’s interest rate cut will help, but…

Key Takeaways Gregory, South Dakota, experiences few natural disasters, helping retirees avoid high insurance premiums and costly property damage. The cost of living is well below the national average, with a 2025 median home price of $240,000 and lower everyday expenses. South Dakota has no personal income tax, and seniors may also qualify for property tax relief programs that further reduce expenses. Climate change doesn’t just affect weather and the environment—it can also impact your retirement. Living in an area prone to natural disasters may mean higher insurance premiums, steeper utility bills, and costly home repairs. To help avoid those…

Key Takeaways A 0.5% drop in a 30-year fixed mortgage rate means homebuyers could afford roughly 5% more house without their monthly payment going up.Rates have fallen steadily this year from their 2025 peak of more than 7% in January, but they’re still higher than a year ago.Lower mortgage rates could bring more buyers into the housing market, driving up home prices in the process, one expert warned. A lower mortgage rate can save homebuyers thousands of dollars over the years, even decades, it takes to pay off a home loan. However, instead of paying less per month, a lower…

It’s the High Holiday season for Jews around the world, a time of prayer, repentance, family, and introspection. While each of these themes holds deep significance, I find that introspection is especially foundational in setting the stage for a successful future. This applies to all facets of life, including one’s finances.As I reflect on the Jewish year 5785, which concludes at sunset on September 22, 2025, with the onset of Rosh Hashanah, there were some nerve-wracking moments. The markets and the broader economy have faced some turmoil. This year included “Liberation Day,” when President Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs on nations…

Stocks opened lower to start the week, but closed the session with modest gains. Market participants brushed off conflicting messages from Fed officials and the threat of a potential government shutdown, and instead cheered a broader rally in tech stocks.There were no fewer than five Federal Reserve speakers on today’s economic calendar. Most who took the podium echoed the data-dependent stance toward monetary policy that Fed Chair Jerome Powell has repeatedly taken.St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem, for one, called last week’s quarter-percentage point rate cut “a precautionary move intended to support the labor market at full employment and against…

A Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is an annual increase to Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The COLA is a vital feature of the Social Security program, affecting tens of millions of Americans. But how exactly is it calculated and what factors influence the final percentage? Test your knowledge with this ten-question true/false quiz!And don’t worry if you miss an answer, you can follow the links below the quiz to brush up on your knowledge.More on Social Security, from the Kiplinger team: From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK…

KEY TAKEAWAYS The IRS has outlined 68 jobs that will be eligible for the new “no tax on tips” deduction.The new deduction, established by the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ will allow tipped workers to deduct the tips they earn from their federal taxes next year, reducing their taxable income.About 2.6% of all tax-paying households and individuals will be eligible for the tip deduction. The IRS has listed nearly 70 types of workers eligible to deduct the tips they earn when they file their taxes next year. The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ established a new tax break, allowing taxpayers to deduct…

U.S. stocks were mixed, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 100 points on Monday.Shares of PROS Holdings, Inc. PRO rose sharply during Monday’s session after the company announced it will be acquired by Thoma Bravo.PROS Holdings shares jumped 40% to $22.97 on Monday.Here are some other big stocks recording gains in today’s session. MBX Biosciences, Inc. MBX shares jumped 144% to $24.40 after the company announced once-weekly Canvuparatide achieved the primary endpoint in a Phase 2 trial. Metsera, Inc. MTSR gained 62.8% to $54.25 on reports that Pfizer is near a deal to acquire the company and its…

In-brief analysis September 22, 2025 In our annual survey of power plant activity, we ask operators of utility-scale batteries how they are using their systems, and one use case is increasingly prevalent: price arbitrage. Arbitrage involves buying electricity when prices are relatively low and selling that electricity when prices are high. Utility-scale battery systems can be used for many applications. In previous years, we asked operators to identify the ways they used their batteries. Common use cases included price arbitrage as well as frequency regulation, excess wind and solar generation, system peak shaving, load management,…

Kerry Wan/ZDNETWhen Apple’s M4 processor came to the MacBook Pro laptop line, we noted how it improved upon the already powerful M3 Pro and M3 Max with smooth performance, a more efficient battery, and a new Thunderbolt 5 port for blazing-fast data transfer speeds. Also: Save up to $700 on Razer’s newest gaming laptop – and get a free gameOne of the best things about the new M4 MacBook Pro is that it starts at the same price as last year’s M3, making it that much easier to consider. But even better, we’re seeing some deals — like this one at…