Author: Money Mechanics

On July 1, interest rates for new federal student loans rose to their highest levels since before the Great Recession. Interest rates for undergraduate loans have increased to 6.53% this year, nearly a 19% increase over last year and a 44% increase from just five years ago. For graduate and parent borrowers, costs were raised to their highest levels since 2006, with interest rates set over 9% (Figure 1). These higher interest rates could cost students over $3 billion in additional interest for loans taken out in this year alone.Figure 1: Federal Student Loan Interest Rates, 2006 – 2024Borrowers Will…

Key Takeaways Social Security’s trust fund is projected to run out of reserves by 2033, at which point retirees may only receive 77% of their benefits.The decline in U.S. fertility rates—1.6 births per woman in 2023—means fewer workers are paying into the system that funds today’s retirees.While congressional action is needed to prevent trust fund depletion by 2033, the long-term financial health of Social Security is largely dependent on factors like birth rates. While Social Security benefits are an essential source of income for many retirees, future beneficiaries could receive smaller benefits in the future, due in part to falling…

(BOE Report)– South Korea touted a broad range of U.S. investment plans by its companies at Monday’s summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, spanning shipbuilding, nuclear energy, aerospace, energy and critical minerals. While South Korean companies pledged at the summit $150 billion in U.S. investments, the countries also agreed to establish a non-binding agreement to steer $350 billion of investment funds proposed by Seoul in July as part of a trade deal to cut threatened U.S. tariffs on Korean goods. Here are some of the investment plans announced as part of the summit.…

Key Takeaways DISH TV operator EchoStar announced the sale of low- and mid-band spectrum allocations to AT&T for $23 billion.The two firms also agreed to change their earlier network services deal to create a hybrid mobile operator relationship.EchoStar said the transaction resolves issues with federal regulators, who have been investigating whether it was meeting it wireless and satellite rights obligations. Shares of EchoStar (SATS) skyrocketed 70% Tuesday as the satellite TV provider, under pressure from federal regulators, sold 50 megahertz of its nationwide low- and mid-band spectrum allocations to AT&T (T) for approximately $23 billion. The operator of DISH TV,…

Key Takeaways Younger Americans grew their savings more in the first half of this year than older generations, a Santander Bank survey found. More than half of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said their savings increased during the first half of the year. High-interest CDs are on Gen Z’s radar, with 74% expressing interest while rates are elevated. After years of hand-wringing and criticism about spending on items such as avocado toast and expensive coffee, younger Americans are outpacing older generations in terms of their savings rates. In a survey released last week by Santander Bank, more than half of…

Key Takeaways Tech executives like Palantir CEO Alex Karp have said they don’t care if or where employees went to college—work performance matters more.Apple CEO Tim Cook has said a four-year degree isn’t required to work at Apple.Tech has seen a number of college dropouts make billions, like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg. Executives at top tech companies are telling young people to rethink the purpose of education, and even whether they should attend college at all. Tech has had a range of successful college dropouts in its history, and the industry is being shaken up by the…

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 44 states and the District of Columbia in the second quarter of 2023, with the percent change ranging from 8.7 percent in Wyoming to –1.9 percent in Vermont (table 1), according to statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Current-dollar GDP increased in 46 states and the District of Columbia in the second quarter, with the percent change ranging from 8.3 percent in Kansas to –4.3 percent in North Dakota. Real GDP In the second quarter of 2023, while real GDP for the nation increased at an annual rate…

Gold is close to staging a massive breakout above the key $3440 price zone… and it’s possible that a shocking PCE inflation report on Friday could be the catalyst for the launch. The weekly chart. Note the fabulous inverse H&S pattern on the Stochastics oscillator (14,5,5 series). The triangle pattern is one of “technical perfection” and basis Edwards/Magee, it has a rough 67% chance of being resolved to the upside. In a nutshell, this supreme money chart is so aesthetic that it looks like the work of Michelangelo. What about the daily chart? If Michelangelo is working on the weekly…

Box Inc BOX reported financial results for the second quarter after the market close on Tuesday. Here’s a rundown of the intelligent content management platform company’s report. Q2 Revenue: $294 million, versus estimates of $290.78 million Q2 Adjusted EPS: 33 cents, versus estimates of 31 cents BOX is holding steady in today’s choppy market. See what is happening here.Total revenue was up 9% on a year-over-year basis. Billings were up 3% year-over-year to $264.9 million in the quarter. Box said it ended the period with remaining performance obligations of $1.5 billion, up 16% year-over-year.The company generated $46 million in operating cash…

In-brief analysis August 26, 2025 Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), August 2025 Note: Growth rates are compound annual growth rates for 2010 to 2019, 2020 to 2024, and 2024 to 2026. We use product supplied to estimate consumption. U.S. jet fuel consumption growth has slowed in 2025, following a period of rapid consumption growth after 2020, as U.S. air travel recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. We forecast the slowdown in jet fuel consumption growth will continue through 2026, falling below both the accelerated rate of the previous four…