Author: Money Mechanics

Anthropic is launching a research preview of a browser-based AI agent powered by its Claude AI models, the company announced on Tuesday. The agent, Claude for Chrome, is rolling out to a group of 1,000 subscribers on Anthropic’s Max plan, which costs between $100 and $200 per month. The company is also opening a waitlist for other interested users. By adding an extension to Chrome, select users can now chat with Claude in a sidecar window that maintains context of everything happening in their browser. Users can also give the Claude agent permission to take actions in their browser and…

Most of us know some older person who had a bad fall and broke a hip. When they do recover, they are not the same as before. And in some cases, the fall leads to a cascade of bad outcomes, surgery, complications, and loss of independence. What can aging parents do about this? Can adult children help them? It’s Not Just Luck If They Don’t Fall Balance is affected by aging, as most of us understand. But what keeps a person from hitting the ground, rather than regaining balance when they trip or stumble? Not everyone thinks of practicing balance…

Having been in the financial services industry for almost 20 years, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients, spoken with countless prospects and observed a wide range of attitudes and investing approaches.With easy access to the internet and a multitude of smartphone applications, many do-it-yourself (DIY) investors may feel increasingly confident in their investing abilities.However, younger investors have been found to overestimate their investment knowledge, and this overconfidence can lead to common investing mistakes that hurt long-term performance. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and…

The major U.S. equity indexes were modestly higher Tuesday despite another attempt by President Donald Trump to impose his will on the Federal Reserve and perhaps in part because his administration plans to buy more stocks.Shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Monday, President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform a letter to Fed Governor Lisa Cook informing her of her removal from the Federal Reserve Board “for cause.”The president cited allegations of mortgage fraud raised by Federal Housing Finance Administration Director Bill Pulte. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to…

Where Else People Age 55-64 Are Saving Money Asset % Households with Asset Median Value for Asset Holders Savings Bonds 8.5% $3,000 CDs 6.6% $25,000 Stocks (directly held) 19.2% $30,000 Retirement Accts 57% $185,000 Bonds (directly held) 1.2% $400,000 Source: Source: The Federal Reserve’s “Survey of Consumer Finances” (2022) “Directly held” means the asset is not in a retirement account. The value of bonds in this table looks much higher than the other categories because only a small, wealthy group of 55-64-year-olds owns directly held corporate or municipal bonds. When they report the face value or purchase price of corporate…

Before the air has even cooled in many places and tree leaves have yet to fall, Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) has once again returned to signal the unofficial start of autumn.Since its debut more than 20 years ago, the PSL has become beloved by many fall enthusiasts worldwide. Starbucks reports that hundreds of millions of PSLs have been sold, making it the company’s most popular seasonal beverage.This year, Starbucks officially launched its fall menu on August 26, 2025, marking an early start to the season, catering to eager pumpkin spice lovers. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter,…

Key Takeaways President Donald Trump’s move to fire of Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook marks his latest attempt to influence the central bank, which is designed to be independent of direct White House control.Experts warn that the more the Fed does the bidding of a future president, the less effective it will be at its job of fighting inflation.Trump has demanded the fed cut interest rates steeply, a move that would risk stoking higher inflation according to economists. President Donald Trump’s move to fire a senior Fed official marks a new chapter in his effort to bend the central bank…

Key Takeaways De-dollarization appears to be accelerating in Asia and the broader Global South, eroding some of the dollar’s reserve-status luster.Central banks and retail investors are responding by accumulating gold, pushing prices to multi-year highs.Gold is a useful portfolio diversifier, but it is not an all-in bet; investors must weigh currency, liquidity, and opportunity costs. Analysts and investors have been talking for years about de-dollarization the gradual shift by governments, companies, and investors away from using the U.S. dollar as the world’s default trading and reserve currency. In 2025, de-dollarization appears to be gaining speed. New reports highlight how Southeast…

In June, five new Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) were listed on the Cboe Canada exchange:ZHC | BMO Human Capital Factor US Equity ETFFCIP | Fidelity All-in-One Conservative Income ETFFFIX | Fidelity All-in-One Fixed Income ETFGBFE | Guardbonds 2028 Investment Grade Bond FundGBFF | Guardbonds 2029 Investment Grade Bond FundAs of June 30, 2025, Cboe Canada is home to 248 ETFs, 33 corporate listings and 123 Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs).What to Know About Cboe BIDS Canada Market StructureNon-conditionally aware Universal Market Integrity Rules (UMIR) 6.6 sized order flow in MATCHNow can convert to a conditionally aware order using either a port…

Key Takeaways The median valuation for 2025’s IPO cohort has been just 25% higher than their highest private market figures compared to the 100%-plus premiums fetched in 2020 and 2021, PitchBook data show.The majority of the seven tech unicorns that went public this year listed at valuations lower than their high private market figures.This year’s group also showed relatively stronger financials. Getting a venture capital-backed unicorn through this year’s initial public offering window has been like trying to get a camel through the eye of a needle—impossible without a bit of humility. Though broad market indexes are hovering near all-time…