Author: Money Mechanics

Poland’s intelligence service said it detected attacks on five water treatment plants where hackers could have taken control of the industrial equipment inside, including, in the worst case, tampering with the safety of the water supply. The story is relevant beyond Poland’s borders: U.S. water infrastructure has faced similar threats in recent years. In 2021, a hacker briefly gained access to a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida and attempted to increase the level of sodium hydroxide — a caustic chemical — to dangerous levels. The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have since warned that…

This week’s Baker Hughes Rig Count shows that the U.S. increased by 1 last week, resulting in a total count of 548 rigs. Canada increased by 1 over last week, resulting in a total Canadian count of 124 rigs. Breakdown by region Of the regions tracked by Baker Hughes, the Ardmore Woodford, and Permian regions experienced an increase this week. Meanwhile, no regions experienced a decrease this week: Major Basin Variances This Week +/- Ardmore Woodford 2 1 Arkoma Woodford 1 0 Barnett 1 0 Cana Woodford 20 0 DJ-Niobrara 9 0 Eagle Ford 43 0 Granite Wash 17…

Adrian Kasbergen and Karen White at the vacant lot of their future retirement home in Raleigh, N.C.Courtesy of Adrian Kasbergen and Karen WhiteBy the time Karen White and Adrian Kasbergen met on a dating app in 2021, they had been living on opposite sides of the sprawling Houston metro area for decades, each owning their own home. They soon started talking about marrying, retiring together, and moving to another part of the country, especially since neither was crazy about Houston’s steamy summers or power failures in the winter. But where? They both had business backgrounds (he as a marketing manager…

“Family Feud” host Steve Harvey has cut the price of his longtime Georgia home—just four months after listing the enormous abode for $5.1 million. Harvey, 69, was born in West Virginia but has been based outside of Atlanta for many years now, filming his popular “Family Feud” series at a studio in Fayetteville, which is about an hour away from his listed Sandy Springs home. The popular TV host purchased the six-bedroom manse for $3.38 million in 2010 and it remained his primary residence for around a decade, before he upgraded to an even larger estate that her purchased from…

Each week in our Ask the Editor series, Joy Taylor, The Kiplinger Tax Letter editor, answers questions on topics submitted by readers. This week, she’s looking at four questions on your chances of an IRS tax audit and audit red flags you should know. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe.)1. What are my chances that I will be audited by the IRS?Question: I am getting ready to file my 2025 tax return (I applied for a filing extension). Friends have told me that I don’t have to worry about IRS audits anymore. Is that trueJoy…

Bitcoin holds above key support as institutional demand continues supporting broader recovery. Inflation data and Fed signals remain critical for Bitcoin’s next major price move. A break above $82,700 could open the path toward higher Bitcoin resistance targets near $87,000. ’s recent rise shows that investors are looking for strong liquidity and fresh money flowing into markets, rather than just a short-term technical recovery. But this time, the situation is more complex than in earlier crypto rallies. While strong buying from spot ETFs continues to support Bitcoin, factors like US monetary policy, Middle East energy risks, and uncertainty around the…

Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in the 1969 film, “Easy Rider.”(Image credit: Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)The baby boomer generation exploded onto the American cultural and economic landscape in 1946, becoming the wealthiest generation in American history. Like the rule-breaking characters of “Easy Rider,” boomers claimed the right to more freedom to shape their lives than their parents had enjoyed. In the same vein, they have had to reinvent what it means to have leisure time, to work and retire. But though boomers (born in 1946 to 1964) haven’t gloriously burned out, as Neil Young’s anthem extolled, they also haven’t…

(Image credit: Getty Images)One of the costliest habits in investing is the search for certainty.You see it whenever investors declare that a stock is “definitely” going higher, that interest rates “have to” fall, or that the market will “surely” recover by year-end. The language sounds confident. It feels decisive.But in investing, certainty is often just marketing or overconfidence dressed up as insight. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For decades, the conversation around home equity has centered on familiar financial questions: What is the interest rate, what is the repayment term, and what will the monthly payment look like?Those questions made complete sense in a world where the primary way to access housing wealth was through traditional borrowing — home equity loans, lines of credit or refinancing. In those scenarios, rate and repayment structure naturally became the lens through which homeowners compared their options.But the home equity landscape is beginning to shift, particularly for homeowners in the mass affluent and affluent segments. Today, the U.S.…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Many professionals pursue law or business school with a clear goal: Higher income and greater financial security.What often comes with it, however, is a six-figure salary paired with significant debt.Law school graduates carry an average of about $130,000 in debt, often paid over the course of 20 to 25 years, while MBA graduates average close to $80,000. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and prosper with…