Author: Money Mechanics

Spending your hard-earned cash in retirement can be a scary proposition. Without a paycheck coming in, it’s easy to worry about running out of money. Add volatility in the stock market at any given time, and this is what nightmares are made of for retirees.But fears of overspending in retirement don’t have to keep you up at night. There are methods you can adopt to protect your money from those nightmare scenarios. One popular way: the “me-first” rule of retirement spending, sometimes called the “flooring” rule (as in, you set a spending floor and put your own needs first).It’s a…

Key Takeaways Nearly half of Gen Z investors trade cryptocurrency. Crypto is highly volatile and not regulated by government agencies. Studies show that many Gen Z investors are willing to take the risk anyway. Gen Z in the Financial World Generation Z, born from 1997 to 2012, has never known life without the internet. That digital comfort may help explain why nearly half of Gen Z investors (48%) use online cryptocurrency exchanges—more than any other generation, according to the 2025 US Investments Trends Report provided by YouGov. In contrast, just 40% invest through banks and credit unions, and only 32%…

Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 will be announced in October, but estimates are already anticipating an increase from this year. The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a nonpartisan group for seniors, announced its estimate on Thursday that the COLA will rise to 2.7% in 2026, up from the 2.5% increase this year. This is the same as the organization’s prediction from August. TSCL accurately predicted the 2025 COLA would be 2.5%. Others expect a slightly higher increase based on the latest government inflation data. Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, said she believes the COLA will…

KEY TAKEAWAYS OpenAI said its nonprofit parent will have an equity stake of more than $100 billion in the ChatGPT maker, making it “one of the most well-resourced philanthropic organizations in the world.”OpenAI also signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with backer Microsoft to extend their partnership.Separately, Microsoft avoided a potentially massive antitrust fine from the European Union by striking a deal to unbundle its Teams communication platform from its popular office apps. OpenAI said its nonprofit parent will have an equity stake exceeding $100 billion in the ChatGPT maker, making it “one of the most well-resourced philanthropic organizations in…

Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVE) is one of the Best TSX Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires. On September 9, Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVE) announced that it will sell a 50% interest in WRB Refining LP to its joint venture partner Phillips 66 for $1.4 billion. The deal includes the Wood River Refinery in Illinois and the Borger Refinery in Texas. Together, both the refineries process around 495,000 barrels per day, with Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVE)’s share being 247,500 barrels per day. Management noted that this sale aligns with the company’s strategy to focus on assets core to its business. After the…

Tesla Inc. TSLA is facing a proposed class action in federal court accusing the electric vehicle maker of favoring foreign visa holders over U.S. citizens in hiring and firing decisions, a practice plaintiffs allege allows the company to pay lower wages.Tesla shares were up 7.36% during Friday’s regular session and down 0.0.99%, according to Benzinga Pro.Lawsuit Filed In San FranciscoThe lawsuit, filed Friday in San Francisco federal court, claims Tesla systematically discriminates against American workers in violation of civil rights law, reported Reuters.According to the complaint, Tesla hired an estimated 1,355 H-1B visa holders in 2024 while laying off more…

The market now largely that the Fed will cut rates next week, with some even debating whether the central bank could deliver a larger 50-basis-point cut instead of the usual 25. This makes it the right time to position in stocks that stand to gain the most from a lower-rate environment.This is all the more true as investors expect the central bank not to stop there, with further rate cuts anticipated between now and the end of 2025.Yet small-cap stocks are often cited as obvious bets in the event of a rate cut. Smaller companies are more likely than larger…

Trump is hyping up April 2nd as “(Tariff) Liberation Day,” and it seems foolish to discuss the state of economy until we find out how extensive those tariffs are. I will be travelling for the week around “Liberation Day” so I will not be able to pipe in with my predictions of doom until quite late.The only interesting new angle is that the Prime Minister United Kingdom looks to be angling to align himself with Trump. Although that is certainly quite the choice for a centre-left politician, it is not clear how viable that is with the unravelling of NATO…

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its August 2025 Inflation report on September 11th, 2025. The report showed that Annual Inflation was up at 2.9%.Calculated to two digits, it was  2.70% in July and 2.92% in August.  The market is 90% certain that the FED will lower rates on September 17th despite rising inflation.August’s Inflation Prediction:At 2.92%, August’s inflation numbers came at our “likely high”. Most economists had projected 2.9% as well.Go here to view our current MIP projection.August 2025 Inflation Summary:Annual Inflation… 2.92% in August 2025Annual Inflation rose from 2.70% to 2.92%CPI Index rose from 323.048 to 323.976Monthly Inflation for August 2024 was 0.08% and August…

48% of apartments built in Q1 were rented within three months, up from 47% in Q4 2024 and 46% in Q3 2024. As the balance of power tilts back toward landlords, asking rents are ticking up. Roughly half (48%) of newly built apartments completed in the first quarter of 2025 were rented within three months, up from 47% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 46% the quarter before that.  This is according to a Redfin analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s seasonally adjusted absorption rate data for unfurnished, unsubsidized, privately financed rental apartments in buildings with five or more…