Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Many people think that certain retirement strategies don’t apply to them or assume that their steady paycheck means they’re automatically on track.Advisors often meet new clients who either save aggressively or spend freely without linking their current financial strategy to their retirement objectives, resulting in them working longer than necessary or missing out on life today. Many professionals assume their steady income means they’re on track for retirement. But financial advisors say that’s the mindset that keeps people stuck—working years longer than they need to or missing out on life now. The most common and costly retirement mistake…

Rate cuts might be on the horizon. As such, it presents an excellent opportunity for savers to capitalize on higher rates now before they disappear.I have been a big fan of high-yield savings accounts. They’re easy to set up, offer returns well above 4%, and I don’t have to worry about being nickel-and-dimed by my bank.However, if rate cuts happen, it will impact these accounts. Therefore, like you, I’m looking at changing where to place my emergency fund before the fall. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplinger’s…

Our last update on Nasdaq’s U.S. and Stockholm IPO Pulses was on April 10 — the day after the Liberation Day tariffs were suspended for 90 days until July 9 (since extended to August 1). At that time, the Nasdaq-100® and the S&P 500 had just bounced from their lows for the year and were still about 15% off their previous highs.A falling stock market and increased volatility weighed on the IPO Pulses, pushing our U.S. and Stockholm IPO Pulses into downturns, signaling fewer IPOs ahead.Of course, the downturn in the Nasdaq IPO Pulse wasn’t just about tariffs. The IPO Pulse actually peaked…

Question: We bought a vacation home for retirement, which we rarely use. Should we sell? Or should we rent it out and wait for mortgage rates to come down?Answer: This is an enviable problem to have! Many people dream of owning a vacation home in retirement. And there are benefits to owning your own private getaway, like being able to pick up and skip town on a whim, knowing you have a place to stay.On the other hand, owning a second home is an expensive prospect. Even if the property in question is mortgage-free, there’s still the matter of taxes,…

In-brief analysis July 22, 2025 The United States exported more crude oil to Nigeria than it received from Nigeria for the first time in February and March 2025. During this period, refinery maintenance on the U.S. East Coast drove down U.S. demand for crude oil imports, including imports from Nigeria, and the relatively new Dangote refinery in Nigeria drove up Nigeria’s demand for inputs, including crude oil it imported from the United States. This marks the first time that the United States was a net crude oil exporter to Nigeria, and structural changes to crude…

Insurance-linked securities (ILS) is the “best asset class from a diversification perspective,” according to private bank and asset manager VP Bank AG, with the current level of compensation for taking on catastrophe risk still seen as more than adequate even as hurricane season begins.Liechtenstein-based private bank and asset manager VP Bank believes that while the insurance-linked asset class (ILS), such as catastrophe bonds, lacks a typical distribution of returns given the randomness of catastrophic events and gains can be limited compared to equities, ILS as a portfolio component bring significant benefits through the diversification they offer to investors. VP Bank…

Key Takeaways Best Buy’s third-party marketplace went live in the U.S. on Tuesday.Customers can now purchase cookware, decor, and musical instruments through Best Buy’s app and website.The electronics giant is one of several retailers trying to tap into the third-party marketplace business model. You can now go to Best Buy’s website for everything from a statue of Ganesh playing the flute to a set of champagne flutes. Best Buy (BBY) doubled the number of products available through its website and app while launching a U.S. marketplace Tuesday that’s open to hundreds of brands not carried in its stores, such as…

Trinity Debt Management (www.trinitycredit.org) is a nonprofit Christian-based debt relief organization offering services like Debt Management Plans (DMPs), Credit Counseling, Budgeting Assistance, and Financial Education. Their mission is to help individuals get out of debt through faith-based support and personalized repayment programs. While Trinity offers a compassionate and educational approach, their services might not suit everyone—particularly if you’re looking for more aggressive options like debt settlement or forgiveness. #1 Rated Debt Relief Company in 2025? Looking for the #1 Rated Debt Relief & Settlement Company in 2025? Make sure to check out our in-depth review of New Era Debt Solutions.…

Key Takeaways Viking Therapeutics reported a large number of patients dropped out of a study of its experimental weight-loss pill.Overall, 28% of those taking VK2735 left the Phase 2 trial early compared with 18% among placebo subjects.The research showed the pill reduced the weight of patients who took it for 13 weeks by up to 26.7 pounds. Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) shares cratered nearly 45% Tuesday when the biopharma firm reported study of its experimental weight-loss pill raised concerns about side effects. The company said a Phase 2 trial of its VK2735 tablet found that patients lost up to 12.2% of…

Imagine someone who found secondary-school maths difficult being grilled about logarithms. That is how a lot of equity investors look if you ask them about currency risk. It is not because the question is novel: any client can spot that the share price of an overseas company, or one doing business across borders, ought to depend on foreign-exchange (FX) rates. It is because it is easy to pose, but maddeningly hard to answer. Forecasting earnings is already a pain. It becomes much worse when the task is to make forecasts for each company in a portfolio, before splitting costs and…