Author: Money Mechanics

Not all inflation is caused by an expanding money supply. Imagine waking up tomorrow and discovering that the world suddenly has four billion more people. Food prices would explode overnight, not because farmers forgot how to farm, or because food production disappeared due to drought, but because demand would massively exceed supply. Inflation doesn’t always come from speculation and money supply, sometimes it comes from… This is the analogy Jordi Visser uses to explain today’s AI‑driven inflation: The AI boom has created a sudden, massive surge in demand for a scarce resource, i.e., high‑bandwidth memory (HBM). Just as food inflation emerges…

No coding needed. Just load existing code onto the ESP32-S3. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysA cheap $7 board can turn its hand to ad blocking.It works as a DNS sinkhole, stripping out ads before download.Other options include using a Raspberry Pi and buying hardware.They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and the skyrocketing prices of Raspberry Pi boards have definitely been the kick in the pants that I’ve needed to look at cheaper, perhaps also better-suited, alternatives. I mean, the Pi is a great board, but for a lot of applications I’ve…

Don’t make the mistake of ingoring IRMAA and medicare surcharge minimization as part of your tax planning on your retirement income.Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesFor high-income Americans, Medicare is not automatically the low-cost retirement benefit many people expect. Successful executives, business owners, physicians, attorneys, entertainers, and retirees with large investment portfolios can all face higher Medicare premiums because of the income-related monthly adjustment amount, better known as IRMAA.As a Certified Financial Planner, I often see affluent retirees caught off guard by Medicare surcharges because they assume Medicare planning is separate from tax planning. It is not. Most had…

Homeowners at a townhome complex in Homestead, FL, are taking the developer of the complex to court for allegedly failing to transfer HOA control over to the homeowners.In fact, homeowners in the Villa Portofino East complex—which consists of 117 townhomes—claim that the developer has been in control of the HOA for 20 years after the units were sold, collecting dues from residents but holding an iron grip on the HOA’s governance.Control and decision-making authority over Florida residential communities governed by associations are supposed to transfer from the developer to the homeowners once the statutory turnover requirements have been met.But affiliates…

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, June 11, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/isna | Via ReutersThe International Maritime Organization has paused its efforts aimed at evacuating ships and seafarers stranded inside the Middle East Gulf after a vessel was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. The pause follows a container ship being struck by an unknown projectile near the coast of Oman on Thursday, with a U.S. official telling MS Now that Iran was behind the attack. The evacuation plan would be temporarily paused “in order to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to…

Streaming ads might be getting a lot quieter this week. A California law banning streaming services from showing ads “louder than the video content” that they accompany is set to take effect on Wednesday, July 1. (Existing legislation already imposes similar volume restrictions on broadcast and cable TV commercials.)  Ars Technica notes that streaming services have not shared additional details about how they plan to comply with the law. While the volume limitations only apply to California for now, it seems likely that any relevant changes would be deployed more broadly, especially with a similar bill set to take effect…

(World Oil) – Kazakhstan’s giant Karachaganak oil and gas field cut crude production by more than a quarter after a drone attack forced the shutdown of a processing plant in Russia that handles its gas. Karachaganak, one of Kazakhstan’s three largest hydrocarbon projects alongside Tengiz and Kashagan, accounts for about 10% of the country’s oil production. Because the field produces crude oil and natural gas together, it cannot significantly reduce gas output without also curtailing oil production. As a result of the strike, Karachaganak is currently producing 25,000 tons of crude a day, down from 34,000 tons normally, Interfax reported, citing…

Start with an estate or trust plan that meets your goals, evaluate options, then weigh complexity and costs.gettyStop Asking “How Much Does a Trust Cost?”You’re Asking the Wrong QuestionSomeone recently asked a seemingly simple question: “How much will my trust plan cost?”It’s a fair question. It’s also the wrong one. And by the way, what type of trust and for what purpose? How many trusts? What state will the trusts be based in?In fact, starting with cost is often the fastest way to derail a successful estate plan—especially when significant wealth, business interests, and family dynamics are involved.Because the reality…

Your backyard barbecues are about to get more expensive than ever before, as beef—a longtime summer staple—is now considered a luxury.Thanks to years of drought conditions that reduced pasture quality and the screwworm outbreak that disrupted cattle in Mexico and the U.S. earlier this year, beef is a whopping $6.75 per pound, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.And if President Donald Trump doesn’t renew the United States–Mexico–Canada (USMCA) trade agreement, which governs cross-border cattle trade by July 1, supply chain issues could push beef prices even higher, just before July Fourth.This all comes…

For millions across the country, the 2026 midyear mark is as much a time for financial planning as it is for celebration. This summer marks America’s 250th birthday — a historic milestone for our country’s independence.But while the nation was founded on a rebellion against unfair taxes, tossing your computer into the nearest harbor probably wouldn’t work when it comes time to pay the IRS; December 31st is the final deadline for most 2026 tax year money moves.Instead, you might just want to look to the wisdom of founding father and financial thinker, Benjamin Franklin, this planning season. From just…