Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways More Americans are choosing to stay put in their current jobs amid concerns about the state of the labor market.Consultants from Korn Ferry last week called the trend “job hugging,” as opposed to the historic rates of “job hopping” that was seen coming out of the pandemic.The rate of workers leaving their jobs voluntarily and the rate of workers being hired at new ones have declined in recent months. Another new term has entered the labor market lexicon, to go along with “quiet quitting” and many others, and you might be doing it without even realizing it: job…

The probability of a rate cut in September remains above 90%, but it did recede after the federal government said July wholesale prices rose faster than Wall Street expected. Weekly jobless claims data suggest the labor market remains stable. And earnings continue to generally support the long-term trend despite seasonal headwinds.In between Tuesday’s cool Consumer Price Index (CPI) print and Thursday’s warm Producer Price Index (PPI) reading was Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who on Wednesday called for a 50 basis point cut (0.50%) at the next Fed meeting.Federal funds rate futures pricing now reflects a 0.0% probability that Jerome Powell…

The final numbers aren’t in yet, but it looks like premiums for Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance policies will increase for 2026, and they could increase substantially. Part D policies are insurance policies issued by private sector companies and overseen and regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The program has been in existence since 2006 and is partly subsidized by the federal government. There were substantial premium increases and reductions in benefits for 2025. Several factors caused those changes, such as higher use of prescription drugs and price increases for some drugs. Another reason Part…

Key Takeaways The S&P 500 was little changed Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, ahead of results from major retailers set for release this week and a key speech by the Federal Reserve chair Friday.Shares of HR software provider Dayforce surged following reports that a private equity firm was evaluating a potential buyout.Intel shares slipped, bringing their recent rally to a halt as more details emerged about the U.S. government’s interest in acquiring a stake in the chipmaker. Major U.S. equities indexes were little changed Monday ahead of key retail sector earnings reports and comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell expected…

To help you understand what’s going on in politics and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You’ll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…A fractured Congress will reconvene on September 2. A possible government shutdown awaits. Failure to pass federal funding for the new fiscal year, starting October 1, would shutter many…

Stocks opened cautiously higher to start the week, but were mixed by the close.Monday’s choppy trading likely foreshadows what we’ll see throughout the week as Wall Street awaits rate-cut clues from Wednesday’s release of the minutes from the July Fed meeting and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech this Friday at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium.Just days after the central bank concluded its most recent policy meeting – where it left the federal funds rate unchanged – the July jobs report came in much lower than expected. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up…

Credit reports serve as economic gatekeepers for millions of Americans seeking to buy a home, start a business, or get a car loan. When these reports contain inaccuracies or mistakes, consumers can face serious financial consequences – from loan denials to higher interest rates.The Fair Credit Reporting Act establishes clear legal requirements for credit reporting companies. They must ensure the accuracy of the detailed dossiers they compile on Americans, provide consumers access to their information, and give consumers the right to correct inaccurate data. These core provisions protect consumers by helping ensure that credit report information is about the right…

In a press release last week, Amazon announced that it was expanding its same-day fresh grocery delivery service to over 1,000 cities and towns across the country – with plans to add 2,300 more locations by the end of this year. It’s also added thousands of new perishable grocery items like produce, dairy, meat and more to its online marketplace.You might be thinking that this isn’t news because Amazon Fresh already exists and already delivers fresh groceries to your door in a matter of hours. The major online marketplace emphasized that this new service is not the same Amazon Fresh…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. July 16, 2025 Agencies issue joint proposal to rescind 2023 Community Reinvestment Act final rule Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Reserve Board Office of the Comptroller of the Currency For release at 2:30 p.m. EDT Federal bank regulatory agencies today jointly issued a proposal to rescind the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) final rule issued in October 2023 and replace it with the prior CRA regulations that were originally adopted by the agencies…

(Oil & Gas 360) – Nuclear Companies Presenting at EnerCom Denver – The Energy Investment Conference.  Log in to join us.   The nuclear company lineup for the conference includes: Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) Oklo deploys sodium fast reactors using recycled nuclear waste and down blended fissionable material, or High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium fuel to generate electricity. Its commercial Aurora power plant is engineered to produce 75 megawatts.  Oklo has a DOE site permit for its first reactor at the Idaho National Labs with plans for commercial operation by 2028.  The company’s acquisition of Atomic Alchemy also allows Oklo to produce radioisotopes…