Author: Money Mechanics

In 2011, we brought on a client on the verge of retirement. Six months into retirement, her husband died of brain cancer.While the wife had what most people would consider to be an estate plan in place, the financial nightmare that followed the human tragedy totally changed how I prioritize these conversations.If your spouse is sick, these things may understandably be the furthest from your mind, but I view them as non-negotiables. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and prosper with…

The United States has experienced a significant wave of job losses. As of May, at least 12% of the 2.4 million civilian federal workforce have been affected.Overall, more than 260,000 federal employees have either left or are slated to leave since the shift began.Meanwhile, in the private sector, tech companies alone shed almost 75,000 jobs by the end of May, according to a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas — driven by cost-cutting amid ongoing economic uncertainty. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the House & Home myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Earlier this year, soon after leaving university and planning a move to London for a four-month internship — too brief to take a full year’s lease — I was on the hunt for a room to rent. My Facebook and SpareRoom searches had been underwhelming at best: a living room-turned-bedroom that flatmates crossed to access the kitchen, a live-in landlord who required meals cooked for him on weekends and a FaceTime viewing with a landlady who kept tripping over her eight…

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a big change to the program starting Sept. 30, 2025 — but don’t worry, it’s not a cut to benefits. Instead, that’s the day that the SSA will stop issuing paper checks. This shift to completely digital payments isn’t meant to inconvenience beneficiaries; rather, it’s a huge cost-saving move on the part of the government. Discover More: 3 Little-Known Social Security Rules That Could Save You Thousands Check Out: 6 Hybrid Vehicles To Stay Away From in Retirement Regardless of the reasoning behind it, you’ll need to prepare for it. Here’s what you’ll need…

Last month, “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary warned about the expensive daily coffee habits draining wealth, even as experts say the ritual carries meaning beyond caffeine.O’Leary Calls Coffee A ‘Big Money Waste’O’Leary shared a video on YouTube of a man proudly declaring that he refuses to buy overpriced Starbucks drinks. Instead, the man makes coffee at home for just 20 cents a cup.”I love this guy. This is exactly what I’m talking about,” O’Leary said in response. “He’s very, very conscious of not wasting a single cent. Nothing wrong with that. That’s very smart. Coffee is a big money waste.”See…

Rates markets are starting to act unmoored, with long end Treasury and gilt yields rising. I am not in any position to offer an insider’s view of what is happening now, but I will just offer my impressions based on historical experience.At the time of writing, China retaliated to the 104% American tariffs with a 84% tariff, and the EU is heading for a vote on their retaliation. At the same time, the White House administration is digging in and showing no visible interest in finding an off ramp. The American-Chinese tariffs have moved into the range where we are…

In the second quarter, investor purchases of U.S. homes fell to their lowest springtime level since 2020. The decline was especially big for condos. But investor market share held steady from a year earlier, signaling that declining investor activity reflects the overall housing-market slowdown.  U.S. real estate investors purchased roughly 52,000 homes in the second quarter, the lowest level for that time of year since 2020. That’s down 6% from a year earlier, the biggest drop since the fourth quarter of 2023.  This is based on a Redfin analysis of county-level home purchase records across 39 of the most populous…

(World Oil)– Shell’s return to Angola after a 20-year hiatus highlights a shift in sentiment toward the nation’s oil sector, as reforms aimed at attracting global capital start to show results. Shell, alongside Chevron and Sonangol EP, signed deals with the National Agency of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels for Block 33 in the Congo Basin, ANPG board member Alcides Andrade told reporters on the sidelines of an oil conference in in Luanda, the capital. Shell’s return to Angola after a two-decade absence reflects the success of reforms introduced since 2019, including streamlined licensing, improved tax terms, and efforts to attract…

This episode of Volatility Views discusses the recent market volatility, particularly in response to the non-farm payrolls report. Mark Longo and Russell Rhoads (Indiana University Kelley School of Business) analyze the impact of the economic data on VIX cash and futures, highlighting the surprising downturn after an initial market rally. They examine the VIX futures curve, noting the significant spread between the September and October contracts. The episode also delves into a discussion about the explosive growth of options trading volume and whether the options market has become so large that it is now “wagging the dog” of the underlying…

Before retirement, investing is offense. After retirement, it’s defense. Or so the playbook says. In investing, you’re playing offense and defense at the same time.getty This beginner’s logic is better guidance than none, I suppose. It is true, after all, that when investing before retirement, time is on your side—and with more time, you can take more risk. And it’s also true that retirees face a more challenging math problem, once they are facing both market volatility and prospective distributions to fund life without a salary. But as personal finance rules of thumb often do, this one falls short—and may…