Author: Money Mechanics

Bitcoin struggles below $114,600, with weak buying around $109,000 signaling bearish momentum. Critical support at $106,000 will dictate whether Bitcoin reverses or extends its downtrend. US PCE data today may drive volatility, influencing Fed policy and Bitcoin’s risk appetite. Looking for actionable trade ideas to navigate the current market volatility? Subscribe here to unlock access to InvestingPro’s AI-selected stock winners. , we highlighted $117,000 as resistance and $114,600 as support for . The price failed to stay above $117,000 and quickly dropped below $114,600, triggering stronger selling. Buyers tried to step in around the $111,000 support, but demand was weak,…

Core inflation was little changed in August, according to the Federal Reserve’s primary forecasting tool, likely keeping the central bank on pace for interest rate reductions ahead.The personal consumption expenditures price index posted a 0.3% gain for the month, putting the annual headline inflation rate at 2.7%, the Commerce Department reported Friday.Excluding food and energy, the more closely followed core PCE price level was 2.9% on an annual basis after rising 0.2% for the month.The headline annual inflation rate was a slight increase from the 2.6% in July while the core rate was the same.All of the numbers were in…

Renowned roboticist Rodney Brooks has a wake-up call for investors pouring billions into humanoid robot startups: you’re wasting your money. Brooks, who co-founded iRobot and spent decades at MIT, is particularly skeptical of companies like Tesla and Figure trying to teach robots dexterity by showing them videos of humans doing tasks. In a new essay, he calls this approach “pure fantasy thinking.” The problem? Human hands are incredibly sophisticated, packed with about 17,000 specialized touch receptors that no robot comes close to matching. While machine learning transformed speech recognition and image processing, those breakthroughs built on decades of existing technology…

(Oil Price) – Canadian producers are temporarily shutting in natural gas wellheads amid a record-low negative pricing at the key Alberta gas hub. The price of natural gas at the AECO Hub, the Canadian benchmark price for natural gas on the Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) system, has been weak all summer and plunged below zero earlier this week. On Thursday, the daily spot price at the AECO averaged minus 5 cents per million British thermal units (MMBtu), per pricing data of LSEG cited by Reuters. Earlier in the week, the price had slumped to as low as 18 cents per MMBtu, the lowest…

Key Takeaways Buying a home has become out of reach for most Americans, with prices rising much faster than incomes. Renting doesn’t necessarily mean falling behind financially—economist James Choi notes that the costs of owning can often exceed the expense of long-term renting when accounting transaction costs. Tax benefits tied to homeownership often result in people being more willing to spend money on buying a home, meaning they may not always translate into better financial outcomes. With property prices rising and wages not keeping up, the ability to buy a home is out of reach for many Americans, but that…

Key Takeaways Buffett maintains a concentrated portfolio with Apple Inc. (AAPL), American Express Company (AXP), and Bank of America (BAC) as top holdings. New investments include homebuilders Lennar (LEN) and D.R. Horton (DHI), steel producer Nucor (NUE), and, most notably, UnitedHealth Group (UNH)—the troubled health insurance giant. Berkshire Hathaway added to its existing stakes in Pool Corp (POOL) and Constellation Brands (STZ). Standing at $344.1 billion, Buffett’s massive cash pile is roughly unchanged from the March 2025 record of $347 billion. The second quarter of 2025 marked a historic transition for Berkshire Hathaway. On May 3, 2025, Warren Buffett, the…

Owning a second home can be a smart way to create a ready-made getaway for vacations — and it can also generate extra income when you’re not using it. In fact, U.S. homebuyers took out more than 86,000 mortgages for second homes last year, according to a Redfin report.A second home is typically purchased as a vacation property, though some owners also use it as a rental or investment. If you originally bought a second home for personal use but now plan to update it for Airbnb guests or long-term tenants, it effectively becomes an investment property. For simplicity, we’ll…

Benjamin Franklin famously wrote in a letter, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”Little did he anticipate a third certainty that behaves like both: inflation. It creeps in slowly, yet hits with lasting consequences, especially in retirement.Consider that 64% of Americans say they fear running out of money in retirement more than death itself, according to an Allianz Life survey. While many factors feed that fear, rising prices are the biggest culprit. More than half (54%) of those surveyed said inflation is what keeps them up at night. From just $107.88 $24.99 for…

In the world of personal finance and retirement planning, few topics stir as much debate and misunderstanding as annuities.Often shrouded in mystery and misconceptions, annuities can actually play a pivotal role in a sound retirement strategy. As a financial adviser with a pragmatic, conservative outlook, I’ve encountered numerous myths about annuities.Let’s debunk five common misconceptions and shed some light on the truth behind annuities and the benefits they offer. 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 best of…

KEY TAKEAWAYS Inflation is pressuring American household budgets, so many people are looking to add a second job.Wages have not kept up with inflation, making it even harder to make ends meet.Many workers are looking for flexible side gigs, like driving for Uber or DoorDash. Household budgets are strained, and many Americans are considering second jobs to keep up. Prices have been rising for years, pushed higher by inflation. More recently, tariffs are lifting prices even further. To cope, almost two-thirds of currently employed Americans are looking to get a second job in the next year, according to a survey…