Author: Money Mechanics

In-brief analysis September 17, 2025 Data source: Vortexa AnalyticsNote: Europe includes countries in the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In early 2023, the European Union implemented a ban on seaborne imports of diesel fuel, commonly called gasoil, from Russia following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine the previous year. The ban reoriented trade flows as Europe imported more diesel from the Middle East and the United States rather than Russia. This summer, Europe’s increased reliance on imports from the Middle East, coupled with conflict-related disruptions to refineries and escalating…

So, right after the International Energy Agency flagged concerns about declining global oil production rates, we saw prices dip following a decent jump of more than 1.5% in the previous session. The IEA warned that without ongoing investment, global oil supply could decline rapidly, losing the equivalent of Brazil and Norway’s output each year. In fact, nearly 90% of upstream oil and investment is needed just to maintain current supply levels, according to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. This comes as investors are keeping a close eye on the risks to Russian supplies after sources suggested that Ukrainian attacks on…

Karen Clark & Company (KCC), the catastrophe risk modelling specialist, has launched RiskInsight® Version 4.15, the latest version of its RiskInsight open loss modeling platform, which introduces advanced performance and system enhancements to accelerate and streamline risk analysis for insurers, reinsurers, and insurance-linked securities (ILS) managers.According to the announcement, the update also enables quicker and more efficient loss analyses, particularly for large hurricane and severe convective storm portfolios. “Further analysis performance advancements are bolstered by cloud-hosted machine upgrades, including faster job start-up times, and Linux compatibility for worker machines,” KCC explained. It’s important to highlight that a number of ILS…

Reviewed by: Lauren Brown In these high-inflation times, people often ask us which company they should choose for debt settlement, negotiation or management. Now, since we couldn’t find a list of debt settlement companies in America ranked by their reviews and ratings on trusted third-party sites like the BBB, Google Reviews, TrustPilot and others, we decided to create one. If you are looking for the best rated debt settlement provider to help you with lowering your debt or better managing your payments, this list should help you): Logo of New Era Debt Solutions (credit: neweradebtsolutions.com) New Era Overview & Reviews:…

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysYou should make a habit of restarting your phone.There are several ways to restart an Android device.These methods can help with wear and tear on physical buttons.I regularly restart my Pixel 9 Pro, and there’s a good reason for that. Actually, there are several reasons why I regularly restart my phone (weekly — at least). Here’s a short list for you to ponder:Improves performance by clearing temporary caches.Enhances security by disrupting possible cyberattacks and clearing possible malware stored in memory.Resolves issues such…

Key Takeaways Activist investor Elliott Investment Management said it has taken a stake worth more than $2 billion in Workday.Elliott praised the management team of the human resources software provider and the strategy the company spelled out during its recent analyst day.Workday shares were up more than 8% in early trading. Workday (WDAY) shares jumped in early trading Wednesday after activist investor Elliott Investment Management reported it had taken a more than $2 billion stake in the human resources software provider. Unlike most examples of activist investors calling for major changes in companies they invest in, Elliott has instead praised…

Key Takeaways People who don’t have a defined contribution plan, like a 401(k), are more likely to run out of money in retirement than those who do. More than two-thirds of workers have access to retirement plans, but only a little over half participate. If you don’t have a workplace retirement plan, you may consider investing in a traditional or Roth IRA, brokerage account, or an HSA. If you’re not participating in a defined contribution (DC) plan, such as a 401(k), you may be at a greater risk of running out of money in retirement than someone who does, a…

KEY TAKEAWAYS StubHub has raised $800 million from its initial public offering after pricing the deal at the midpoint of a marketed range, as the online ticketing reseller succeeds in its third attempt at going public.The company sold 34 million shares for $23.50 each after setting a price range at between $22 and $25 apiece, valuing the online ticket reseller at around $8.8 billion.StubHub’s deal is coming to a booming IPO market, with recent listings including share sales by BNPL firm Klarna and Gemini, the crypto exchange owned by the Winklevoss twins. StubHub has raised $800 million from its initial…

Apple Stock’s Not-So-Magnificent Year 56 minutes ago The Magnificent Seven is living up to its name this year, with one glaring exception.  Apple (AAPL) shares have stalled out, with the iPhone maker’s stock down 5% in 2025 as of Tuesday’s close. Tesla (TSLA) and Amazon (AMZN), the Mag 7’s next-worst performers, are up single digits, and the remainder of the group—Microsoft (MSFT), Nvidia (NVDA), Alphabet (GOOGL) and Meta Platforms (META)—has gained between 20% and 33%. The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS) is up 18% for the year, compared with the S&P 500’s 12% gain. Apple stock is the weakest performer among…

Key Takeaways Starting Sept. 30, physical Social Security checks will no longer be issued. Beneficiaries will have to shift to some form of electronic payment.This is part of the agency’s move to become more modernized, something it says will improve efficiency and security.Beneficiaries can choose to get their checks via direct deposit or a prepaid debit card designed for federal benefit payments. Starting Sept. 30, physical Social Security checks will no longer be issued, and beneficiaries need to make changes before the end of the month to receive electronic payments. While most Social Security beneficiaries are already receiving electronic payments,…