Author: Money Mechanics

For years, changing jobs was the best way to get a raise. But that trend appears to be cooling off. According to new data from the Bank of America Institute, people who jump from one employer to another are no longer seeing the same kind of pay boosts they once did. Job-hopping worked because employers were willing to pay more to lure in new talent, especially when there were worker shortages. Switching jobs often meant skipping the usual slow climb of annual raises and jumping straight to a better salary. Don’t Miss: However, the report says that “Job hoppers are…

Veteran investor Peter Grandich is warning that the market is overlooking the biggest signals in decades, with precious metals and insider selling flashing red. In an interview with Kitco News, Grandich didn’t hold back the criticism of the U.S. economic policy, the Federal Reserve, and the complacency of equity markets.”We’re going to see a major revision that could wipe away well over a million jobs that were supposedly created over the last 18 months,” he said, talking about the labor data that previously supported the “soft landing” narrative. He pointed directly to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ birth-death model, calling…

futures are currently trading at $41.57, stabilizing after a sharp rally that tested a session high of $42.29. This high aligned almost perfectly with the Daily Sell 2 ($42.22) and Weekly Sell 2 ($42.26) levels, creating a powerful confluence of resistance. The clustering of these overbought zones, alongside the Square of 9 harmonic resistance at $42.25, confirms a textbook inflection point where the probabilities overwhelmingly favor a mean reversion event. The VC PMI framework highlights the Daily Mean ($41.47) and Weekly Mean ($40.09) as equilibrium magnets. While Silver holds above $41.47, near-term bullish control remains intact. However, the inability to…

10-year yield and mortgage rates In my 2025 forecast, I anticipated the following ranges: Mortgage rates between 5.75% and 7.25% The 10-year yield fluctuating between 3.80% and 4.70% Overall, 2025 is on track with my forecast. The 10-year yield has remained within its proper range in response to Federal Reserve policy and economic conditions, while mortgage rates have fluctuated between 6.29% and 7.25%. However, even with job growth slowing —evidenced by a recent report showing negative job creation in one report — we still haven’t dipped below 6% in mortgage rates. I talked about this in detail during today’s special…

Mistral AI, the French company behind AI assistant Le Chat and several foundational models, is officially regarded as one of France’s most promising tech startups and is arguably the only European company that could compete with OpenAI. It is reportedly in the process of raising another round that would value it at $14 billion, up from about $6 billion in June, 2024. While Mistral AI describes itself as “the world’s greenest and leading independent AI lab” it is still not as well known as its biggest competitors.   “Go and download Le Chat, which is made by Mistral, rather than…

(World Oil)– India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the country will continue buying Russian oil, signaling its intent to defy U.S. President Donald Trump’s persistent demands to halt the purchases. U.S. President Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on India in retaliation for Russian oil purchases “Where we buy our oil from, especially a big-ticket foreign exchange item where we pay so much, highest in terms of import, we will have to take a call on what suits us best,” Sitharaman said in an interview with News18 television on Friday. “We will undoubtedly be buying.” The comments come as New Delhi…

If something happened to you tomorrow, could your family access your photos, bank apps, or business website? For most Americans, the answer is no. While the average person values their digital assets at nearly $200,000 according to our Bryn Mawr Trust 2024 Digital Assets Survey, fewer than 15% have an estate plan that covers them. That planning gap leaves loved ones vulnerable to being locked out of assets that may be just as valuable as anything held in a bank account. Beneath these staggering numbers lies a concerning reality: most people don’t even know what digital assets they own, let…

To help you understand what’s going on in politics, the economy 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 big shift in economic policy is underway. One that includes more federal involvement in parts of the private sector that were once off-limits. The shift began…

Question: I waited to claim Social Security and never got around to filing by my 70th birthday. Did I goof?Answer: Given that many private-sector employers have phased out pensions and that the median retirement savings balance among Americans 65 to 74 was only $200,000 as of 2022, Social Security is clearly an extremely important income source for retirees. Many older Americans rely on Social Security to cover their basic expenses. And even those with decent savings appreciate having those benefits to supplement their retirement plan withdrawals.Of course, the tricky thing about Social Security is figuring out when to start taking…

Grandparents Day is September 7th, 2025. But wait — isn’t that today?!Fortunately, there’s still time to give your loved ones a meaningful gift. For instance, planning a special outing to a local museum, botanical garden, or family picnic is just one way to create cherished memories.Or, if your grandparents don’t live nearby, you may send them a heartfelt gift today, like a curated playlist or a ticket to a future event. 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…