Author: Money Mechanics

On a recent television appearance, NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson sounded borderline apologetic as he let football fans know that advertising will creep further into the high-octane TV product, which offers up a daylong buffet of highlights from across the league.  “The business folks handle the business, and I have no say over different elements that could or could not be in the show,” Hanson said on the Pat McAfee Show. That set off a media and social-media cycle packed with a level of pre-season fan concern typically preserved for last-minute injuries to vital fantasy-team players or debates about what…

There were solid results for broad-based equity indices in August as mixed performance among Magnificent Seven (Mag7) highfliers were offset by strength in small caps and lower profile sectors including Health Care, Energy and Financials. This led to a significant outperformance in the Russell 2000® Index (RUT), which rose 7% to 2,366 while the S&P 500® Index (SPX) increased 1.9% to 6,460. Although realized volatility ticked up from single-digit July lows to nearly 11%, implied volatility was muted, with the Cboe Volatility Index® (the VIX® Index) only topping 20 on the first day of the month and closing out the…

Key Takeaways Headline-grabbing stocks like Nvidia (NVDA) or Telsa (TSLA) can deliver big gains fast—but they can also plunge just as quickly. CDs may seem boring, but they offer solid returns right now—with zero risk of loss. Today’s top nationwide CDs let you lock in a mid-4% return for months or even years. But you need to act fast, since upcoming Fed rate cuts will likely push CD rates down. The right move depends on what you value more: growth potential or a guaranteed positive return. The full article continues below these offers from our partners. A Hot Stock Can…

In 2008, the U.S. economy nearly collapsed under the weight of subprime mortgages — a crisis built on easy credit, government guarantees, a near-religious confidence in ever-rising home prices and a reckless belief that everyone should and could own a home, regardless of their ability to pay.We learned, painfully, that good intentions can mutate into monsters, and the result was a decade-long financial and social catastrophe.Fast-forward to 2025, and we’re watching an eerily similar pattern repeat itself. This time, the toxic asset isn’t a house — it’s a college degree. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a…

My older neighbors received a desperate phone call recently. The caller claimed their grandson had been arrested for DUI after a serious car accident.Panicked, they did what any loving grandparents would: They rushed to withdraw $10,000 for his “bail” and delivered it as instructed.Days later, another call came. Apparently, the pregnant victim of the accident had died, and bail had been raised by $70,000. 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 expert advice on investing, taxes,…

Most people have visions of what a happy retirement would look like. They might dream of having time to exercise and stay healthy, or having time to enjoy their hobbies or spend more time with family.Surprisingly, though, there is some new evidence suggesting that men may actually be happier doing something else entirely with their retirement years: Working.While it may seem counterintuitive to suggest that working could improve retirement for men, recent research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies suggests that this is indeed the case for many men, regardless of their job type. Here’s what the study revealed,…

Key Takeaways The S&P 500 added 0.8% on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, with private-sector payroll data suggesting a hiring slowdown in August as investors awaited Friday’s key jobs report.T. Rowe Price shares surged after the investment management firm announced a collaboration with Goldman Sachs.Salesforce provided underwhelming guidance for its fiscal third quarter, and shares of the customer relationship management software firm dropped. Major U.S. equities indexes advanced on Thursday as a report showed a month-over-month decline in private-sector hiring in August. The latest signal of a cooling labor market came a day before the release of the August jobs report…

Question: My car was totaled in an accident. Should I repair and keep driving it or buy a new one?Answer: In many cases, buying a car after your current car is declared a total loss is the easier, safer and more financially sound option. But there are definitely scenarios where keeping your totaled car makes sense. It’s not easy to find information out there about when and why you might be better off keeping a car after it’s been declared a total loss.So, let’s break down the pros and cons of each option and some of the math you can…

Key Takeaways The Fed is expected to lower interest rates in less than two weeks, marking its first cut of the year. When the Fed moves, yields on savings, money markets, and CDs generally follow—sometimes even before the official announcement. That’s why today’s best CDs are worth grabbing, locking in mid-4% returns for months or years—immune to Fed cuts. For cash you want accessible, top high-yield savings accounts still pay in the upper 4% range for now, though rates will almost certainly slip lower. The full article continues below these offers from our partners. A Fed Rate Cut Is Likely…

Key Takeaways Salesforce shares tumbled Thursday after the cloud-based software company issued a sales forecast below Wall Street’s expectations, raising concerns about demand for its flagship AI agent platform.Salesforce shares had staged a countertrend rally leading into the company’s quarterly results, though the relative strength index had remained entrenched in bearish territory, signaling underlying weak momentum in the stock.Investors should watch key support levels on the Salesforce chart around $225 and $200, while also monitoring important overhead areas near $267 and $290. Salesforce (CRM) shares tumbled Thursday after the cloud-based software company issued a sales forecast below Wall Street’s expectations,…