Author: Money Mechanics

Saving for retirement can feel like an uphill battle. On average, Americans believe they will need $1.26 million to retire comfortably, according to a recent study by Northwestern Mutual. As financial pressures mount from every direction, many Americans find retirement increasingly elusive, transforming what was once viewed as a well-deserved reward for decades of hard work into a seemingly unattainable fantasy. In fact, approximately one in four U.S. adults over the age of 50 say they expect to never retire, according to a recent survey by AARP. But The Ramsey Show hosts, George Kamel and Dr. John Delony, offer some…

Markets surged after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell suggested at that the U.S. central bank may be ready to cut in September. Traders took it as a green light, while man Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Barclays and others quickly pivoted their forecasts. The CME FedWatch tool now puts the odds of a September cut at nearly 90%. I should point out, though, that the Fed isn’t preparing to cut because the economy is booming (which would be counterintuitive). It’s cutting because cracks are starting to appear in the foundation, particularly in the labor market. At the same time, President Donald Trump’s…

Adrien Auclert, Hannes Malmberg, Matthew Rognlie, and Ludwig Straub presented the paper “The Race Between Asset Supply and Demand” at the Jackson Hole shindig (link to paper). The paper argues that the demand for assets has so far outstripped supply, and the abstract has the eye-catching conclusion: “Making debt sustainable requires a fiscal consolidation of at least 10% of GDP, but debt could reach 250% of GDP without pushing up interest rates.”The Rapid MMT-Style CritiqueThe paper includes the above figure on the third page, which is engineered to cause my blood pressure to rise. I will run through the arguments…

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com In two months, probably on Halloween morning, the Treasury will announce a new fixed rate, inflation-adjusted variable rate and composite rate for U.S. Series I Savings Bonds purchased from November 2025 to April 2026. And I have bad news for I Bond investors: The fixed rate is likely to fall from the current 1.10% to 0.90% at the reset. Of course, this is still up in the air, depending on how real yields track over the next two months. But the path looks pretty clear. The forecast The I Bond’s fixed rate is its “real yield”…

Key Takeaways Speculation about President Donald Trump’s well-being gave way to event contracts on prediction markets, with folks betting on whether he’ll be in office by the end of the year.Event contracts current show bettors putting a less-than-10% probability on Trump leaving office by the end of 2025. Will Donald Trump finish the year as president? You can bet on that now. Prediction market Kalshi showed the start of an event contract named “Trump out as President this year?” on Saturday. At peak levels, bettors put a 10% chance on Trump leaving office before the year’s end; as of Tuesday late afternoon…

President Donald Trump took to the airwaves Tuesday to forcefully defend his authority to impose tariffs, warning that a pending Supreme Court decision could determine the economic fate of the United States.Appearing on the Scott Jennings Show on Salem Radio Network, Trump said overturning the Court of Appeals ruling that upheld a block on key tariffs would lead to “economic disaster,” claiming that without tariffs, the country would be left defenseless against foreign trade practices.”This will destroy our country,” Trump said. “If we don’t win that decision, we’ll be one of the very poor countries… Without the tariffs, we are…

In-brief analysis September 2, 2025 Between 2020 and 2024, total crude oil and lease condensate production in the United States grew by 1.9 million barrels per day (b/d), 93% of which was produced from just 10 counties in Texas and New Mexico. Production from the rest of the United States, including producing areas in offshore state or federal waters, grew by just 130,000 b/d. The 10 counties are all within the Permian Basin, a large geologic feature underlying 66 counties in New Mexico and Texas. Two of these counties, Lea and Eddy in New Mexico,…

Home sales are falling a bit faster in seasonal towns than non-seasonal towns, partly because second-home buyers are backing off amid economic uncertainty and tight short-term rental regulations. That’s causing sale prices in vacation destinations to flatten.  The number of homes sold in seasonal towns, those where vacation demand drives the housing market, fell 3% year over year in July. That’s compared to a 1% decline in non-seasonal towns.  In seasonal towns, home sales have been declining on a year-over-year basis since February.  This is according to a Redfin analysis of housing-market data in seasonal towns versus non-seasonal towns. Seasonal…

Key Takeaways Southwest no longer offers two free checked bags to all travel tiers.Some travelers, like A-List Preferred or Business Select members, still qualify for waived fees.New fees apply to lower fare classes like Basic, Wanna Get Away Plus, and Anytime, while higher-tier fares still include two checked bags. Southwest Airlines built its brand on letting your bags fly free. But recent changes have started to chip away at that promise. While the airline still offers some ways to avoid checked bag fees, they’re not as universal as they used to be. Here’s what travelers should know before they fly.…

Retirement planning isn’t just about savings. It’s about staying connected. Especially when the room gets loud.getty Verizon popularized the question, “Can you hear me now?” Today, that question isn’t just about cell coverage, it’s about staying connected in retirement. It’s a question that belongs in our longevity planning, and yes, our brain health, too. The conversation begins like so many others in kitchens, cars, and restaurants across the country. “What? You’re mumbling,” he says. “I’m not mumbling,” she shoots back, leaning forward over the bread basket. Under her breath, she may be mumbling something else. “It’s too loud in here,”…