Author: Money Mechanics

KEY TAKEAWAYS Krispy Kreme shares are dropping in morning trading Wednesday after JPMorgan downgraded the doughnut maker to an “underweight,” citing challenges to its turnaround plan.Krispy Kreme shares, which entered Wednesday down more than 60% so far this year to $3.73 each, went public in 2021 at $17 each.Krispy Kreme ended its partnership with McDonald’s in July as the doughnut maker said it was unable to continue scaling it profitably. Krispy Kreme (DNUT) shares are dropping in morning trading Wednesday after JPMorgan downgraded the doughnut maker to an “underweight,” citing challenges to its turnaround plan. The analysts previously had a “neutral”…

Key Takeaways Cracker Barrel Old Country Store went back to itsold logo after angry customer reaction, and shares bounced back in premarket trading.The throwback restaurant chain tried a more modern design for its logo.President Donald Trump was among those who blasted Cracker Barrel for the move. Shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) jumped 4% in premarket trading Wednesday, a day after the throwback restaurant chain reversed a controversial change in its logo. The company wrote on the social media site X that it thanked “our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” and after listening…

Spring and summer are the best times to sell a home. After hiding inside all winter, spring is when many buyers come out to scour the market for what’s available. If there’s enough interest in your home, that could mean a bidding war and possibly top dollar.The Federal Reserve is expected to begin cutting rates as soon as September, with CME FedWatch signaling a likely quarter-point reduction. A cut could make mortgages more affordable, potentially drawing more buyers into the market.Even though the Fed held rates steady at its last meeting, the prospect of cuts ahead makes timing more important…

It’s almost snowbird season, the annual time of year that typically starts in late October or early November, in which thousands of people, often retirees, migrate from colder northern regions to warmer southern areas to escape the winter.Florida, Arizona and Texas are popular destinations for snowbirds who tend to spend as much as six months soaking in the sunshine and kicking back in warmer climates, before they return to their northern homes.Some of these snowbirds opt to ship their vehicles down south instead of driving them. Sure, it costs anywhere between $510 for shipping vehicles a few hundred miles away…

Uncertainty got the upper hand this weak. President Trump removed one certainty from the outlook — the U.S. economy would be wrecked by his de facto embargo of China — but we now are uncertain as to how bad a 30% Chinese tariff will be, and we also do not know what happens when the 90 day grace period is up. Meanwhile, the White House has indicated that he will start unilaterally imposing tariff rates within a week. Since Trump appears to get great satisfaction from changing tariff rates, and there is no sign that any country other than the…

With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Wednesday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows: Wall Street expects J M Smucker Co SJM to report quarterly earnings at $1.93 per share on revenue of $2.11 billion before the opening bell, according to data from Benzinga Pro. Smucker shares fell 0.2% to $110.35 in after-hours trading. MongoDB, Inc.  MDB posted better-than-expected second-quarter results after the closing bell on Tuesday. The company also raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to between $3.64 and $3.73, versus the $3.10 analyst estimate. MongoDB raised its fiscal…

Accessible Keys for Video [Space Bar] toggles play/pause; [Right/Left Arrows] seeks the video forwards and back (5 sec ); [Up/Down Arrows] increase/decrease volume; [M] toggles mute on/off; [F] toggles fullscreen on/off (Except IE 11); The [Tab] key may be used in combination with the [Enter/Return] key to navigate and activate control buttons, such as caption on/off. Good morning. I’m very pleased to welcome you to the second annual Financial Inclusion Conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Board.1 Last year, at our inaugural event, I underscored that financial inclusion is essential for creating an economy that works for everyone, with innovation…

Chen ZhaoChen Zhao is the head of economics research, where she produces research on the housing market for public and internal audiences. Previously, she was an executive director leading housing finance and financial markets research at the JPMorgan Chase Institute. Prior to joining JPMCI, Chen was an economics consultant at Analysis Group, Inc., where she worked on financial litigation cases and led teams conducting health economics and outcomes research on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. While in graduate school, Chen was with the Center for Economic Studies and the Social Economic and Housing Statistics Division at the US Census Bureau, where…

Key Takeaways Standard Medicare Part B premiums are expected to rise by 11.6% next year, eating up much or all of Social Security’s projected cost-of-living adjustment increase for 2026.Medicare Part B and D premiums and cost sharing alone account for nearly a quarter of average monthly Social Security benefits.COLAs haven’t kept up with the cost of living for older Americans in years. Health care expenses for retirees are climbing at a rate that far outpaces Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustments. Each year, the Social Security Administration adjusts benefits for its recipients based on inflation. The Senior Citizens League predicts the…

Editor’s Note: This is part two of a four-part series about how to create your own Estate Planning Playbook. Part one, From Wills to Wishes: An Expert Guide to Your Estate Planning Playbook, introduced the concept and explained how to get started. This article focuses on a powerful but often overlooked tool: the family love letter. When a parent passes away, their children are often left planning a funeral while navigating grief.Driven by love and a desire to honor Mom or Dad, families spend countless hours selecting a venue, arranging catering, notifying friends and relatives. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance…