Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)Money solves a lot of problems. It buys time. It gives you options. It softens the impact when something goes wrong.But the moment your income jumps, or a windfall lands, the ground shifts in ways people rarely talk about. Not publicly, anyway. The changes take place quietly — in spending habits, in the way people treat you, in the number of decisions suddenly sitting on your desk.Financial success is still a good thing. It just pays to understand the parts that come with it. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed…

(Image credit: Getty Images)In March 2025, we launched our feature My First $1 Million, in which we ask readers to share the details of how they hit seven figures.More than a hundred readers have detailed their experiences, and we’ve published 50 of these profiles so far — from a novelist in New England and a 37-year-old banking executive (yes, 37), to the owner of a waste-hauling business and a retired middle school teacher.So now is the perfect time to share the top five lessons we’ve learned from our featured millionaires. Whether you’re aiming to make your own $1 million or…

Welcome to Kiplinger’s My First $1 Million series, in which we hear from people who have made $1 million. They’re sharing how they did it and what they’re doing with it. This time, we hear from a single 48-year-old director in higher education/consulting in the Midwest. She reports that her income is $84,000. See our earlier profiles, including a writer in New England, a literacy interventionist in Colorado, a semiretired entrepreneur in Nashville and an events industry CEO in Northern New Jersey. (See all of the profiles here.) From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better…

When it comes to the struggles and successes of life, Billy Joel is the quintessential storyteller. The iconic crooner was the soundtrack of our youth and the blueprint for our adulthood.Through his five decades of hit songs, we learned how to live, love, and triumph over the challenges life threw our way.Now, as many of us step into our final chapter, his lyrics can show us how to slow our pace, savor the stillness and find grace in retiring. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.It was both a bad week for Meta Platforms, and a great one. The Facebook owner’s shares fell 10 per cent after it reported earnings on Wednesday, yet its sales and profit are growing at what, for normal companies, would inspire jubilation. This contradiction isn’t so strange, because there are really two Metas: the one that exists, and the one Mark Zuckerberg is building. One somewhat offsets the other.Look from a distance and Meta is a surprisingly simple business. Almost all of…

(Image credit: Toronto Star / Contributor)A home sale falling through can be frustrating and discouraging, especially after you’ve already started planning your next move. With homes sitting longer on the market and more deals falling through due to financing hiccups, inspection surprises or buyer cold feet, many sellers are finding themselves back at square one.But relisting isn’t just about putting your home back online and hoping for a better outcome. In today’s market, buyers are more cautious, and listings get scrutinized quickly. The good news?A thoughtful reset can put you back in a strong position. Here’s how to relist your…

(Image credit: Getty Images)After more than two decades writing about retirement — first at Fidelity Investments and now as an independent financial writer and coach — I recently crossed an important threshold:I turned 65.For most of my career, retirement was something I analyzed from the outside. I interviewed economists, portfolio managers and retirement specialists about how people build wealth — and eventually live off it. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free…

Dividend payments from UK companies jumped sharply in the first three months of 2026, raising hopes that payouts from London-listed companies might finally be turning the corner after years of stagnation.And the surge in energy prices driven by the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz could push payments higher still by aiding oil companies, a key dividend-paying sector, with any negative impacts potentially pushed out to 2027 or 2028. Total payouts rose 21.1 per cent to £16.4bn in the first quarter, compared with the same period last year, the highest Q1 figure since 2021, according to Computershare’s UK Dividend…

Next week’s earnings from Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple will be a major test for the market’s reliance on mega‑cap tech. With these companies holding significant weight in major indices, their results will undoubtedly influence broader market trends. Investors will particularly focus on how they are balancing growth investments with operational efficiency, especially in areas like AI development and cloud infrastructure. With over $15 trillion in combined market cap, Microsoft (NASDAQ:), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:), Alphabet (NASDAQ:), Amazon (NASDAQ:), and Apple (NASDAQ:) will deliver results next week that could set the tone for the broader market’s next move. Source: Investing.com…

In this edition of The Price Point—a weekly series where Redfin data journalists explore current housing inventory across a rotating combination of budgets and metro areas—we’re looking at the million-dollar market. The $1 million price point was once synonymous with luxury—but as home prices continue to rise, it’s increasingly tagged on more conventional properties. Still, as with any price point, geography does a lot of heavy lifting; the same budget opens entirely different doors depending on where you look. This week, our lens is pointed on three distinct markets: Asheville, NC; Bend, OR; and Richmond, VA. Each offers a version…