Author: Money Mechanics

How much is enough to save for retirement? It’s the million-dollar (or more) question every pre-retiree is asking, and it can be incredibly confusing and overwhelming to answer.I’ve come across many articles, videos and statistics about how much you need to save to retire comfortably. Clients often come to me for guidance on this.Sometimes the guideline is to be able to generate a certain income level with your investments. The number I frequently hear is associated with that target is 80% to 90% of your pre-retirement income. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up…

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 married 48-year-old health care worker in Sagadahoc County, Maine. 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.)Each profile features one person or couple, who will always be completely anonymous to readers, answering questions to help our…

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series on retiring abroad. To see all the articles in the series, jump to the end.Fiji is such a dream vacation destination — a place that seems so exotic and ephemeral — that it is difficult to imagine actually relocating there. But you can, and doing so is not particularly arduous. The bar for demonstrating financial independence (which is mandatory in order to obtain a long-term visa) is low, and assuming you can meet it, this beach paradise that served as the location for both The Blue Lagoon and Survivor can…

Ben Affleck. He starred in Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon. Matt Damon starred in Ocean’s Eleven with Julia Roberts. Julia Roberts starred in Flatliners with … Kevin Bacon!That puts Ben Affleck at a three in the parlor game “six degrees of Kevin Bacon,” which challenges you to link any actor to Kevin Bacon in six steps or fewer. It’s based on the idea of “six degrees of separation” that posits we’re all more interconnected than we think. Think: friend of a friend of a friend.But play the game with our own lives, things are starting to look a lot…

What is a redress payment, and who is sending it?A redress payment compensates a consumer who has been wronged.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a U.S. government agency dedicated to making sure you’re treated fairly by banks, lenders, and other financial institutions. When we enforce the law, we or a court may order the company or person to take action to correct the harm caused to consumers. This can include requiring the company or person to compensate its victims through redress payments.These payments may be distributed directly by the company, through the CFPB’s Civil Penalty Fund, or by a payments…

Many Baby Boomers have done well for themselves financially. In fact, an Allianz global wealth report found that Baby Boomers — born between 1946 and 1964 — have become the wealthiest generation in history.But across housing, investing, retirement planning, and careers, Millennials are rewriting the playbook Boomers used. Not because the old rules were “wrong,” but because the math, the market and the workplace have all changed.Here are four money habits Millennials are moving away from and the factors driving those shifts. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for…

(BOE Report)– U.S. power generation capacity is evolving at the fastest pace in decades, as utilities scramble to ensure that supplies keep up with rapidly growing electricity demand from data centers, AI applications, businesses, homes and electric vehicles. To help frame expectations on what power sources will likely be in play over the coming years, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) issues decade-out projections on generation capacity of the top power sources within the U.S. energy system. Those projections frequently change, and will be especially likely to alter course following the aggressive changes to U.S. government policy on renewable energy…

For more than a decade, stablecoins have offered the promise of the benefits of cryptocurrency with stability of the U.S. dollar —an ideal stablecoin would always be worth $1.  However, as Congress considers historic legislation related to these assets, worth more than $250 billion as of August 2025, research reveals a problem with their models: the more effort they make to maintain their dollar peg, the more vulnerable they may be to catastrophic runs. The Promise and Perils of Stablecoins The Trump administration has prioritized stablecoin legislation, predicting these tokens would “ensure American dollar dominance internationally.” However, an NBER study…

Key Takeaways Lawmakers make more trades on days Congress is in session and step up activity during periods of elevated geopolitical risk.High levels of volatility are associated with a surge in buy orders from members of Congress, suggesting some treat policy fog and market stress as entry points.While trackers shadowing particular politicians or bipartisan “long only” baskets have posted eye-catching returns, diversified “Congress long-short” strategies lag the S&P 500 after fees. A new peer-reviewed study of over 180,000 trades made by U.S. lawmakers finds that members of Congress are far more active in the market when Congress is in session…

Abu Dhabi is quickly cementing its place as one of the world’s most exciting travel destinations, blending cutting-edge attractions with rich cultural heritage.In May 2025, The Walt Disney Company announced it will open Disneyland Abu Dhabi, the first new Disney theme park in 15 years — and the first ever in the Middle East. Set to rise on Yas Island, the park promises to deliver state-of-the-art technology and immersive storytelling, making it a landmark addition not only to Abu Dhabi but to Disney’s global portfolio.But Abu Dhabi’s allure doesn’t stop with Disney magic. The city has long been a destination…