Author: Money Mechanics

How did we choose these deals?I found over 30 deals in my initial research, and wanted to include them, but decided to keep things short. While considering the products on this list, I took into account the device’s popularity, quality, and discount amount. From there, I whittled things down to the 18 entries you see above.Should I buy a MacBook, Windows laptop, or Chromebook?It ultimatley depends on what you want as a user and what you’re looking for. There isn’t a hardset answer to this question. Chromebooks are often the cheapest laptops that you’ll find online, making them perfect for…

When the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases inflation numbers for July on Tuesday morning, August 12, the news is expected to be bad and will affect the Social Security COLA. Uncle Sam about to cut a Social Security card.getty Economists say new tariffs will nudge inflation higher, and that jump will ripple straight into next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. Rising inflation could mean Social Security checks in 2026 will have lower buying power for over 66 million of Americans. How the Social Security COLA is Computed The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates official price indexes for urban consumers…

Key Takeaways Boeing is said to be in talks with Chinese officials about the sale of up to 500 planes to that country.Bloomberg reports an agreement would be a key part of ongoing trade talks between Washington and Beijing.Boeing has only sold a small number of planes to Chinese airlines over the past few years. Boeing (BA) shares were up slightly on indications the big plane maker is in discussions to sell as many as 500 jets to China. Bloomberg reported that if it happens, the sale would be a breakthrough for Boeing, which has only made a handful of…

The Trump administration is expanding work requirements for food stamp beneficiaries, and the new rules could leave some vulnerable households at risk of going hungry.The recently passed tax cuts and spending legislation includes a provision that eliminates work exemptions for veterans receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal food assistance program previously known as food stamps.Under Trump’s new tax legislation, able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 must work, participate in job training, or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to be eligible for benefits – that includes veterans. Only those who are pregnant or disabled…

Key Takeaways Hewlett Packard Enterprise shares gained when Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock from equal-weight to overweight.The analysts also increased the price target by $6 to $28.Morgan Stanley pointed to “healthy enterprise spending” for anything artificial intelligence- and network-related. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) shares advanced Thursday on an upgrade by Morgan Stanley, which sees increased corporate spending on the computer processing hardware maker’s artificial intelligence (AI) and other products. Morgan Stanley raised its rating to “overweight” from “equal-weight,” and boosted the price target to $28 from $22. In a note to clients, the analysts noted that “our checks signaled healthy…

A happy retirement hums right along when you’ve got the right mindset — beyond having plenty of cash and waving goodbye to the daily grind. But retirement can mark a significant life transition, triggering both optimism and uncertainty.In a long-running Harvard study on happiness (that has tracked the same group of men since they were teenagers in 1938), researchers asked participants as they entered their golden years what they worried about most in retirement, beyond financial concerns. The answer? How to find new social ties to replace the work connections they leaned on for so many years.More recently, research from…

Key Takeaways U.S. equities fell at midday as weekly jobless claims were above expectations and Walmart missed earnings estimates and warned that tariff costs are rising.Cosmetics giant Coty posted a surprise loss as retailers were cautious about spending.Hewlett Packard Enterprise was upgraded by Morgan Stanley, and shares rose. U.S. equities were lower at midday on higher-than-expected initial jobless claims and concerns about retail. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all fell. Walmart (WMT) was the worst-performing stock in the Dow when the world’s biggest brick-and-mortar retailer missed earnings estimates and warned that tariff costs are rising. Coty…

Key Takeaways More than half of retired Social Security recipients are cutting discretionary spending, according to a new survey. However, nearly one-third are also cutting spending on essentials, including medical costs and groceries.The projected cost-of-living adjustment to benefits for 2026 might not be enough for many older Americans to live off.As a result, retirees might need to reduce their expenses, dip into their savings more (if they have savings), or seek assistance with basic living expenses. Rising costs are cutting into necessities for Social Security recipients, according to a new report. According to a new Nationwide survey of retired Social…

Executive Summary:While the VIX index is often referred to as a “fear gauge” – reflecting the fact that it typically moves inversely to the SPX® index – there are times when the two either move together (“spot up, vol up” or “spot down, vol down”) or the VIX index over/under-reacts relative to expectations.This decoupling between the VIX index and the SPX index occurs because the VIX index is more accurately a measure of the bid for optionality which is often, but not always, driven by demand for protection. In fact, sometimes the VIX index goes up not due to fear…

For many people, having children doesn’t follow a straight path. I work with clients navigating fertility challenges, LGBTQ+ identity, or choosing to parent solo. The options available to them, while beautiful, are often complex and expensive. IVF, egg freezing, artificial insemination, adoption, and surrogacy each come with emotional highs and lows, and a wide range of financial impacts.  So we talk about it early. While traditional financial planning tends to assume a predictable life path (marriage → kids → retirement), reality often looks very different. For those pursuing a nontraditional route to parenthood, I help them think through the financial…