Author: Money Mechanics

On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, I dissented from the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) decision to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at its current level. As the Committee’s post-meeting statement notes, I preferred to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points.1 Inflation has moved considerably closer to our target, after excluding temporary effects from tariffs, and the labor market remains near full employment. With economic growth slowing this year and signs of a less dynamic labor market, I saw it as appropriate to begin gradually moving our moderately restrictive policy…

Gainers Masterbeef MB stock moved upwards by 110.1% to $7.46 during Monday’s regular session. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $60.3 million. FAT Brands FATBB stock increased by 15.6% to $2.89. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $44.5 million. Soho House SHCO shares increased by 14.98% to $8.79. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $1.4 billion. Fitell FTEL shares increased by 14.22% to $0.55. The company’s market cap stands at $9.6 million. Ambow Education Holding AMBO stock rose 13.45% to $3.44. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $8.5…

“To be free, you need to be feared,” said Emmanuel Macron, the French president, on July 30th. “We were not feared enough.” He was speaking three days after Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s boss, had agreed a one-sided trade deal with President Donald Trump at his Turnberry golf course in Scotland. The agreement entails higher tariffs on European goods without any retaliation in kind. This humbling asymmetry was quickly condemned by the continent’s politicians and press. But the European Union (EU) had good reasons for its faint-heartedness. It had to make enough concessions to keep Mr Trump engaged…

Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, during the nation’s Independence Day ceremony at Red Fort in New Delhi, India, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIndian markets rallied on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recently revealed tax cuts extended a gift to a domestic economy that still faces the teeth of U.S. tariffs.The Nifty 50 index advanced 1%, with the BSE Sensex adding 0.84%. In currencies, the U.S. dollar surrendered 0.18% against the rupee.In an extensive Independence Day speech on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a concerted push for self-reliance and proposed a spate of financial…

Jada Jones/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysSimple habits can help your headphones last much longer.Regular care keeps headphones performing like new.Small changes can extend your headphones’ lifespan.Get more ZDNET in Google: Add us as a preferred source on Search. (Works on Chrome and Chromium browsers.)I’ve spent plenty of time testing headphones and earbuds, and I’ve found a handful of small, seemingly obvious but mighty tips to keep them in tip-top shape and performance. If your headphones or earbuds aren’t working like they were in their heyday, these small fixes might help.Also: 4 headphones I swear by (and how I use each pair differently)These tips can…

Volatility is an inherent part of investing — markets fall and they rise. Fortunately, major stock indices like the S&P 500 (S&P) have historically posted strong long-term gains following declines. But what’s changed in recent years is how quickly they bounce back after a drop.Take the COVID-19 crash in early 2020. Markets dropped hard and fast, but they also recovered with astonishing speed. In just four months, the S&P had climbed all the way back, marking the fastest recovery from any market crash in the past 150 years.More recently, on April 2, 2025, the Trump administration announced a new round…

If you are like our clients whom we call Midwestern Millionaires — hardworking, frugal, diligent savers — the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is a hot topic right now.While OBBB might seem like just another piece of legislation, it does create some beneficial opportunities for smart retirement planning decisions.In this article, I share 12 points that apply to those who are in or near retirement, have pensions and have $1 million or more saved and how you can make the most of them. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is on the verge of allowing major changes to the way exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and traditional mutual funds are structured. Specifically, an SEC ruling could allow dozens of asset managers to offer existing mutual funds as ETF share classes.That might sound like technical minutiae … a distinction without a difference. After all, investors already have thousands of ETFs and mutual funds to choose from. What difference would it make if the ETFs themselves were simply a share class of a mutual fund?Some of this comes down to taxes. There are very real differences in…

Sales tax holidays, crypto IPOs and visa bonds all made the headlines this week — but why? Test your knowledge of this week’s financial and business news.If you’ve been following Kiplinger, you should have no trouble. And if you slip up on an answer or two, you can follow the links below the quiz to refresh your memory.Stories making the newsRead more analysis on the stories making the news this week, from the Kiplinger team: Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with…

Key Takeaways Famous crypto investors Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss filed for an initial public offering for their crypto trading platform.The registration for the Gemini Space Station IPO noted that neither the number of shares nor their price has been determined.The Winklevoss twins said crypto is creating a new “Golden Age” in finance. Gemini Space Station, the cryptocurrency trading platform founded in 2014 by famed cryptocurrency investors Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has registered to launch an initial public offering. In a filing with regulators, Gemini said that the number of shares and the price of the offering have not yet been…