Author: Money Mechanics

In-brief analysis August 5, 2025 Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-930, Hourly and Daily Balancing Authority Operations Report Electricity demand in the Lower 48 states exceeded previous peaks on two days in the last week of July. Hot weather, which increases electricity demand for cooling, combined with an underlying trend of demand increases, pushed coincident peak demand for the Lower 48 states to a high of 758,053 megawatts (MW) on July 28 between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. eastern time, according to the preliminary data in our Hourly Electric Grid…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. July 30, 2025 Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement For release at 2:00 p.m. EDT Although swings in net exports continue to affect the data, recent indicators suggest that growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year. The unemployment rate remains low, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated. The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer…

Bill Gates predicted in 2023 that OpenAI’s next flagship model wouldn’t be “significantly better than GPT-4” and it now appears that his estimate was a lot more accurate than techies gave him credit for.Bill Gates’ GPT-5 Prediction Proves Surprisingly AccurateIn an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt, reported by The Decoder, the Microsoft co-founder said there were “many good people” at OpenAI who believed GPT-5 would leap ahead, “but [I] believe current generative AI has reached a ceiling,” while calling the jump from GPT-2 to GPT-4 “incredible.”Two years on, GPT-5’s launch has drawn sharp pushback from users and researchers, bolstering Gates’…

Key Takeaways Buying a home in a highly rated school district could cost you a heavy premium, according to a new Realtor.com report.In Dallas’s most popular school district, a home will cost you nearly five times more on average than elsewhere in the metro.Meanwhile, San Jose’s highest-rated school district isn’t its most popular—because it comes with a Silicon Valley price tag. Your child’s future science classroom may not be a prominent part of a homebuying tour, but it could be what you end up paying the biggest premium for.  That’s according to a Realtor.com report released Thursday, which identified the…

I’m thrilled to recognize the 366 Redfin agents who’ve earned a spot in President’s Club, Redfin’s highest honor for top performance! While this is our first public announcement of President’s Club honorees, it’s been a proud tradition at Redfin for years. Agents earn points for closing deals, building client loyalty, and delivering exceptional service. Every six months we tally those points and award three tiers – President’s Club, President’s Club Premier, and President’s Club Elite – based on each agent’s accomplishments. It takes serious commitment to reach this level, especially in a shifting housing market. But our first-half honorees rose…

With more than a trillion dollars estimated in unsold assets, private equity’s approach to an uncertain environment has been to stall, waiting on improved market conditions.This stance has business owners questioning whether a private equity buyout is a worthwhile option for their retirement and business succession plans.But while private equity (PE) firms have slowed on the sell side, they’re still buying, and owners who take a more proactive approach to preparing their businesses for sale might still be able to extract full value — whether they choose to sell to private equity or not. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be…

The 24 books comprising the entire Hebrew Bible cover a wide range of topics in history, law, poetry, wisdom, and theology. Despite being written thousands of years ago, they still offer timeless wisdom that can be applied in many aspects of life, including proper financial management. Afterall, good advice withstands the test of time. Below are some key financial lessons from the Bible that will help readers as they prepare for their financial future: Work Diligently: “The hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4). I regularly remind clients of this lesson that consistent effort builds wealth over time. Many…

Key Takeaways Cashing out your 401(k) early—or before age 59½—typically triggers income taxes and a 10% penalty. It can also significantly shrink your future retirement savings.Unless it’s a serious emergency and you have no alternative funds to tap, financial experts strongly advise against early withdrawals.Before tapping your 401(k), consider getting a 401(k) loan, a 0% APR credit card, a personal loan, or using funds from a 60-day individual retirement account (IRA) rollover. If you need cash, what’s the harm in tapping your 401(k) for some extra money? While it may be tempting to cash out your retirement account in a…

Dividend investing has long been pitched as a safe, reliable way to generate income, especially in retirement.But after years of conversations with clients and families, I’ve found that dividend strategies are often misunderstood and, in many cases, can create more problems than they solve — especially when it comes to taxes.Here’s the hard truth: High-dividend investing is not a magic formula. When you peel back the layers, it can actually increase your tax burden, limit flexibility and stunt long-term financial growth. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplinger’s…

In 2023, InvestiFi helped WeStreet Credit Union and Frankenmuth Credit Union offer crypto investing services to members. “At the time, most credit unions weren’t willing to jump into the market,” says Kian Sarreshteh, CEO and co-founder of InvestiFi.But of course, the environment for cryptocurrency is much more favorable today. Bitcoin reached an all-time high above $124,000 earlier this year, while many other coins are notching milestones of their own.Crypto stocks are also red hot, as evidenced by the impressive price action in cryptocurrency platform Coinbase Global (COIN) and the strong public offerings of CoinDesk owner Bullish (BLSH) and stablecoin provider…