Author: Money Mechanics

If you’re in the home stretch of saving for retirement, you’ll generally hear that your shift into more stable assets like bonds should be gradual, and that you should continue to lean on stocks for the strong returns they’ve historically been known to deliver. In fact, if you’re about a decade away from retirement, you may be inclined to keep a good chunk of your money in a broad mix of stocks to hit your target savings number and wrap up your career with a clear head.But investors hoping for an upcoming period of strong returns may be in for…

Each week in our Ask the Editor series, Joy Taylor, The Kiplinger Tax Letter editor, answers questions on topics submitted by readers. This week, she’s looking at five tax questions on federal estimated tax payments and federal income tax withholding. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe.)1. Underpayment penaltyQuestion: How much federal income tax must be withheld to avoid paying a tax penalty to the IRS when I file my Form 1040 each year? Joy Taylor: You are off the hook from the underpayment penalty if you prepay, through estimated tax payments or withholding, at least…

At its June meeting, the Federal Reserve voted to pause interest rates in the 3.50% to 3.75% range yet again. This latest in a series of pauses has left savers in limbo. With inflation topping 4% and most savings accounts barely keeping pace, where is the best place to stash the cash you don’t need right now?If you don’t want it to lose value amid rising inflation but you also don’t want to risk exposing it to the market by investing it, a certificate of deposit (CD) account is one of your best options.But how do you choose the right…

There’s a lot of chatter about the Great Wealth Transfer — as much as $124 trillion that’s predicted to pass between generations over the next couple of decades. And much of that is likely to end up in the hands of women. If you’re fortunate enough to inherit a windfall, be prepared to be patient. For starters, it can take time to gather the necessary documentation and navigate the legal niceties of inheritance (see our article on where to start if you’ve received an inheritance). And once you have the money in hand, “rule number one is don’t go out…

Every generational stock reaches a moment where its biggest fans start watching the tape with one eye closed. The story is still good. The buying is still frantic. And somewhere in the back of the room, a few people who own the dream begin asking how much of tomorrow has already been priced into today. That moment arrived fast for the most hyped listing in market history. SpaceX (SPCX) priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $135 a share on June 12 and raised about $75 billion. It was the biggest stock-market debut on record, according to CNN. The stock…

Achmea, the Netherlands headquartered European insurance group, has now secured a one-third upsized €100 million source of collateralized European windstorm reinsurance from its new Windmill III Re DAC (2026-1) catastrophe bond, pricing the notes below the initial guidance, Artemis has learned.Achmea came back to the catastrophe bond market at the start of this month, with an initial target to secure €75 million of collateralized European windstorm reinsurance protection from the capital markets through its sponsorship of a Windmill III Re 2026-1 cat bond. As we then reported in a first update on this deal, Achmea was looking to upsize the…

Pending home sales fell for the fifth week in a row, and new listings declined, too.  The median U.S. monthly housing payment hit $2,647 during the four weeks ending June 14, its highest level in a year and just about $100 shy of 2023’s all-time high. Housing payments are rising because both home-sale prices and mortgage rates remain stubbornly high. The median sale price rose 2.3% year over year to a record high of $403,889, and the weekly average mortgage rate is 6.52%, near its highest level in 10 months. The average daily rate dropped to 6.54% on Wednesday from…

Google/Amazon/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways New Google Home Speaker arrives June 25 for $99. It directly rivals Amazon’s $99 Echo Dot Max. Google may be smarter, while Amazon may sound better.Google just announced the new Google Home Speaker, which will officially go on sale on June 25. This is a $100 smart speaker that will come with a generative AI-powered Gemini for Home onboard, 360-degree sound, and the ability to double as a smart home hub.The speaker is directly competing with the newer Amazon Echo Dot Max, a $100 smart speaker (though it’s currently…

(By Oil & Gas 360) – Alaska may hold some of the largest undeveloped oil and natural gas resources in North America, yet attracting the capital needed to develop them remains a persistent challenge. That contradiction is becoming increasingly apparent as policymakers seek to revive Arctic energy development while investors continue directing most of their dollars elsewhere. Despite renewed interest in North Slope production, major discoveries, and efforts to expand leasing opportunities, Alaska remains a difficult sell in a market increasingly focused on short-cycle returns and capital discipline. The resource potential is enormous. Alaska’s North Slope still contains billions of…

Trump Accounts are a new type of tax-advantaged investment account designed to help children begin saving and investing early in life.gettyA new type of investment account designed for children is on the horizon. While the details are still coming into focus, one thing is already clear: many families are going to start hearing about “Trump Accounts” and wonder if they should pay attention.Created under federal legislation enacted on July 4, 2025, these accounts are intended to give children a government-seeded, tax-advantaged way to start investing early in life. They aren’t expected to be fully operational until after July 4, 2026,…