Author: Money Mechanics

Walmart, a name synonymous with value pricing, large stores, and wide product selection, is now preparing to offer another service that pushes the company beyond its traditional retail business. The retail giant has built one of the largest retail businesses in the world by selling groceries, household essentials, electronics, apparel, and nearly everything else a shopper might need. Now it wants to help businesses keep their own buildings running. The retail giant has introduced Upstream Facility Services, a new business that brings Walmart’s in-house maintenance operation to commercial clients. The service is built on the systems Walmart already uses to…

Home > Federal Reserve > My Views on Kevin Warsh as Fed Chairman My Views on Kevin Warsh as Fed Chairman I promised last week that I would give you my views about Kevin Warsh. I did so while clearly forgetting that I already have. Having heard more from him, though, I can put more meat on that bone. I must first tell you that I have a natural tendency to want to believe that our monetary policy institutions can be saved, and so I want to believe that each new Chairperson has a chance. I was optimistic, for example,…

Gymnast Simone Biles has warned that she will forgo all future red carpets event and instead remain at home “where it’s free,” because the cost of getting glammed up for the cameras has become too expensive for her to justify. Biles, 29, who has become a regular fixture at celebrity events in recent years—particularly after taking a step back from professional sport—took to TikTok to lament the soaring cost of red carpet preparation, claiming that the price of her stylist fee, along with her hair and makeup artists, for a recent event hit a sky-high $23,000. The three-time Olympian began…

Mike Vichich grew up in Michigan. His family, he recalls, dedicated their lives to public service. His parents were teachers, his uncle a fighter pilot, while both sets of grandparents served in the army. “Growing up, public service was always a really admirable way to spend one’s life and one’s career,” he told TechCrunch. “I have three young kids. I want them to grow up in a country where government can actually get stuff done.”  He went on to work in consulting, then launched a consumer company that he sold to Olo for $200 million back in 2021. After his…

Weekly Crude Oil Storage as of April 24, 2026 U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 6.2 million barrels from the previous week.  At 459.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are 1% above the five-year average for this time of year, according to the EIA crude oil and petroleum weekly storage data, reporting inventories as of April 24, 2026. Summary of weekly petroleum data for the week ending April 24, 2026 U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 16.1 million barrels per day during the week ending April 24, 2026, which was 85…

(Image credit: Getty Images)We are already halfway done with the 2020s and on the road to 2030. Yet some aspects of our country’s robust 401(k) system are stuck in the 20th century.In the last century, it was much more common to spend your entire working life at a single employer and retire with a secure pension.However, today’s American workforce is more mobile than ever. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American worker will hold about 12 jobs during their career, with most of their job changes occurring before the age of 40. From just $107.88 $24.99…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Retirement planning often starts with a simple question: How much do I need to retire?You’ll often hear answers framed around a single number. One million dollars. Two million. Maybe more.That question, while important, can lead you in the wrong direction. Retirement success isn’t defined by how much you have, but by how much you spend. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For retirees in what we call the 2% Club — those with both a pension and $1 million or more saved — the question is not can you move in retirement, it’s should you?At this level of financial security, the decision to relocate isn’t just about chasing lower taxes. It’s about optimizing income, preserving wealth and designing a lifestyle that truly feels like retirement. If you’re weighing a move, here’s the ultimate checklist to help guide your decision:1. Don’t just look at state income tax, look at retirement income taxIt’s easy to be drawn to states that…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Discover these seven historic places with your grandkids this year to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Whether you visit on July 4, 2026, or explore in the months before or after the ‘Semiquincentennial,” the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence offers a rare opportunity to build lasting memories at the places where our history began.Sure to create lasting bonds, these trips can also help turn old, dusty history lessons into hands-on adventures. Best of all, many of these iconic sites (and we’ve only listed a few) are rolling out world-class experiences.Here are 7 standout…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Most of us know the power of compound interest, often followed by the wish that we had started saving and investing decades earlier. By opening a custodial Roth IRA for a grandchild, you are giving them the one asset money usually can’t buy: time. If your grandchild has a summer job or a part-time gig, they hold the ‘golden ticket’ of earned income needed to open an account. Matching their earnings today does more than teach the value of a dollar — it plants a seed that grows into a tax-free fortune by the time they reach…