Author: Money Mechanics

By the time many real estate investors buy their last property, they are no longer chasing opportunity. They are chasing a tax deferral.That may sound harsh. But after years as a financial professional working with investors selling appreciated real estate, I have noticed something important: Many people do not actually want another property. They simply do not want the tax bill.So they buy something anyway. 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…

The median U.S. home price will likely hit $1 million around the year 2050, when the millennial generation is hitting the traditional age of retirement, a top housing economist has predicted.”Essentially, in about 25 years the national median home price will be a million dollars,” Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors®, said at a conference in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. “It may be hard to envision that, but back in 1990, the national median price was $90,000.”Yun noted that even San Francisco, considered an exorbitantly priced real estate market at the time, had a median price…

In TV and movies, retirement magically falls into place. After years of loyal work for one company, an employee signs off for a carefree retirement of traveling, golfing and spending time with grandchildren. The end.It’s debatable whether this was ever an accurate depiction, but one thing is certain: Retirement has clearly shifted over the past few decades. People are working longer and hold several jobs over the course of a lifetime.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, late Baby Boomers (those born between 1957 and 1964) will hold an average of 12.9 jobs from age 18 to 58. Younger Americans…

Shopping for furniture or a new car is fun, or at least it can be. Shopping for long-term care insurance is, well, less fun.But it’s an exercise you may need to go through eventually, given that Medicare won’t cover the cost of long-term care. And if you don’t buy insurance, you could face very high costs, depending on the type and amount of care you need.Data from CareScout puts the yearly median cost of a non-medical in-home caregiver at $80,080 in 2025. For assisted living, you may be looking at $74,400 a year. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal…

Chipotle’s (CMG) biggest stock-market problem may not be burritos, menu prices or slowing comparable sales. It might be investor skepticism. Bank of America thinks the restaurant business is demonstrating a demand pattern that might be significant for the beaten-down growth brands, including Chipotle Mexican Grill. Consumers still prefer to cut restaurant wallet share when gas takes up a bigger slice of the household budget, according to the firm’s June 12 restaurant-industry survey. But BofA’s more noteworthy finding is that consumers seem to be holding the line on the amount of restaurant meals they buy, even while price and spending patterns…

Gold is eagerly awaiting the central bank’s decision. The rebound in gold prices is due to weaker headwinds. continues to retreat as geopolitical risks ease, and concerns about Kevin Warsh’s dovish rhetoric subside. Donald Trump insists that the agreement with Iran is a done deal, which has pushed below $80 a barrel and triggered a recovery rally in US stock indices. At the same time, fears of a further surge in inflation are receding, as reflected in Treasury bond yields. The precious metal is shifting its focus from the Middle East conflict to monetary policy, re-establishing its correlation with bond…

Arch Capital Group is now aiming to upsize its latest catastrophe bond sponsorship, now targeting a 50% upsized $150 million of property catastrophe retrocession for peak North American perils from its new Ramble Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) issuance, Artemis has learned.Arch Capital returned to the catastrophe bond market for what will be its third sponsorship earlier this month. Initially, the target was to secure $100 million of peak peril catastrophe retrocessional reinsurance from the offering of Ramble Re 2026-1 cat bond notes. We’re now told that Arch Capital has raised its target for protection by 50%, with now a $150 million…

I saw a chart a few weeks ago, which someone sent me from The Daily Shot. It has been bothering me since then. Here’s the chart: Well, it looks amazing and a great reason to invest in global equities, right? Global earnings are surging due to the AI revolution![1] What bothers me is the simple phrase which is the title of this article. I completely understand that the leaders of the exploding AI industry are going to have drooling analysts projecting great earnings growth far into the future. That may even be correct. But if a company is making bank…

(By Oil & Gas 360) – The proposed sixty-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran with Pakistan as mediator has been greeted by energy markets with a sense of relief. Oil prices retreated from crisis levels, shipping companies began preparing for a gradual return to normal operations, and insurers started reassessing the elevated war-risk premiums that had accompanied weeks of uncertainty in and around the Strait of Hormuz. For investors, traders, refiners, and policymakers, the agreement offered something that had become increasingly scarce during the conflict: predictability. Yet beneath that relief lies a more complicated reality. While the ceasefire…

A Los Angeles “power couple” who are known for hosting some of the city’s most impressive political events and high-profile fundraisers are ready for the hallowed halls of their stunning Hancock Park estate to play host to a new group of glitterati—after listing the elegant property for $16.5 million. Mike Rose and Ruben Rodriguez, who are best known for hosting Democratic political fundraisers for the likes of Pete Buttigieg, as well as philanthropic events for organizations like the National AIDS Monument, Outfest, and Project Angel Food, have spent more than a decade using their home as a backdrop for their incredible…