Author: Money Mechanics

In my years as a writer and editor for Kiplinger Personal Finance, I frequently advised readers to prepare for substantial out-of-pocket healthcare costs after they retire. Fidelity Investments estimates that a 65-year-old who retired in 2025 will spend an average $172,500 in healthcare and medical expenses in retirement. In a recent column, I discussed my out-of-pocket dental costs, which elicited a lot of interesting feedback from readers who have successfully lowered their dental expenses.But while I was prepared to pay for expenses that aren’t covered by Medicare, I was taken aback by the cost of Medicare itself — specifically, Medicare…

Mixing business with friendship is always risky, but it can get messy when it involves your life savings. Consider a common dilemma: You hire a financial adviser who moves in your social circle. She’s responsive, kind, and a great friend of a friend — but over the last five years, your portfolio has consistently lagged behind the market. You want to walk away, but you dread the awkwardness at the next gathering.If you find yourself wanting some financial planning help, you aren’t alone. As of mid-2024, about 27% of Americans were working with a financial planner or adviser, according to…

Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Group has entered into a production sharing agreement with Repsol and Türkiye Petrolleri A. O. (TPAO) covering offshore hydrocarbon exploration in Libya. The agreement, signed following the granting of an exploration licence, enables the consortium to proceed with activities in the O7 block in the Mediterranean Sea. The joint venture (JV) includes Repsol acting as operator with a 40% stake, TPAO holding 40% and MOL Group 20%. Earlier this year, the group submitted a successful bid for the O7 block located approximately 140km north-west of Benghazi. The acquired block covers more than 10,300km² and…

CRC Group, a wholesale insurance services and distribution specialist, has launched a new Risk Solutions Division to advance its focus on developing proprietary capacity, capital partnerships and alternative risk solutions, including its reinsurance sidecars, appointing Bill Goldstein to lead the division.CRC Group believes that the traditional boundaries between distribution, underwriting and capital are increasingly converging across the insurance and reinsurance market, recognising an opportunity to align its capabilities in the space to create new and innovative solutions to develop capacity. The company has already been leveraging alternative and insurance-linked securities (ILS) capital through a number of structures it has developed…

This Week In A Nutshell: It’s going to be a big week with an announced deal that may open the Strait of Hormuz by Friday and Kevin Warsh’s first Fed meeting on Wednesday. Upcoming Attractions   The two key events to watch this week are (1) whether the newly announced between the US and Iran lead to actual traffic moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and (2) the June Fed meeting on Wednesday with Kevin Warsh presiding as Chair for the first time. Oil prices have fallen and stock rallied modestly on the announcement of the agreement. Ten year yields…

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Out of all the docking stations I’ve tested, the Baseus Spacemate RD1 Pro is one of the most unique, sporting features not commonly seen on other docks. Also: I tested the best laptop docking stations – here’s what I recommend for your office setupIt immediately distinguishes itself with an adjustable wireless charging pad on top and a small, high-resolution display on the front. What’s great is that these additions don’t feel like gimmicks; they deliver genuinely useful information for busy work setups, in addition to all the benefits of a high-end docking station.Best desktops deals…

(Oil & Gas 360) – The Fracking Revolution Working Here & Freedom Growing Over There Have UP The Direction We Head With Prosperity Production Growing Here.    Employment Increasing and it more than expected confirms prosperity producing growth the direction we head.  Establishments increasing employment 172,000 in May to another new record high of 159.001 million (Figure 1, red line) was notably better than expected.  So was March revised up 29,000 to 214,000 and April revised up 64,000 to 179,000. More working, producing prosperity is also reflected in increasing value: more stock market record highs.  While the new Administration imposing Tariffs last…

Model Olivia Culpo is just five months away from becoming a mother of two—but she is determined to complete at least one major project before the arrival of her second baby with husband Christian McCaffrey: renovating the family’s picturesque “forever home” in California. The former Miss USA, 34, took to her Instagram to reveal that she and NFL star McCaffrey, 30, who wed in 2024 and welcomed their first child in March 2025, are in the process of giving their $14.5 million property a head-to-toe overhaul to ensure it is looking its very best by the time the newest member…

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady at its policy meeting this week — the first helmed by new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh — doing little to ease the affordability concerns plaguing many U.S. households.President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the central bank previously indicated he would consider cutting rates, but with the current inflation rate roughly double the Federal Reserve’s 2% long-term target, the central bank may be more likely to consider hiking rates, experts say. That would put Warsh in opposition to Trump, who has said that rates should be sharply lower. Fed funds futures indicate virtually no chance…

Over the weekend, Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced a small revolt when he delivered his commencement speech at Stanford University, where he earned his graduate degree in materials science and engineering. About 200 students from the graduating class reportedly walked out, while others loudly booed the tech executive. The focus of the protest was Google’s defense ties — including Project Nimbus, the controversial $1.2 billion contract, shared with Amazon, to provide cloud and AI services to the Israeli military, as well as its relationship with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Student signs included phrases like “ICE SPIES WITH…