Author: Money Mechanics

For years, the narrative around life insurance went something like this: Buy protection while you’re young to replace your income so your family doesn’t struggle if something happens to you.And that message has clearly resonated. A good 51% of American adults say they have some life insurance coverage, according to LIMRA.When it comes to buying life insurance, you have a choice. You could opt for a term life policy that offers limited coverage and no cash value accumulation. Or, you could buy whole life insurance, a type of permanent insurance that covers you for life and includes a cash value…

The offer, revealed through the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), values the Accent shares not yet held by Frasers at around A$316m ($222m). Frasers, which also owns Sports Direct, currently owns 22.90% of the issued share capital of Accent. The proposed transaction is set to commence at the start of trading on the ASX on 30 June 2026 and is scheduled to run until the close of trading on 30 July 2026, unless it is extended or withdrawn. In its filing on the London Stock Exchange, Frasers Group stated that the bid carries no conditions. The company has filed its Bidder’s…

The Board of the World Bank has approved a new $400 million program that aims to boost Morocco’s resilience against climate, disaster, and cyber risks, with catastrophe bonds and other forms of insurance risk transfer including parametric triggers mooted as part of the program outcomes.While strengthening the country’s resilience against climate and natural disasters, as well as cyber events, the $400 million Morocco Climate & Risk Finance Program also looks to help unlock private capital to support climate infrastructure development. Part of the program’s focus is on developing cyber and disaster insurance instruments to expand risk transfer capacity for Morocco.…

Missouri sellers have a tax advantage right now that most of them don’t know about. In 2025 the state stopped taxing capital gains, the first state in the country to do it. For someone selling a business, that usually matters more than anything else on the tax return, because the bulk of what you make on a sale is taxed as a capital gain. The state income tax is also being cut on a schedule that’s supposed to march toward zero. Add it up and Missouri is a cheaper place to cash out than it was even two years ago.…

Shoppers carry Ross bags in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWholesale prices rose more than expected in May, indicating that pipeline inflationary pressures are percolating higher, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.The producer price index, a measure of final demand costs, increased a seasonally adjusted 1.1% on the month, putting the 12-month wholesale inflation rate at 6.5%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for a monthly move of 0.7%.The annual headline inflation rate was the highest since November 2022. The monthly gain matched the April increase.However,…

Something strange is happening in tech right now. Companies are posting record profits and revenue while laying off tens of thousands of people, citing AI as the official explanation. So far this year, there have been an estimated 363 layoffs at tech companies this year, affecting nearly 150,000 people — a pace of about 974 people per day, 44% faster than last year — according to TrueUp, a tech job board and recruiting platform that also runs one of the most widely cited tech layoff trackers. The trend appears to be accelerating. Tech layoffs hit their highest single month in…

(Oil Price) – Oil prices remain elevated in the wake of the Iran War. Tehran’s ability to close the Strait of Hormuz has sharply crimped world oil supply, with around 20% of all petroleum consumed globally passing through the waterway.   This triggered an oil shock with prices surging to levels not seen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although this is straining economies worldwide, it is creating a windfall for the tiny South American nation of Guyana, which recently emerged as a global oil producer and exporter. Since 2015, global supermajor ExxonMobil has made over 35 oil discoveries in the prolific 6.6-million-acre offshore Stabroek Block. In a stunning development,…

An architectural marvel that sits atop a giant boulder-like rock overlooking a lake in Idaho has hit the market for just under $10 million—more than five decades after the mastermind behind the property pulled off a feat of engineering brilliance to bring the vision to life.The 2,190-square-foot “House on the Rock,” which sits on the edge of Lake Coeur d’Alene in Harrison, features enormous walls of glass that offer panoramic views of the water, making it feel like you are “floating” atop the lake, albeit without ever having to worry about motion sickness.“It literally feels like you’re on a boat…

The oil markets — and markets around the globe — are closely watching whether a deal with Iran is imminent and when the Strait of Hormuz will be fully reopened. Energy markets got a solid peace dividend as President Donald Trump announced major progress toward a US-Iran agreement to extend the fragile ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said “final points” of the deal have been approved by all parties, canceling planned U.S. strikes and signaling a memorandum of understanding could be signed as soon as this weekend, possibly in Europe or Geneva. Trump called it a move…

Summer is when tree roots go into overdrive, aggressively chasing moisture.When this happens, they often crack and invade aging clay or cast-iron sewer lines.“Tree roots invading your sewer line is one of the most common (and costly) plumbing surprises we come across in older properties,” says Scott Eyman, project manager at Eyman Plumbing, Heating, & Air in La Vista, NE.If you live in an older home, it’s your responsibility to spot early subterranean warning signs before a catastrophic sewer backup occurs. Otherwise, you may have to dish out $5,000 or more for a full-blown repair. Why the damage occursClay and cast-iron pipes…