Author: Money Mechanics

After an uncertain start to the spring housing season, conditions may be aligning in favor of buyers.According to the Realtor.com® economic research team’s latest weekly market update, new listings are surging, total inventory is rising, and asking prices continue to retreat as mortgage rates ease.For prospective homeowners who have been sidelined by years of rapid appreciation and tight supply, the shift may offer some much-needed breathing room.New listing activity saw a dramatic 12.9% year-over-year jump for the week ending April 18, although that figure is somewhat inflated due to the Easter holiday falling on the same week last year. The…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Once or twice a century, a single catalyst reorders the entire economic landscape: The steam engine revolution. Mass electrification. The silicon chip.Today, it’s artificial intelligence, and we’re standing at the absolute baseline.As an investor backing the architects of OpenAI, SpaceX and Figure AI, I’m often bombarded by a singular, reflexive fear: Is this a speculative bubble? Is the 2000 crash happening again? 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…

National Energy Services (NASDAQ:NESR) is among the best 52-week high US stocks to buy. On April 15, UBS named National Energy Services (NASDAQ:NESR) on its list of top oil and gas emerging opportunities stocks. According to the firm, National Energy Services is among the companies that stand to benefit from power generation demand, digital transformation, and regional activity improvements. National Energy Services (NESR): Contract Awards Reveal A Lot On its list, UBS focused on companies’ growth catalysts and operational advantages that position them well to drive performance in the evolving energy space. National Energy Services provides integrated oilfield services in…

Mortgage rates continued their downward trend this week, with the average rate on 30-year fixed home loans falling to 6.23% for the week ending April 23, according to Freddie Mac. This 7-basis-point drop from last week’s 6.30% marks the third consecutive weekly decline, bringing rates to their lowest level in the last three spring homebuying seasons. Despite the market momentum and a rise in purchase applications, current rates remain significantly more attractive than the same period in 2025, when rates averaged 6.81%.Here’s the monthly cost of purchasing a typical home today, according to the Realtor.com® mortgage calculator.All examples assume a…

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.The Microsoft Surface Pro is an excellent 2-in-1 device, able to switch from a traditional laptop to a tablet on the fly. The 13-inch OLED touchscreen gives you clean, crisp text, rich colors, and fine details, which make it a nearly perfect option for video editors, digital artists, and other creative professionals. And right now at Best Buy, you can save $800 on the Microsoft Surface Pro, bringing the price down to $1,400.Also: Microsoft Surface Pro review The Best Buy deal only includes the Surface device itself, which means you’ll have to buy…

(Image credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF WILDERNESS SCOTLAND)1. Explore Charleston, South CarolinaThe first time I visited Charleston, almost 20 years ago, I was struck by a feeling of ease. I strolled along the Battery, past magnificent old mansions along the water, and down drowsy King Street. I popped into a restaurant for oysters and crab bisque.When I returned this year, the southern city had transformed into something even lovelier than before, owing in large part to the influx of cash as one of the U.S.’s 15 fastest-growing cities, according to Rocket Mortgage. Today, there are gleaming Gucci and Louis Vuitton boutiques…

(Image credit: Getty Images)There’s a moment I see in nearly every first meeting with a new client.They’re accomplished, often a C-suite executive or business owner, with equity comp vesting quarterly, a brokerage account they haven’t reviewed in years, more cash sitting idle than they’d like to admit and a second home they’ve been meaning to buy. But they’ve been managing all of it in pieces.When clients see their financial life organized for the first time, there’s a consistent reaction — something closer to relief than excitement. Instead of the thrill of a big return, they get the feeling of finally…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For several years, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) fiduciary rule has existed in various stages of legal limbo — finalized, challenged, paused and revised.In mid-March, that uncertainty came to an end when a federal court in Texas vacated the Biden administration’s Retirement Security Rule.While this might sound like deep-in-the-weeds regulatory “legalese,” the implications for the average consumer are very real. By ending broader fiduciary protections for consumers, the court effectively shifted the burden of protection from the government and directly onto the shoulders of individual investors. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter,…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Retiring early means different things to different people. For some, it means retiring as soon as they turn age 62 and can begin collecting Social Security benefits. For others, it’s when they hit their late 50s. Some even call it quits in their early 50s, trading the 9-to-5 for a life of freedom.While retiring early may appeal on an emotional level, it also brings up several practical considerations. The earlier you retire, the more years you need to plan for how you’ll live after leaving the workforce. If you retire at 65, you need to anticipate living…

College football superstar Fernando Mendoza shared an emotional celebration with his mother and father at the family’s Miami home Thursday night—when he was named as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.Heisman Trophy winner Mendoza, 22, was selected first by the Las Vegas Raiders, a moment that he chose to mark at home in Florida, so he could be with his father and mother, who has MS and was unable to travel to the official NFL Draft event in Pittsburgh.Video and images from the Mendozas’ at-home celebration showed the Indiana Hoosiers alum embracing his parents on the…