Author: Money Mechanics

Article published at 10:05 a.m. CTJJ Kinahan is Senior Vice President, Head of Retail Expansion and Alternative Investment Products at Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe).Key Takeaways:Is the doom and gloom over? Earnings boost marketsCaterpillar powers Dow; Palantir helps boost NasdaqSpaceX earnings expectations are a wild cardFor all the consternation and handwringing over the last few weeks, the markets continue to perform, taking the high ground in early trading and gliding toward fresh peaks amid strong earnings results and anticipation that a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz might happen soon.The Dow Jones Industrial Average is poised to close with…

Last month, I proclaimed short (but not ultra-short) maturities as the ideal place along the present fixed-income curve. Is there also an ideal target for yield-seeking stock investors?This year has been swell for popular dividend funds. Through June 30, for example, the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) returned 18%, boosted by tech and drug winners. Based on its most recent quarterly distribution, the exchange-traded fund yields 2.7%, which lags utilities, energy partnerships, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and even a fourth of the names in the S&P 500. Perhaps the path to optimizing dividends is simply to concentrate on…

“Kenny” needed to speak with a lawyer — any lawyer — as soon as possible. “I was in a panic, frightened out of my mind of what could happen,” he told me during our phone call on a recent Friday evening.This was the beginning of one of the strangest 30 minutes I’ve ever spent on the phone with someone in the category of “I need your help now — but I’m not going to give you any information about why.”He not only had a legal problem, but there was an additional reason for his call that had nothing to do…

Watching your retirement portfolio take a hit is painful, but it offers an unexpected gift: a discount on your future tax bill. Converting to a Roth IRA during a down market lets you pay taxes on depressed share prices now, turning market losses into years of tax-free growth.Kiplinger’s investing experts expect the second half of 2026 to remain strong. At the same time, there are signs that some asset classes or industries (such as AI) may struggle, which could provide an opportunity for savvy investors to convert holdings that see a significant drop.The benefits of doing a Roth conversion in…

To help you understand what’s going on in business and the economy and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You’ll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…President Trump has no good options on Iran. He can’t walk away. Invading is too risky. He’ll need to chart some kind of middle way that…

Driven by gains in the Northeast and Midwest, 80% of U.S. metros saw annual home price increases this spring, marking a meaningful acceleration from the start of the year.Median sales prices for existing single-family homes rose year-over-year in 188 out of the 235 markets tracked by the National Association of Realtors®, which released its latest quarterly report on Tuesday.That’s a gain from the 71% share that saw annual price increases in the first quarter, potentially signaling renewed momentum in the housing market even in the face of elevated mortgage rates.”Home sales increased despite mortgage rates rising. This testifies to the potential housing demand…

Retirement is supposed to be carefree and financially predictable, but that doesn’t mean you’re exempt from recurring bills. That’s particularly true if you own a home. Everything from maintenance to insurance comes at a cost. How you pay those bills — all at once or over time — can have a big impact on your savings and cash flow.The secret to saving money is timing. Some annual expenses offer discounts if you lock them in early, while others are best kept flexible so you can shop around or keep your money earning interest.To help you figure it out, here are…

New York City’s new tax on high-value second homes is moving from the policy stage to enforcement. But the first challenge involves determining which property owners actually owe it.The pied-à-terre tax was approved as part of the state budget signed into law in May 2026 and applies to certain non-primary residences in NYC beginning the 2026-2027 property tax year.But as the city begins implementing the new levy, some homeowners are questioning why they received notices indicating their properties might be subject to the tax. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from…

With economic uncertainty spreading across the country, Americans are finding it difficult to keep up.If an unexpected expense arises, they feel even more financially vulnerable, with 29% of Americans having more credit card debt than they have in savings and nearly one in four having no savings at all.This is why it’s becoming increasingly important to have money set aside for emergencies. The peace of mind that comes with planning and being prepared for surprise expenses can’t be overlooked. 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…

International life and annuity insurance specialist Talcott Financial Group (Talcott) has announced the launch of West Grove Re Ltd., a Bermuda based reinsurance sidecar structure that has been capitalised with approximately $1 billion after a fund-raise in partnership with Goldman Sachs.West Grove Re has been launched to support the accelerated growth of Talcott’s insurance and reinsurance platform, the company said. The reinsurance sidecar will participate in a quota share of some of the Talcott-sourced U.S. annuity business. The sidecar structure has been designed to “enhance Talcott’s ability to deliver scalable, capital-efficient solutions to its stakeholders across a wide set of…