Author: Money Mechanics

Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in the 1969 film, “Easy Rider.”(Image credit: Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)The baby boomer generation exploded onto the American cultural and economic landscape in 1946, becoming the wealthiest generation in American history. Like the rule-breaking characters of “Easy Rider,” boomers claimed the right to more freedom to shape their lives than their parents had enjoyed. In the same vein, they have had to reinvent what it means to have leisure time, to work and retire. But though boomers (born in 1946 to 1964) haven’t gloriously burned out, as Neil Young’s anthem extolled, they also haven’t…

(Image credit: Getty Images)One of the costliest habits in investing is the search for certainty.You see it whenever investors declare that a stock is “definitely” going higher, that interest rates “have to” fall, or that the market will “surely” recover by year-end. The language sounds confident. It feels decisive.But in investing, certainty is often just marketing or overconfidence dressed up as insight. 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 Newsletters Profit and…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For decades, the conversation around home equity has centered on familiar financial questions: What is the interest rate, what is the repayment term, and what will the monthly payment look like?Those questions made complete sense in a world where the primary way to access housing wealth was through traditional borrowing — home equity loans, lines of credit or refinancing. In those scenarios, rate and repayment structure naturally became the lens through which homeowners compared their options.But the home equity landscape is beginning to shift, particularly for homeowners in the mass affluent and affluent segments. Today, the U.S.…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Many professionals pursue law or business school with a clear goal: Higher income and greater financial security.What often comes with it, however, is a six-figure salary paired with significant debt.Law school graduates carry an average of about $130,000 in debt, often paid over the course of 20 to 25 years, while MBA graduates average close to $80,000. 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 Newsletters Profit and prosper with…

Total homeowner equity in the U.S. continued its retreat through early 2026, hitting a four-year low as property values plateaued and mortgage rates remained stubbornly elevated.Nationally, 43.3% of homes were considered equity rich (defined as the property owner having at least 50% equity, meaning the home’s estimated worth is 50% or more than the outstanding loan) from January through March, down from 44.6% in the previous quarter, according to a new report from ATTOM, a provider of property data and real estate analytics.It marks the lowest share of equity-rich homes since the fourth quarter of 2021.”The two forces working against homeowner…

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The insurance-linked securities (ILS) market is in a strong position with record levels of catastrophe bond issuance and growing interest in private ILS and casualty risks, while transparency and price efficiency remain key to attracting investors old and new, according to industry experts.In April, Artemis held its seventh Bermuda ILS Executive Roundtable in Hamilton, in partnership with international law firm Appleby and Moody’s Analytics, a global provider of data, intelligence and analytical tools, during which seven leaders and experts from across the space discussed a range of market trends. As readers of Artemis will be aware, 2025 was a record-breaking…

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.2026 has been a strong year for content-creation laptops running Windows. We’ve seen machine after machine packing powerful hardware, solid audio systems, and vibrant displays. Two standout examples that exemplify this trend are the Galaxy Book6 Ultra and the Dell XPS 16. I thought those two would define the category as the best, but here comes a new challenger: the Lenovo Pro 9i Aura Edition.Also: The best Lenovo laptops of 2026: Expert tested and reviewedLenovo’s model enters the conversation as a compelling third option, shaking up what felt like a two-horse race. It…

(Oil & Gas 360) Part 1 – The U.S. power system is entering a period of adjustment that looks less like routine reform and more like a reset.   The immediate catalyst is PJM Interconnection’s move to consider a broad overhaul of how its markets price and procure capacity, a signal that the existing framework is no longer aligned with the demands placed on it. PJM operates the largest wholesale electricity market in the United States, and its structure has long served as a reference point for competitive power markets. The pressures now driving change are not isolated to one…

Key TakeawaysOverall options activity hit new highs in Q1 2026, with market-wide Average Daily Volume (ADV) reaching 68.6 million contracts.Index and ETF options led the growth: index options ADV rose approximately 22% and ETF options volume increased about 24% above 2025 levelsVIX options posted the second-best quarter on record.FLEX volume climbed 35.8% to 1.9 million contracts per day and reached a 4.1 million single-day recordThe options market experienced significant growth and dynamic shifts during the first quarter of 2026, marked by record-setting volumes across major index, ETF, and single stock contracts. There was robust activity in both established and newly…