Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)Not long after mastering sleep and feeding schedules, new parents will inevitably turn their attention to saving for their child’s education and future.From 529 accounts to Roth IRAs, parents can choose from several options to help their children enter the world on strong financial footing, and starting this year, they’ll have another tool in their arsenal: Trump Accounts.Starting in July, parents or guardians of children who have not turned 18 by the end of the year can open and contribute to a tax-deferred investment plan that resembles a traditional retirement or education account, with some important differences.…

(Image credit: Getty Images)In a previous article, I compared the fourth quarter of a football game to planning for and achieving a successful long-term retirement. And after reflecting on the 2025-26 NFL season, I feel it’s time for an update.We can learn a lot from football colloquialisms, such as “defense wins championships,” “take the points,” “don’t give up the big play” and, my personal favorite, the presence of a person on the defensive side of the field called a “safety.”These strategies may be especially useful at the present time, when we’re potentially on the precipice of a substantial and long-term…

(Image credit: Getty Images)To Roth, or not to Roth? That is the question facing millions of retirees and pre-retirees this year. For many, a Roth conversion is a great way to defuse the ‘tax bomb’ of future Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). But paying taxes upfront is a bad deal if the strategy doesn’t fit your long-term goals. If you’re currently debating a conversion, start by asking yourself these three questions to make sure you’re making a choice that will save you money in the long run.While there are pros to having your retirement savings in a Roth IRA — tax-free…

Each week in our Ask the Editor series, Joy Taylor, The Kiplinger Tax Letter editor, answers questions on topics submitted by readers. This week, she’s looking at four questions on tax refunds, how to get the IRS to abate a penalty and related topics. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe.)1. Erroneous bank account information for tax refundQuestion: I helped my granddaughter prepare her tax return and claim a refund. I filed her 2025 Form 1040 using the same bank account information shown on her 2024 Form 1040. However, I was unaware that my granddaughter had…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldThe writer is founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy and a professor at Columbia University. He was previously senior director for energy and climate change at the US National Security Council during the Barack Obama administration.In March 2012, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington to press a US president on slowing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Inside the White House, the dilemma was stark. The US wanted to tighten the economic noose on Tehran, but without triggering…

New York Fed President John Williams expressed concern Thursday about the Iran war’s impact on the economy, saying it already has shown signs of hiking prices and slowing growth.In a speech delivered to bankers in his home district, Williams noted that the conflict has “intensified the uncertainty” around national and local conditions. While he generally expressed confidence that growth would continue and inflation would ease through the year, he said there are threats to both sides of the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate for stable prices and low unemployment.”Assuming energy supply disruptions ease reasonably soon, energy prices should come down, and…

In 1900, Hershey released its first chocolate bar turning what once was a luxury into an affordable, accessible treat. Over the last 125 years, the candy company has continued that innovation, bringing items like Reese’s, Twizzlers, and Jolly Rancher to our candy drawers. But now, it seems the retailer is ready to change tack. In recent years, Hershey has expanded into other categories, acquiring snack brands like Skinny Pop, Pirate’s Booty, and One protein bars. Former CEO Michele Buck led much of that transition in the early 2020s. “Our plan was to expand further into snacking, not diversify out of…

The casualty insurance-linked securities and casualty reinsurance sidecar market is seen as primed for expansion, with speakers at today’s SIFMA ILS conference in Miami saying the aligned nature of the structures and the motivation of cedents to participate all suggest traction will persist.During a panel discussion this morning at the conference, moderator Andras Bohm, Managing Director and Global Head of Structuring, Gallagher Securities, was bullish on growth potential for non-cat and casualty sidecars. In essence, the increasing maturity of this segment of the market is driving greater confidence, while the alignment inherent in the structures is helping fuel investor interest…

Pending home sales are declining and touring activity is slumping.  U.S. pending home sales fell 4.1% from a year earlier during the four weeks ending April 12, the biggest decline in over a year.  Sales fell in all but seven of the 50 biggest U.S. metro areas, with the biggest declines in Providence, RI (-17.5%), Houston (-16.9%) and Nassau County, NY (-14.8%). The biggest increases were in San Francisco (9.6%), West Palm Beach, FL (8.2%) and Miami (6.4%).  Homebuying demand is unseasonably slow. Home-touring activity is up just 11% since the start of the year, compared to a 40% increase…

pros and cons Pros Hi-res audio supportMulti-room integrationDolby Atmos support Cons More expensive than competitorsVague EQ settings Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Sonos has perhaps been the most recognized name in the home speaker market for some time, but Denon has something to say about that. The company recently launched its lineup of second-generation home speakers: the Denon Home 200, Home 400, and Home 600.The Denon Home 400 is the mid-tier option in the lineup, and it’s designed to go head-to-head with the Sonos Era 300. It has a similar, larger form factor, up-firing Dolby Atmos speakers, and…