Author: Money Mechanics

7% of American workers are canceling plans to make a major purchase, such as buying a home or car, due to their feelings about job security, according to a Redfin survey. Close to one-third (30%) are delaying these major purchase plans. 16% say they have already made a major purchase sooner than expected due to job security concerns. Another 17% say they will make a purchase earlier than originally planned for the same reason. 69% of workers are confident about their job security, while 27% are concerned.  Among workers who are concerned about their job security, company performance (29%) and…

Linux / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysThe new kernel’s number ends in zero, but it’s not a milestone release.Linux 7.0 boasts improvements in Rust, its scheduler – and it’s further embracing AI.More than half a dozen distros will let you try out Linux 7.0 now.Once upon a time — in 2015, to be precise — Linux creator Linus Torvalds grew sick and tired of long, confusing Linux kernel version numbers. Since he was “close to running out of fingers and toes,” he’d decided that instead of 3.20, he’d use 4.0 for…

(By Oil & Gas 360) – The market isn’t just reacting to higher oil prices. It’s reacting to what those prices mean this time.   What’s unfolding looks less like a temporary spike and more like a second-order shock, one that’s already starting to ripple through inflation, interest rates, and growth expectations in ways that feel more persistent than 2022. This time, it’s a supply shock with teeth. The latest data points are hard to ignore: The International Energy Agency now calls the current disruption one of the largest oil supply shocks on record, with roughly 1.5 million barrels per day already…

(Image credit: Getty Images)When people ask when to claim Social Security, the conversation usually starts with math. Claiming at 62 locks in a permanently smaller check, while waiting to 70 increases monthly benefits and builds a larger inflation-adjusted income stream for life.Most advisers and do-it-yourself retirees translate that trade-off into one practical question: How long do I need to live for delaying to pay off?Depending on the assumptions used, break-even points often land around age 80 when you compare a claim at 70 versus full retirement age, and in the early 80s when you compare 70 versus 62. From just…

As Americans rush to meet the tax deadline this year, frustration about paying too much remains high, and in some ways, seems to be intensifying.A March Fox News poll found that about 7 in 10 registered voters say their taxes are “too high,” up from roughly 6 in 10 last year. At the same time, a Pew Research Center survey found that about 60% of U.S. taxpayers are bothered “a lot” by the belief that wealthy people and corporations don’t pay their fair share.Those numbers come as Tax Day 2026 wraps up and follow a sweeping tax overhaul last year…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For much of the past several decades, investment success has been commonly measured by returns. Growth was the primary indicator that a strategy was working, and market performance often dominated financial decision-making.That definition is changing.After years of building wealth, priorities evolve. The focus shifts toward preserving what’s been built, maintaining flexibility as circumstances change and ensuring that today’s decisions will hold up over time. 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…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For a moment, set aside the $38 trillion (and counting) national debt, long a source of alarm, and look at personal balance sheets.Collectively, Americans hold more than $18 trillion in household debt, which amounts to roughly $156,000 per household.The numbers are staggering. 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 the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more – straight…

(Image credit: Getty Images)One of the more anticipated developments in 2026 was the debut of ETF share classes for mutual funds. For more than 20 years, this structure was effectively exclusive to Vanguard due to a patent.It allowed the firm to pair mutual funds with share classes of ETFs, using the ETF’s in-kind creation and redemption process to help reduce taxable capital gains distributions across the entire fund structure.That tax efficiency, combined with scale, contributed to Vanguard’s cost advantage. 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…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Question: We’re 68-year-old retirees with $6.8 million. Our two adult kids never ask for money, but I give each of them $1,000/month to make their lives easier and to help with daycare and summer camp. My husband thinks it’s silly. They earn a good living. Should I stop?Answer: If you retired with $6.8 million, it’s fair to say that you’re probably in a pretty good position. Last year, 25% of retired Americans lost sleep over money worries, according to the Schroders 2025 US Retirement Survey.But with $6.8 million saved, you probably have enough money to not only…

April 15, 2026 07:33 AM EDT Why Oracle Is One of the Biggest Winners of This Week’s Rally So Far FROM 14 minutes ago Optimism around new deals and AI offerings has made Oracle one of the biggest winners of this week’s rally. Could it help pull the stock out of its recent slump? Shares of Oracle (ORCL) climbed close to 5% Tuesday, after jumping nearly 13% Monday, after the cloud computing giant announced an expansion of its partnership with Bloom Energy (BE) to power its expanding network of data centers. Oracle also announced a new suite of agentic AI…