Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)You are the chief financial officer of your household. Big title, big responsibility. Day to day, you’re juggling bills, work, family … life.But what if something happens to you — or you and your spouse or partner? Who steps in? Will they know how and where to start?Most of us avoid these questions. They’re depressing. They’re overwhelming. But they’re not going away. We might think we have all the time in the world, but life happens fast and things don’t always go according to plan. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For years, the message has been simple: Max out your 401(k), take the tax deduction, and let it grow.To be fair, that advice has helped a lot of people build meaningful retirement savings.But for many higher-income, consistent savers — especially those now sitting on large IRA or 401(k) balances — that same strategy is starting to show a different side, not during the working years, but later, when they use money … or they’re forced to withdraw it. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99,…

(Image credit: Alexandra Svokos)Everyone knows the best way to be treated right when you fly is to have status with an airline’s loyalty program. With that distinction alone, the clouds clear: You get access to a dedicated customer service phone line, free seat upgrades and checked bags, and sometimes even access to airport lounges and other perks.There are many ways to attain status. First and foremost, you can get an airline-branded credit card that automatically gets you in the club. The other option is simply to fly and spend enough with an airline that you qualify for status. If you’re…

A version of this article also appears in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors and large public companies. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.In the race to build housing more efficiently and affordably, 3D printing is becoming increasingly viable and popular. Financing for the homes, however, is still a significant hurdle. That’s about to change.Wells Fargo, one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders, in conjunction with Icon, the biggest player in the…

Although TikTok is widely described as a social media giant, it’s been gradually moving beyond that category. Over time, the video app added TikTok Shop, a map for local discovery, robust search, games, and so much more. Now, it has recently added hotel booking capabilities and is pursuing a fintech license.  It appears that TikTok is taking steps to evolve into what’s called a “super app,” a single platform where users can do much more than just watch and share videos, and actually handle a wide range of needs in one destination.  The super app model is big in China…

Welcome to Kiplinger’s My First $1 Million series, in which we hear from people who have made $1 million. They’re sharing how they did it and what they’re doing with it. This time, we hear from a retired Navy officer who’s married and living in Greenville, South Carolina. She retired at 63.See our earlier profiles, including a writer in New England, a literacy interventionist in Colorado, a semiretired entrepreneur in Nashville and an events industry CEO in Northern New Jersey. (See all of the profiles here.) From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor.…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Buying a used car from a private seller can be a smart way to save money. New vehicles lose value quickly, depreciating about 30% in their first two years and another 8% to 12% annually after that, according to Kelley Blue Book.At the same time, dealership prices and fees remain elevated, making even used vehicles a significant purchase. As a result, many buyers turn to private sellers in search of a better deal.A private-party sale can offer substantial savings, but it also comes with added risks. Unlike dealership purchases, private sales are typically sold as-is and often…

(Image credit: Alamy/FlixPix)When you work in an intense field like medicine, your job might eventually take a toll on your mental health. In 2025, 49.8% of emergency medical practitioners reported at least one symptom of burnout, according to the American Medical Association. And persistent burnout could set the stage for an early retirement, which may be good for your outlook but less good for your finances.There may, however, be a better way — a sabbatical.If you tuned into the Emmy-winning medical drama The Pitt last season, you know that the storyline revolved around Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch’s planned sabbatical. Robby,…

Longtime shareholders in Micron Technology (MU) used to be longtime sufferers. Not anymore.The company for decades plodded along in the volatile, low-margin business of making computer memory chips. That’s a tough racket. Chips are a commodity. They’re cyclical. Meanwhile, chipmakers have to constantly plow cash into research and development — to say nothing of capital expenditures — just to keep pace with peers.Micron escaped its formerly poky past thanks to the era of artificial intelligence (AI). The ongoing build-out of AI infrastructure isn’t just creating massive demand for specialized chips from the likes of Nvidia (NVDA); it’s also fueling a…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Many Gen Xers feel financially behind and are rethinking their retirement plans. The generation entered the workforce during a major shift from traditional pensions to self-funded retirement accounts, placing more responsibility for retirement savings on workers.They also faced a series of economic setbacks at key points in their lives, including the dot-com crash early in their careers and the housing market collapse during their prime homebuying years.Today, many Gen Xers are balancing the rising cost of living, retirement savings concerns and the financial demands of supporting both children and aging parents. As a result, a growing number…