Author: Money Mechanics

Job seekers speak with employer representatives and browse information tables as they attend an Inspire Together job and resource fair in Los Angeles, California on July 29, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesNonfarm payrolls in the U.S. unexpectedly declined in July, but so did the unemployment rate, leaving investors with mixed signals on how to process the latest jobs report.Here are three key takeaways:Misleading numbers: The payroll decline of 23,000 wasn’t quite as bad as it looked and the drop in the unemployment rate to 4.1% wasn’t nearly as good as it looked. The main reason for…

Cloudflare is the latest company to join the race to build a new web browser. But instead of pitching a Chrome alternative to consumers, the internet infrastructure provider launched Kitesurf, a cloud-hosted browser designed specifically for AI agents. AI software is evolving from chatbots that answer questions to agents that can complete tasks on users’ behalf. Browsers are a critical part of this transition, as they’ll need to navigate the web and use websites, as humans do. Unlike traditional web browsers built for humans, a browser built for AI agents doesn’t care about visual elements, like themes, tabs, or browser…

At the broadest possible level, every investor shares the same objective: earning a return. Where investors differ, however, is in how much risk they’re willing to take to earn that return, how long they remain invested before needing their money and how large a return they need to reach a financial goal.These differences closely mirror the three variables that financial advisers routinely discuss with their clients: investment objective, risk tolerance and time horizon.The interesting part is that these concepts are closely interconnected. A young investor early in their career, for example, typically has a long investment horizon before retirement. In…

Many 1031 investors — especially those who are nearing retirement — don’t understand the full breadth of replacement options available to them.Most of them are in a similar spot: They own a rental or a small commercial building, and they’re worn out from the day-to-day management. They’re ready to sip piña coladas on the beach, not answer phone calls or text messages about how the plumbing stopped working or what the pet fee will be if their tenant gets a fourth cat.In 2024, 38% of landlords said property upkeep is one of their biggest issues, and in 2026, a survey…

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 tax questions from readers pertaining to whether an activity is a hobby or a Schedule C business engaged in for profit. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe.)1. Hobby income and expensesQuestion: I like to knit hats. Lately, I have started selling some of the hats that I knit at craft shows. I have a full-time job, and my hat knitting is just a fun extracurricular activity that…

Signing up for Medicare isn’t as clear-cut a process as some might think. That’s because enrollees have a big decision to make — stick with original Medicare (Parts A and B) and pair it with a Part D drug plan, or sign up for an all-in-one Medicare Advantage plan.As of February 2026, more than 35 million people were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. And enrollment in Medicare Advantage has increased steadily in recent years, with 19% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries signing up in 2007 versus 54% in 2025, reports the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).It’s easy to see why so…

Financial conversations can be difficult and uncomfortable, leading many Americans to neglect them altogether.Whether it’s debt, retirement, investing or estate planning, more than 80% of people intentionally avoid discussing financial topics with family and friends, according to a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.While skipping these conversations may seem harmless, the silence isn’t neutral. Delaying these discussions often means delaying important financial decisions, too. As time passes, those missed opportunities can compound, sometimes creating more financial stress than if they had been addressed from the beginning. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed…

In-brief analysis August 7, 2026 Utility-scale battery storage capacity in the United States increased significantly during the last three years, with an annual average growth rate of 70%. By the end of 2025, the U.S. power system had operational battery storage capacity of 43.6 gigawatts (GW). During the first six months of 2026, operators added another 8.3 GW of battery storage capacity, reaching nearly 52 GW of nameplate battery storage capacity, based on our latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. Operators anticipate bringing an additional 54 GW of battery storage capacity online over…

A new report from analysts at J.P. Morgan has suggested that while the catastrophe bond market has witnessed exceptional growth in 2026, insurance-linked securities (ILS) and alternative capital are looking more disciplined, exhibiting few of the undisciplined behaviours witnessed in the last soft market.Coming off a remarkable 2025, the catastrophe bond market has managed to break new records in 2026. As highlighted in Artemis’ Q2 2026 Cat Bond & ILS market report, the second quarter of 2026 marked the largest ever quarter recorded for cat bond issuance, as it became the first-time quarterly issuance surpassed $11 billion, beating the previous…

Austin Newsom says his life was once quiet and simple.He lives with his wife in a three-bedroom home just off U.S Route 33 in Louisa, VA, and owns a boat repair shop that operates on the same land. He recently built another house nearby, and planned to move into that one and sell the home he’d spent upward of $80,000 to renovate.Then, Amazon started construction on a data center across the road from his home. “Before this, you were able to sleep past 6 a.m. without crazy noises and just all kinds of sh– going on,” he tells Realtor.com®. “Now it’s…