Author: Money Mechanics

Maria Diaz/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysPlug-in solar systems are an alternative to large, professionally installed rooftop solar.The US regulatory system for utilities wasn’t built for plug-and-play solar setups, so it’s taking time for state laws to catch up.Thus far, only Utah has legalized plug-in solar in the US, allowing small systems of up to 1,200w to plug directly into a traditional outlet.Plug-in solar has risen in popularity among sustainability fans in recent years, but the practice isn’t yet legal in all of the United States. If you’ve been thinking about joining the plug-in solar bandwagon,…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Do you really want to “win” with your insurance?Stick with me here, because I know how this sounds. You pay premiums every year. The bill comes. You grumble. You write the check. Then the next year comes, and you do it again. No claim. No check from the insurance company. No parade. No balloons. No oversized novelty check like you just hit the jackpot on a game show.So it is very tempting to think, “When do I finally get something back?” From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from…

(Image credit: Getty Images)When interest rates fall, as they did toward the end of 2025, borrowers across the country breathe a sigh of relief.Lower interest rates mean loans, mortgages and credit cards are less expensive and help make monthly payments easier to manage.But while borrowers continue to benefit from lower rates, savers are facing a much different reality: Lower returns on the wealth they’ve built. 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…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Economists, Federal Reserve watchers, market strategists and all of Wall Street may disagree on where interest rates are headed next, but there’s growing agreement on one thing: Inflation is proving far more persistent than many investors hoped.Everyday costs continue to put pressure on household budgets, especially for retirees living on fixed income streams.The strain is already showing up in places retirees can’t easily avoid: 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)Deciding when to collect Social Security — whether early, at full retirement age, or age 70 — is a high-stakes decision. Your choice has a lasting impact on your retirement cash flow, your lifestyle, and your family’s financial security.Sure, you have up to a year to change your mind, but after that, your decision is essentially etched in stone for life. It doesn’t help that the rules and combinations surrounding Social Security can get complicated; at last check, there are hundreds of different claiming paths you can employ.”Social Security comes up a lot for my clients,” says…

(Image credit: Getty Images)SpaceX’s S-1 filing is finally public, and for investors, the biggest mistake would be looking at this company as a rocket launcher.That is not what SpaceX is anymore.This is now a vertically integrated infrastructure company sitting at the center of space transportation, global communications, defense, artificial intelligence, compute, data transport and, potentially, chip manufacturing. 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…

If you’re looking to supercharge your savings, a high-yield savings account could provide an above-average return to help your balance grow faster. However, not all banks offer high savings account rates, which is why it’s important to shop around and find the most competitive savings interest rates available. Read on to learn more about where to find the best savings interest rates today. Banks with the best savings interest rates today Savings account rates have been trending down since 2024, when the Federal Reserve began cutting the federal funds rate. The good news is that many high-yield savings accounts still…

Allstate has now secured its targeted $200 million four year source of Florida catastrophe reinsurance protection with its latest catastrophe bond, pricing the notes from this Sanders Re III Ltd. (Series 2026-2) issuance below guidance, Artemis understands.US primary insurer Allstate returned to the catastrophe bond market earlier this month, aiming to secure a typical May sponsorship of a cat bond to provide it with multi-peril Florida collateralized reinsurance protection. At first, this offering saw two tranches of notes on offer, one targeting three years of reinsurance, another four years, each with the same risk metrics. We explained at the time…

Super El Niño is well on its way, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting it will emerge soon, likely between May and July 2026, and continue throughout the winter.It gives homeowners a chance to prepare, but there are certain states that should brace for far more than just the weather. Meteorologists agree that Super El Niño is expected to hit these five states the hardest: California, Florida, Texas, New York, and Washington.Unfortunately, homeowners in these areas may see their home insurance premiums skyrocket in response. “In these ‘hot zone’ states, El Niño–related weather means more frequent and more severe…

Finnish phone maker HMD today launched its first smartphone, called the Vibe 2 5G, which comes preloaded with Indian AI company Sarvam’s chatbot Indus. Both companies had first announced the partnership during the India AI summit held in New Delhi in February. The Indus app is powered by Sarvam’s locally trained 105-billion-parameter model — a measure of the AI’s scale and sophistication — and launched at the AI summit. The app supports 22 Indic languages and mid-sentence code-switching (the ability to fluidly mix languages mid-conversation, like switching between Hindi and English), which helps the assistant better understand the context of a…