Author: Money Mechanics

To help you understand what’s going on in business and technology and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You’ll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest… (Image credit: Getty Images)The Iran war has reinforced a new fact of life: The importance of drones in modern warfare. They’ve helped Tehran hold out against…

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 five questions on inherited IRAs and the 10-year cleanout rule for non-spousal inherited IRAs. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe.)1. 10-year cleanout rule for inherited IRAsQuestion: Last year, I inherited a traditional IRA from my 89-year-old father. Do I have to withdraw all the money within 10 years or can I take distributions over my lifetime?Joy Taylor: Before 2020, deceased owners of IRAs could leave their accounts to…

(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)The Federal Reserve kept the federal funds rate unchanged after this week’s meeting, a pause driven in part by worries that rising oil prices will fuel higher inflation.The concern over elevated inflation risks, stemming from higher oil costs, suggests that long-term interest rates will likely remain high, as noted by David Payne of the Kiplinger Letter. The war in Iran created a 20% spike in fuel prices in March. This increase will raise the cost of everyday goods.For consumers, the Fed’s decision has mixed impacts. While it helps savers by keeping annual percentage yields…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.This article is an on-site version of our Unhedged newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every weekday. Standard subscribers can upgrade to Premium here, or explore all FT newslettersGood morning. The S&P 500 hit another record yesterday and is now 14 per cent off the low of late March. Strong earnings reports from companies ranging from Google to Caterpillar to Eli Lilly helped, as did a lower oil price. But this feels, suddenly, like a market…

Is your income safe from taxation this year? As we approach the midway point of 2026, you might be thinking about next year’s income tax bill already.The 2025 Trump tax bill has made headlines by making certain tip income and overtime pay “tax-free” via new deductions.At the same time, other income — like credit card referral bonuses, small gambling winnings, or even certain life insurance payouts — could still trigger a bill. Even a simple gift might have hidden strings attached. 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: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)SpaceX and OpenAI are gearing up to go public in what would be the biggest initial public offerings (IPOs) of all time, and Nasdaq (NDAQ) can hardly wait.The exchange operator rolled out new “fast entry” rules that will allow it to speed up the process of adding such massive companies to its flagship Nasdaq-100 index. Ordinarily, it can take up to a year for a mega-cap stock to be included in the Nasdaq-100.Under the new rules (PDF), which go into effect on May 1, newly public mega caps would be eligible for inclusion after…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has slashed the commission ride-hailing companies can take from drivers as the economy struggles with low wages and rising prices.Speaking to tens of thousands of people at an annual Labour Day demonstration in Jakarta, Prabowo said he had signed a presidential regulation cutting the percentage that platforms, such as Grab and GoTo, can take from each order to a maximum of 8 per cent, from up to 20 per cent.“Revenue sharing, from 80 per cent for drivers, is…

, as uncertainty surrounding the Iran conflict and its broader impact on global interest rates keeps the market under pressure. Investor sentiment remains cautious, with the metal struggling to regain its safe-haven appeal.The ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran have intensified concerns over energy supply disruptions, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz. This situation has driven higher, which in turn is fueling inflation expectations globally., as markets anticipate a more aggressive stance from major central banks.This week, several central banks signaled a hawkish outlook. The Federal Reserve has highlighted risks of energy-driven inflation, while other major institutions…

Luxury home sales are surging in San Francisco, the epicenter of the AI boom, pushing the median sale price to the highest March level on record.  Tight supply is another factor pushing up San Francisco’s luxury prices; active listings are down roughly 15% year over year.  San Francisco’s luxury housing market is greatly outperforming the U.S. as a whole; nationwide, luxury sales are down 2% and price growth is losing steam.  San Francisco’s luxury housing market is booming. The number of luxury homes sold in San Francisco jumped 22.2% year over year in March, the fifth straight month of double-digit…

Adam Doud/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways If you don’t want to carry a laptop around, there are other options.They range in size from an AR headset to your phone.Here are some ways you can do that, and what works best for each situation.I’m a mobile writer, and by that I mean I write about mobile tech and I write while I’m mobile. Because of that, I often end up without a laptop or in a place where I can’t use one, like the back seat of a car or on a plane.…