Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)In the past few years, something has shifted in how RIA firms talk about the future.Selling your RIA to private equity used to be a finishing move, a reward at the end of a long and (hopefully) successful run. Today, private equity comes calling earlier and faster than some firms anticipate.For many founders, the call is getting harder to ignore. 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…

If you’ve dreamed of a move in North Carolina, now might be the time. Beyond the excitement of the spring homebuying season, the Tarheel State is currently offering a significant financial boost to help residents plant roots.The NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment program gives first-time home buyers and veterans access to homes priced up to $495,000 with a major perk: $15,000 in down payment assistance.The catch? Well, the 0% interest, deferred second mortgage is only forgiven over 15 years. If you move out before the full amount is forgiven, you might be on the hook for paying back the…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Many Americans are dealing with medical debt, often from bills that showed up when they had the least ability to pay them.Negotiation isn’t a niche tactic these days — it’s part of the process.The difference now is that you actually have leverage in the form of access to real pricing data, better enforcement and clearer rules. 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…

(Image credit: Getty Images)The average retirement age is around 62, but if you stop working then and begin collecting Social Security benefits, your monthly payments can be reduced by up to 30% over your lifetime.That could be a big deal later in life if you need extra money to cover your healthcare or to assist you in your daily tasks.One way to ensure you get the most Social Security benefits is to delay filing. That doesn’t mean you can’t retire. It does mean you have to find other sources of income to bridge the time until you are eligible for…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Energy crisis myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.There is nothing good about the energy shock stemming from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Higher prices for fuel, gas and electricity are needed to reduce demand to the point it balances lower global energy supply. So far, the world has papered over cracks by depleting well-stocked inventories, but this policy is strictly time-limited. When energy prices rise, consumers suffer and the calls for governments to do something become irresistible. Many countries are already ignoring multilateral organisations’ appeal for energy…

Millions of people are leaving high-tax states like California and New York, according to recent IRS migration data, and billions of dollars in income are shifting out of both states each year.In California alone, IRS-based analysis shows roughly $10 billion to $12 billion in adjusted gross income (AGI) has left the Golden State in a recent year, much of it tied to higher-income households.New York has also seen multibillion-dollar net outflows (about $9.9 billion), particularly from upper-income taxpayers relocating to lower-tax states like Florida and Texas. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor.…

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.0 percent in the first quarter of 2026 (January, February, and March), according to the advance estimate released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter of 2025, real GDP increased 0.5 percent.The contributors to the increase in real GDP in the first quarter were investment, exports, consumer spending, and government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, also increased. For more information, refer to the “Technical Notes” below.Compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, the acceleration in real GDP in…

This article is an on-site version of our Energy Source newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every Tuesday and Thursday. Standard subscribers can upgrade to Premium here, or explore all FT newslettersHello from Houston! Last week, I walked through a parking lot full of pick-up trucks to the expansive Kirby Ice House bar in Houston for a crawfish boil hosted by a Houston oil and gas networking group.Sitting at a picnic table, Eric Schneider showed me the art of cracking into the cherry-red crustaceans, which are boiled in aromatic spices, butter and garlic.“I’ve had a fair amount…

Personal income increased $149.2 billion (0.6 percent at a monthly rate) in March, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—increased $142.5 billion (0.6 percent), and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $195.4 billion (0.9 percent).Personal outlays the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments—increased $198.6 billion in March. Personal saving was $857.3 billion in March, and the personal saving rate—personal saving as a percentage of DPI—was 3.6 percent.The increase in current-dollar personal income in March primarily reflected increases in compensation and farm…

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its April 29 meeting.  Takeaway: Mortgage rates may rise slightly as Jerome Powell’s last Fed meeting as chair ended with some fireworks. The Board signaled an unusual amount of division over the future path of interest rates and, in a historically unprecedented move, Powell announced his decision to stay at the Fed after his chairmanship ends. The current members of the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) sent a wakeup call to anyone expecting lower rates with incoming chair Kevin Warsh. Mortgage rates may rise slightly as a result. While the FOMC held…