Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Goodwill is an intangible asset linked to brand value.In 2001, amortizing goodwill was prohibited by the FASB.Companies must now perform annual impairment tests.Since 2014, private firms can amortize goodwill again.Choices in accounting methods affect asset reporting. Goodwill is an intangible asset that represents the premium a company pays when acquiring another business. This often reflects in brand value, customer relationships, or reputation. In 2001, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) prohibited amortizing goodwill under Statement 142, instead requiring annual impairment tests to assess its value. In 2014, the rules changed to give private companies the option to amortize…

Key Takeaways SEC Form 8-A is used for registering securities necessary for listing on an exchange under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.Companies must submit Form 8-A to the SEC before offering securities to the public on an exchange.This form is known as the Registration of Certain Classes of Securities and is considered a short-form registration statement. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. What Is SEC Form 8-A? SEC Form 8-A is a mandatory filing required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for companies wishing to register securities. This form must be submitted prior…

Key Takeaways A covered warrant is issued by a financial institution, not a company, offering the right to buy or sell an asset at a specified price and date.Covered warrants work similarly to listed options and are available as put or call warrants based on market expectations.Unlike stock options, covered warrants can be purchased but not sold or written by investors.Investors buy call warrants when expecting a price rise or put warrants when anticipating a decline in the underlying market. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. What Is a Covered Warrant? A covered warrant is…

Key Takeaways Homeowners with very low credit scores paid about $550 more per year for home insurance in 2024 than those with very high scores.Insurance costs have risen faster for low-credit homeowners, with their insurance burden growing 1.7 percentage points per year since 2020.Improving your credit score—or shopping around if your score improves—may help lower what you pay for home insurance. Many people are aware that your credit score impacts your ability to get a credit card, mortgage, or a loan. But do you know it may also affect what you pay for homeowners insurance? Insurers often rely on a…

Retiring at 65 feels like the sweet spot. Medicare officially kicks in, and if you were born in 1967 or later, you’re just two years away from collecting your full Social Security benefits.So what are you waiting for? Why not retire now and get busy living your second act?While retiring at 65 is feasible, several factors should be considered. For starters, you either have to fund those first two years of expenses on your own or take a lifetime pay cut in your Social Security benefits.Article continues below From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better…

Key Takeaways Safe places to keep savings are still offering stronger returns than many people expect.Top savings accounts, CDs, brokerage cash accounts, and Treasuries pay 3%–5% with almost no risk—some with their return guaranteed.Our latest chart lets you quickly compare today’s best cash yields side by side. See Today’s Best Cash Yields—All in One Chart Savers don’t have to take big risks to earn a respectable return right now. Several low-risk options are still paying solid yields on cash, with savings accounts, CDs, brokerages, and Treasuries near multiyear highs—even after the Federal Reserve trimmed its benchmark rate by 0.75 percentage points…

Key Takeaways Depreciation is the highest cost of car ownership, impacting total cost over five years.Resale value is crucial for reducing the financial impact of car depreciation.Toyota vehicles often have low depreciation, leading to higher resale values.The Subaru Impreza and the Toyota Camry are among the best for resale value in their categories.Selling before high mileage and maintaining the car can help minimize depreciation. Depreciation is often the single largest cost of owning a car. It’s immediate and significant—your vehicle depreciates as much as 10% in the first month you drive off the lot. By the end of the first…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Stocks opened higher Friday, but the positive price action was short-lived as geopolitical risks lingered and economic data disappointed. Oil prices, meanwhile, continued their steady climb, even after the U.S. lifted sanctions on Russia to boost market supply.At the close, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3% at 46,558, the broader S&P 500 was off 0.6% at 6,632, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was 0.9% lower at 22,105. All three indexes were down on the week, marking their third straight weekly loss – the longest losing streak of the year.As for oil prices, front-month West…

Key Takeaways A primary listing is the main stock exchange where a public company’s stock is traded.Companies seek prestigious exchanges like NYSE or Nasdaq for credibility and investor trust.Secondary listings on other exchanges can enhance a company’s liquidity and investor reach.A primary listing lends prestige to a company, impacting its market perception. What Is a Primary Listing? A primary listing is the main stock exchange where a public company’s stock is traded. It is crucial for some companies to have a prestigious primary listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Nasdaq, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the London Stock Exchange, and the…

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 (October, November, and December), according to the second estimate released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 4.4 percent.The second report for the fourth quarter of 2025, originally scheduled for February 26, 2026, was rescheduled due to the October–November 2025 government shutdown.The contributors to the increase in real GDP in the fourth quarter were increases in consumer spending and investment. These movements were partly offset by decreases in government spending and exports. Imports,…