Author: Money Mechanics

Crude oil prices were on course for another weekly gain today, despite a temporary dip following the announcement of a 30-day sanction waiver on Russian crude stuck on tankers as the Trump administration tries to alleviate an increasingly serious-looking supply tightening. was trading at $100.2 per barrel at the time of writing, and was trading at $95.03, both slightly down on Thursday’s close but higher on the start of the week. Washington’s sanction waiver follows an admission by the International Energy Agency that “The war in the Middle East is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the…

After several months of declines, new listings are posting a small improvement. Sellers are betting on mortgage rates that are closer to 6% than 7% bringing buyers off the sidelines.  New listings of U.S. homes for sale rose 0.5% from a year earlier during the four weeks ending March 8, the first increase since November.  While it’s a modest improvement, it may be a sign that some home sellers are feeling more hopeful about this spring’s housing market now that mortgage rates have dipped down to 6%. That has pushed the median monthly housing payment down 3.2% year over year,…

Jack Wallen/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysOmega Linux is a lightweight Linux distro.Based on Arch, Omega is a rolling release.Omega is free to install and use.Do you have an old PC lying around just waiting to serve as your secondary desktop machine, or a way to take your first steps with Linux? Maybe you want to skip the Ubuntu track and go with a Linux distribution that is regularly updated, lightweight, blazingly fast, and incredibly reliable. If that’s the case, don’t overlook Omega Linux.Omega Linux is an Arch-based Linux distribution that was created to be an OS…

Why You Should Trust Us Investopedia’s researchers spent countless hours analyzing hundreds of data points to determine the factors that mattered most for readers when choosing what company to take out a fast personal loan with. When choosing which lenders to feature on this list, Investopedia considered their fees, repayment terms, credit score requirements, and more to provide the most comprehensive and unbiased recommendations possible. Founded in 1999, Investopedia has been dedicated to finding its readers the best fast loan companies since 2023. How Does a Fast Personal Loan Work? Most fast personal loans are obtained by submitting an online…

Stock futures gained ahead of a key inflation reading Friday, but the three major equities indexes poised to close lower for the week as oil prices remain elevated. Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 futures pointed up a respective 0.4%, 0.3%, and 0.3% in recent trading. Yesterday, the major indexes all sank at least 1.5%, with the Dow shedding 739 points, as oil prices surged amid deepening concerns about supply disruptions. The Dow entered Friday down 1.7% for the week, while the S&P 500 was off 1% and the Nasdaq was 0.3% lower. West Texas Intermediate crude futures,…

KEY TAKEAWAYS Computer science majors can generally pay off their student loans the fastest. However, employment for this degree has recently taken a hit from AI.Theology and religion students typically take out the most student loans but earn less than the average college student, making it more challenging for them to pay off their debt. Approximately 6.6 million student loan borrowers are behind on payments, and the issue is worsening: Borrowers over 50 now have the highest serious delinquency rates of any age group. The difference between struggling for decades and paying off your loans in a few years often…

February HighlightsU.S. Index OptionsSPX Record VolumesS&P 500 Index Options (SPX) had a record monthly Average Daily Volume (ADV) of 4.75 million contracts.There was a record concentration of zero-days-to-expiry Options (0DTE Options) with an ADV of 2.99 million contracts or 63%.SPX Global Trading Hours (GTH) reached a record ADV of 133,000 thousand contracts.XSP Record VolumesMini S&P 500 Index Options (XSP) set a new monthly ADV record of 186,300 thousand contracts.RUT Record Volumes2,971 Russell 2000 Index options (RUT) contracts were traded during Global Trading Hours (GTH).U.S. FuturesCredit Futures: All three of Cboe’s iBoxx products saw significantly higher volume in February with open…

Key Takeaways These five locations share access to quality health care, mild climates, and a cost of living far lower than in the U.S.Before relocating, research visas, health care, language, and local conditions. Consider living in the chosen destination for a few months before fully committing. More Americans are looking to retire abroad—driven by rising costs in the U.S. or a desire for something new. South America offers many compelling options. South America can cost far less than Europe, another popular destination for American retirees. Depending on the destination, retirement in South America can deliver solid health care, mild weather,…

(Image credit: Getty Images)When it comes to estate planning in a second marriage, there can be competing goals — making sure your current spouse is provided for and ensuring assets go to your children from a previous marriage.Luckily, there’s an estate planning tool available to address this challenge — the qualified terminable interest property trust, or QTIP trust.The ‘Brady Bunch’ safety netAbout one-third of married Americans age 55 and older are in a second marriage. In a typical second marriage, leaving assets outright to a spouse can be risky.Article continues below From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become…

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 monthly Medicare premiums, IRMAA and tax-deductible medical expenses. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe.)1. How do I calculate MAGI?Question: How do I calculate modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) to determine whether I owe an income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) on top of my basic monthly Medicare Part B and D premiums? Is the untaxed portion of Social Security benefits added back in for this purpose?Joy…