Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)Question: I’m a 74-year-old widower with about $1.5 million in my retirement account. About a year ago, I brought home a Chihuahua named “Peanut,” who has given me great joy and become my constant companion.Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for my two adult children, who quite honestly can’t stand Peanut. Since Chihuahuas can live up to 20 years, and I don’t trust my kids to take care of Peanut when I’m gone, I’m worried about what will happen to her. How can I make sure Peanut is cared for when I pass? I’m willing to pay…

For over 50 years, Americans have celebrated Earth Day, taking a day to remember that we have this one planet and should take care of it.There are lots of different ways to recognize Earth Day, from joining a party at a park to volunteering at a nature clean-up to turning off major appliances for the day. But, we know, it takes more than one day to look out for the planet; we have to develop certain habits and make choices every day to really have an impact.As an editor at a finance publication, I find the edicts of “green” living…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Energy crisis myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.The energy crisis triggered by the Iran war is slowing down Europe’s ability to refill gas stores cheaply, prompting warnings of higher costs this winter that will compound the continent’s economic challenges.Summer prices have risen to winter levels, driven both by supply constraints stemming from the Middle East conflict and the EU target to fill storage supplies across the bloc to 80 per cent, according to traders and companies. “The filling of gas storages will be slower than it could be if market…

This Week In A Nutshell: Mortgage-rate volatility has moderated as the United States and Iran near a peace agreement, but succession drama at the Federal Reserve may amp up uncertainty once again as Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh has his confirmation hearing. Upcoming Attractions   Retail sales data for March will be released on Tuesday. While it provides a key window into the financial health of consumers and is expected to strengthen marginally, the series is noisy and unlikely to move markets much. As usual for the past seven weeks, markets will be most sensitive to the outcome of the…

After 15 years, Tim Cook will hand off the Apple CEO role to John Ternus, the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering. Starting on September 1, Ternus will lead one of the world’s most valuable companies, but if you’re not a dedicated Apple enthusiast, you’ve probably never heard of this man, who has largely remained out of the spotlight until now. How long has John Ternus worked at Apple? Ternus has worked at Apple for nearly half of his life — now 51 years old, he has been with the company for 25 years. He joined Apple’s product design…

(Oil & Gas 360) By Greg Barnett, MBA – Iran’s economy is absorbing a fast‑widening financial shock as the combined impact of the Strait of Hormuz blockade and Red Sea disruptions sharply constrains oil exports, trade flows, and access to hard currency. Analysts tracking sanctions enforcement and maritime traffic estimate the immediate economic damage at roughly $435 million per day, with some projections pushing losses closer to $480 million daily once secondary effects are included. The loss strikes at the most vulnerable point in Iran’s economic structure. Oil and gas generate the overwhelming share of foreign exchange earnings, fund a substantial…

Full disclosure: I am a DeFi user with active exposure to Aave V3, including lent stablecoins and ETH. This is an opinion piece on how I withdrew, why I decided to pull all of it, and what I am watching now. This is not financial advice in any way. Do your own research, talk to a professional, and never act on a single article, including this one. I spent most of Sunday morning, April 19, doing two things, refreshing DefiLlama and waiting for transactions to confirm. By the time I got coffee, Aave had lost roughly $6.6 billion in deposits…

Coming off a remarkable 2025, which saw the registration of new collateralized insurer class of companies in Bermuda climb to its highest level ever, early indicators for Q1 2026 suggest a continuation of this growth trend with seven new special purpose insurers (SPIs) and two new collateralized insurers having registered in Bermuda during the opening quarter.The latest data available from the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) shows that company structures for use in insurance-linked securities arrangements, as well as other alternative or third-party reinsurance capital related use-cases, remains very strong in 2026. As we previously reported, in full-year 2025, the number…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldCitadel’s head of commodities has said Donald Trump’s social media posts during the Iran war have transformed how oil markets behave, leaving traders struggling to adjust to the volatility sparked by the US president’s frequent messages.Sebastian Barrack, who has helped build Ken Griffin’s hedge fund into one of the world’s most influential energy traders, told the FT Commodities Global Summit that he had a screen solely to monitor the president’s social media posts.The early days of the Middle East conflict…

Who’s straight is it anyway? It’s open, it’s closed, its madness! The Strait of Hormuz is still in flux, as ships had to get flushed out after Iran again proved they cannot be trusted. Iran fired on ships in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi— the Iranian official who stated, “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire on the coordinated route as already announced by the Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Republic of…