Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Federal Reserve officials and their global colleagues often deliver remarks at the Jackson Hole Symposium that have implications for interest rates.Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech on Friday will command attention, along with remarks from European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.Powell is expected to discuss the Fed’s path forward on interest rates and likely address proposed changes to the central bank’s framework for economic analysis. The investment world will turn its attention away from Wall Street and toward Wyoming this week. Some of the world’s leading economists and monetary policymakers will meet for the 48th annual Jackson Hole…

Last week, on August 14, 2025, the Social Security Act celebrated its 90th anniversary — a milestone for one of the United States’ most important so-called safety nets. The program has lifted millions of older adults out of poverty, steadied some households through economic shocks, and provided dignity for many in retirement.But old tax rules are quietly undermining the program’s promise. A big reason why? The income thresholds for taxing Social Security benefits haven’t changed in more than 30 years.That stagnation has caused more retirees to pay federal taxes on SS benefits, often on money they spent decades earning and…

Key Takeaways President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign has broken down some foreign barriers to U.S. trade.The preliminary agreements could be especially significant if they open foreign markets to U.S. autos, one trade expert said.The tariffs have also brought in billions in revenue to government coffers.The trade war victories have come at a cost to the economy, potentially stoking inflation and slowing down economic growth, according to experts. Seven months into President Donald Trump’s campaign to rebalance global trade in America’s favor, the White House can point to several “wins,” but experts say the victories have come at a cost to…

Key Takeaways U.S. equities were mixed at midday with new corporate earnings and the semiconductor industry in focus.Japan’s SoftBank invested $2 billion in Intel.Nvidia’s CEO sold 150,000 shares of the chipmaker’s stock. U.S. equities were mixed at midday as the market weighed more corporate earnings reports and news from the chip sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell. Intel (INTC) was the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 when Japan’s SoftBank Group made a $2 billion investment in the struggling chipmaker. Shares of Palo Alto Networks (PANW) advanced after the cybersecurity firm…

Frontier Airlines has come up with a new approach to attract customers. In an effort to get more people to fly it, the ultra-low-cost carrier—whose parent, Frontier Group Holdings, has a ticker symbol of ULCC—unveiled a limited-time promotion offering Elite Gold status through the end of 2026 for members of four rival airlines’ frequent-flyer programs for $69. The promotion is aimed at people who were part of the membership programs of Southwest (LUV), JetBlue (JBLU), Alaska (ALK), or Spirit (FLYY) as of Monday. Notably, it is not available to members of the three biggest U.S. airlines: Delta (DAL), United (UAL), or…

U.S. Cash Equities July Highlights July HighlightsCboe EDGA® Equities Exchange (EDGA) increased 26% or 17 basis points month-over-month, the second largest exchange market share jumpCboe BZX® Equities Exchange (BZX) grew 22.5 basis points month-over-monthCome and join the growth on EDGA: No volume-based tiers, simple pricing model and free to join for new membersCustomers receive a -$.0027 rebate for display adding and a -$.003 rebate for display National Best Bid or Offer (NBBO) adding. Customers also receive a -$.0025 rebate for adding hidden or midpoint liquidityUnder the New Member Program, qualifying members receive one free Logical Order Entry Port (FIX or…

Best Buy Launches U.S. Digital Marketplace 29 minutes ago You can now go to Best Buy’s website for everything from a statue of Ganesh playing the flute to a set of champagne flutes. Best Buy (BBY) doubled the number of products available through its website and app while launching a U.S. marketplace Tuesday that’s open to hundreds of brands not carried in its stores, such as Martha Stewart, Crock-Pot, and World Wide Stereo. The marketplace offers more technology and taps into new categories, including sports team merch, seasonal decorations, and musical instruments, as well as toys and puzzles, Best Buy…

Suze Orman, the New York Times best-selling author of “The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+,” podcaster, finance guru and motivational speaker, has seen it all when it comes to retirement mistakes. In her nearly forty years as a financial adviser, people have come to her when they’ve spent too much money, paid too much in taxes, or made hasty decisions that lost them too much money. But the biggest mistake, the one that Orman sees all the time, the one that people lose thousands of dollars over, is claiming Social Security early. What constitutes early for Orman? Claiming anytime before…

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) stock traded lower on Tuesday as rivals Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM), Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) made strategic moves to fortify their positions in the global semiconductor market. The competitive landscape is heating up, with each company pursuing distinct strategies to gain an edge. Arm is shifting its focus toward in-house chipmaking, Nvidia is developing new chips to maintain its grip on the crucial Chinese market, and Intel has secured a significant investment, attracting interest from the U.S. government. In the midst of these high-stakes industry developments, financial analysts offered a mixed but generally constructive outlook on…

Trading for Recognition: The FCA Case That Changed the Rules A notable example of the latter is a case from the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which has since influenced global best practices.In this case, the perpetrator managed two funds side-by-side: an active hedge fund with high performance fees and a more conservative, low-fee “long-only” fund. He delayed allocations to identify the best-performing trades, allocating them to the hedge fund and the poor performers into the low-fee fund. A clear conflict of interest.  What’s particularly interesting is his motivation. According to the FCA’s detailed notice, he wanted to “gain recognition for his…