Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)Most people assume a simple will is enough, but technicalities can derail even the best intentions. Estate planning isn’t just about what you leave behind — it’s about how easily your loved ones can access it. This quiz exposes the common administrative and legal oversights that could leave families in probate court for years.And don’t worry if you miss an answer; you can use the links below the quiz to brush up on estate planning ins and outs.More on Estate Planning From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from…

Chevron (CVX) beat Q4 earnings estimates with $46.87B revenue and $1.52 EPS despite crude dropping to $64/BBL, supported by refining operations and the Hess acquisition. ConocoPhillips (COP) missed with $1.02 EPS as realized prices fell 19% to $42.46/BOE with no downstream buffer to offset commodity weakness. Chevron’s 39-year consecutive dividend increase streak and integrated refining model provide structural stability during oil downturns, whereas ConocoPhillips relies on base-plus-variable supplemental dividends tied to free cash flow that could disappear when oil prices soften. The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE. Chevron…

It is great to be here with you today.1 During my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work on issues affecting rural communities, especially access to capital. My time at the Federal Reserve has only deepened my appreciation for the opportunities and challenges of rural America, as I’ve traveled over the past several years to rural communities. These communities share many challenges, and they also face distinct obstacles that require flexible solutions. What has stood out to me is the level of innovation and creativity behind many of those solutions. We should do more to elevate these examples, sharing what…

So much for the Blockade rally, it took a few hours, but the market actually figured out that Trumps move to blockade Iranian oil would destroy Iran economically and has forced then back to the negotiating table and that is was bearish not bullish for oil. We had the initial knee-jerk reactions sent crude futures spiking as high as $104 on fears of a prolonged shutdown in the Strait of Hormuz, but by Tuesday morning the selling pressure kicked in hard. WTI eased back below the $100 mark, with Brent trading around $99 as traders bet on a quick diplomatic…

The effect artificial intelligence will have on the labor market has left workers and job seekers alike worried about their future. Top executives, however, are optimistic that the technology can continue to augment workloads rather than entirely displace human employees.The debate over the future of work even extends inside the corridors of a major AI provider.Speaking Monday at the Semafor World Economy conference in Washington, D.C., Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark dismissed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s argument that AI could drive the unemployment rate as high as 20% in the next five years. Clark has previously said that accepting such high…

Google announced on Tuesday that it’s bringing Gemini’s Personal Intelligence feature to users in India. The feature lets users connect their Google accounts, such as Gmail and Google Photos, then ask Gemini questions to get personalized answers. After connecting their services, users could ask something like, “What are my travel plans for Jaipur?” to get information from their emails or photos. The feature can also refer to recent YouTube videos that users have watched to get ideas. The company said that Gemini will identify sources for its answers so you can verify details, if needed. At launch, the Personal Intelligence…

Key Takeaways For FY 2025, Eventbrite reported $292 million in net revenue.It had an operating loss of $26.1 million, and a net loss of $10.52 million.In March 2026, Eventbrite was acquired by Bending Spoons US Inc. and is now a privately-held company.As of April 2026, Bending Spoons had implemented operational changes at Evenbrite, cutting staff and improving Eventbrite’s platform features. Eventbrite’s 2018 IPO placed it firmly on the radar of investors looking for growth stocks. The company, whose price popped by 60% on the first day of trading, launched in 2006 and is based in San Francisco. In 2025, Eventbrite’s…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For anyone going out on their own to start a small business, having appropriate business insurance is critical. Even more so is knowing the rules of fair competition.”Mr. Beaver, my husband, Jerry, has learned the landscaping trade since graduating from high school, by working for a landscaping company in town. He plans to open his own business, offer jobs to several of the people he has worked with and then advertise that he now has his own company. Jerry and his boss never signed any type of an employment contract.”I am worried. Jerry doesn’t care about having…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Many companies are in a “promotion recession,” with managers and executives experiencing five-year lows in job advancement rates.In this kind of environment, high-performing employees can deliver strong results and not see their titles or compensation increase for what feels like career-altering spans of time.What should these star performers do about it? How does a corporate achiever ensure that they’re the ones advancing even in a slow promotion cycle like this one? 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…

(Image credit: Getty Images)As retirement inches closer — when it’s, say, five to 10 years away — it’s likely you’ll have mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement. You’ve saved diligently, your 401(k) has grown and you may even be ahead of schedule. But you may still be wondering, “What’s next?”The truth is, the closer you get to retirement, the more complicated the answers can become. At this stage, retirement planning is no longer just about investment performance and building up your savings.Rather, it shifts to a stage of preservation and protection, focusing on strategies such as income planning, tax mitigation,…