Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, as a report on consumer sentiment revealed growing concerns about tariff impacts, inflation, and the jobs market.UnitedHealth stock surged as regulatory filings showed that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has accumulated a large position in the health insurer.Applied Materials provided an underwhelming outlook for the current quarter, citing macro uncertainty, and shares of the chip equipment maker fell. U.S. stocks logged weekly gains, the major indexes finishing Friday with mixed results heading into the weekend, as the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index showed declining confidence in the state of the…

In a lawsuit filed this week, New York Attorney General Letitia James claimed that over $1 billion was stolen from Zelle users via fraud between 2017 and 2023.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a lawsuit in December 2024 alleging the same thing, but when that lawsuit was dropped in March 2025, New York’s attorney general decided to file a suit of her own against the digital payment service to seek compensation for New York consumers.The new lawsuit claims that Early Warning Services, LLC (EWS), the company that owns the Zelle app, knew fraud was a problem on the app…

YouTube is essentially the living room of the internet. It contains billions of videos and content on many different topics and is often used as a search engine for those who need a question answered or want to visually see how something works.For families though, that abundance of content is both a gift and a headache. Parental controls exist, but they’re not foolproof, and it’s easy for kids to bump into material that’s too mature or simply not developmentally appropriate. Adult supervision is still the gold standard, but shared devices, borrowed logins and quick workarounds can make it hard to…

Wealth management software is designed to make managing your money and tracking your assets as easy as possible. Whether you’re nearing retirement and juggling rental properties in multiple states or just starting a family and trying to figure out the best way to invest for your family’s future, if you have complex financial needs, you could be considering a wealth management tool to help you make the most of your money.Range aims to be your go-to, “all-in-one” platform to figure it out. It’s designed for users who want to view their finances holistically and create a plan that considers long-term…

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gapped up to a new intraday high at the opening bell Friday and just missed a new all-time closing high on the strength of one beaten-down health care stock. Incoming economic data continue to color a murky macro picture with a critical sector set to report earnings next week.The Census Bureau said retail sales were 0.5% higher in July compared to June and grew 3.9% year over year. June sales growth was revised from 0.6% to 0.9%.”The economy may be slowing,” writes Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Chief Economic Strategist Ellen Zentner, “but consumers continued to…

With U.S. stocks sitting near record highs, Wall Street analysts say one key metric is starting to draw dotcom bubble comparisons. The S&P 500’s price-to-book value ratio has climbed to 5.3, a touch above extreme valuations seen in March 2000, right before the dotcom bubble burst, according to Bank of America market strategist Michael Hartnett. Except, “it better be different this time,” Hartnett said in a note to clients Thursday. Factors that would suggest the current market cycle is unlike the one in the 1990s—when tech stock valuations ballooned, and subsequently burst in the early 2000s—include bond allocations, the boom…

Jim Carrey, Al Pacino and Hugh Grant aren’t the only ones who came out of retirement. Countless people return to the workforce after retiring. For some, it’s a matter of money — they have savings, but are afraid it’s not enough. For others, it’s about their well-being — they are bored and miss the structure and sense of purpose work affords them.If you want to join the ranks of the unretired, you may want to consider the impact it will have on your finances before you do. After all, it could cost you more money to reenter the workforce than…

Key Takeaways Officials from the Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world are set to meet for an annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming next week, with one non-economic concern.In the weeks ahead of the meeting, several bats have been seen in lodges near where the policymakers are set to stay.Next week’s symposium will not have any direct impact on interest rates, as the Fed’s next meeting on rates isn’t until mid-September. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was at the receiving end of a range of attacks from President Donald Trump ahead of the central bank’s last meeting.…

Key Takeaways Most Americans say estate planning matters, but fewer than one in three have a will. Two recent surveys found the main reasons for not having one include procrastination and the belief that their assets aren’t worth the effort. A Trust & Will survey found shifting priorities, with more people including plans for pets and naming friends or professionals instead of family as executors. Most Americans say they understand the value of a last will and testament and the estate planning process, but far fewer take steps to decide what will happen to their assets after death. Experts recommend…

Biggest S&P 500 Movers on Friday August 15, 2025 05:49 PM EDT Decliners Shares of semiconductor equipment manufacturer Applied Materials (AMAT) tumbled 14%, falling the most of any S&P 500 stock. Although Applied Materials topped sales and profit forecasts for its fiscal fourth quarter, its guidance for the current quarter fell short of forecasts, with macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on its outlook, particularly in China. Shares of fellow chip equipment makers KLA Corp. (KLAC) and Lam Research (LRCX) fell 8.4% and 7.3%, respectively. Paramount Skydance (PSKY) shares lost 4.6%, giving back some of the outsized gains posted earlier in the week as the…