Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)I have to confess that one of my small pleasures in retirement is treating myself to lunch while I’m out running errands or doing my afternoon activities. No table service, just a coffee shop or a fast casual place. I always bring a book and settle at a table to spend an hour or so reading without being distracted by chores I should be doing at home.I usually spend $10 to $15 — not a lot, but enough to make me feel a little guilty about not having a sandwich at home.But it turns out that there’s…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Question: We’re 75-year-old retirees with $3.2 million. Our son’s pressuring us to help pay for our granddaughter’s college so she can avoid loans. It’s not our fault she picked a school that’s $90k a year! What should we do?Answer: It’s hardly a secret that obtaining a college degree is an expensive prospect.The average cost of college today is $38,270 per student per year, which includes books, supplies, and living expenses, according to the Education Data Initiative. The average borrower with federal student loans today owes $39,547. Moreover, the full annual cost of attending a top school can,…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Samsung is phasing out its native Messages app, and the change may come sooner than many users expect. Over the next few months, Samsung phone owners will be prompted to switch to Google Messages as the default texting app.For some, the transition will feel seamless. For others, especially those who have used Samsung phones for years without changing settings, it could be confusing or disruptive.If you rely on your phone for everyday communication, now is a good time to understand what’s changing, what isn’t and what steps to take before the app is retired. From just $107.88…

Rates on home equity lines of credit (HELOC) and home equity loans remain mostly unchanged. With growing demand for second mortgages, lenders will compete for your business. All you have to do is remember to shop and compare offers. According to real estate analytics firm Curinos, the average HELOC rate is 7.24%. The 52-week HELOC low was 7.19% in mid-January. The national average rate on a home equity loan is 7.37%, with a previous low of 7.38% recorded in early December 2025. Rates are based on applicants with a minimum credit score of 780 and a maximum combined loan-to-value ratio…

In-brief analysis March 26, 2026 Data source: Argus Freight In March 2026, tanker rates for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) leaving the Middle East to Asia were the highest since at least November 2005, when data were first recorded. The price increase followed Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz on March 2. The Strait of Hormuz is an important chokepoint, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. The physical risk of attacks on vessels attempting to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, as well as…

If you’re searching for answers about debt and Chapter 7 bankruptcy, one of the biggest questions on your mind is probably this: how much do you have to be in debt to file Chapter 7? The short answer is simpler than most people expect: there is no official minimum debt amount required to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. I’ve been writing about debt relief, bankruptcy, consolidation, and settlement for a long time, and this is one of the most common misconceptions I see. A lot of people assume you need to be buried in six figures of debt before Chapter 7…

India’s quick commerce market is booming, with demand more than doubling for some players. But the fast-delivery push by Flipkart and Amazon is raising the stakes in an already crowded space where profitability remains under pressure. Flipkart, one of India’s largest e-commerce players, entered quick commerce later than local rivals such as Blinkit, Swiggy, and Zepto. But it has now crossed more than 800 dark stores (distribution centers for online shopping) this week, TechCrunch has learned, and is looking to double that by the end of 2026, according to UBS. The expansion comes as India’s quick commerce sector enters a…

(Oil & Gas 360) – – Energy Advisors’ latest review covering Seven Top U.S. Resource Plays points to a broader shift underway in shale. Gas-weighted basins are starting to re-accelerate driven by LNG and power demand, while oil plays are increasingly driven by capital discipline and inventory depth. These plays—Appalachia, Haynesville, Permian (Delaware and Midland), Bakken, Eagle Ford, and SCOOP/STACK—now make up about 65% of U.S. oil and 80% of gas production, a profound shift from 10% back in 2010. Collectively, these resource plays underpin U.S. oil and gas production and are critical in global energy markets. For natural gas, U.S. demand…

For the better part of two years, the market for initial public offerings (IPOs) has been notably quiet. Investor appetite for new companies, particularly in the tech sector, has been tempered by market volatility and economic uncertainty, leading many promising private companies to delay their public debuts. That prevailing narrative saw a dramatic and welcome shift on March 12, 2026, when Japanese fintech giant PayPay Corporation (NASDAQ: PAYP) made its highly anticipated arrival on the Nasdaq. After pricing its shares at $16, PayPay saw its stock price rise an impressive 19% to open at $19.00, driven by strong, immediate investor…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Energy sector myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Commodity trading groups lost billions of dollars at the start of the Iran war after being wrongfooted by bets on falling energy prices, according to new analysis by consultancy Oliver Wyman. While trading houses typically profit in times of chaos and volatility, the start of the conflict six weeks ago — which trapped more than 100 fuel tankers in the Gulf — caught many on the wrong side of the sudden surge in oil prices. Those early losses ran into the “billions…