Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Annual cruise ship retirement costs range from about $100,000 for budget options to $200,000 or more for luxury options, depending on cabin type and cruise line choice. Expenses like drinks, shopping, casino spending, and upgraded dining can significantly increase your budget beyond the base room and board costs. Forget images of Florida condos and Arizona golf courses—some retirees are trading traditional retirement for a permanent life at sea. But before you start packing your bags for shuffleboard, endless buffets, and permanent ocean views, you’ll need to assess the financial reality of a cruise ship retirement. Alvin Carlos, a…

You may have noticed that, lately, your online shopping packages are arriving a little earlier—or later—than expected. Why? As of April 1, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is rolling out sweeping changes to its delivery standards, part of a 10-year overhaul known as Delivering for America. While some customers may see faster mail service, others—especially in rural areas—may experience slower delivery. The bottom line? USPS wants to cut costs and stabilize operations, but that could mean trade-offs for everyday consumers. Key Takeaways USPS is updating delivery timelines for several mail types, aiming to save $36 billion over 10 years.About…

Adult children are moving back home and they could be draining their parents’ retirement savings. A recent study from Thrivent shows that 46% of adults ages 18 to 35 have moved back in with their parents. Nearly two in five (38%) of boomerang parents who have had their children move back home say financially supporting their adult children has affected their retirement savings. “When you’re supporting children, the typical analogy is to put your oxygen mask on first, and then help others. You need to make sure that any help you give will not derail your comfort and security,” said Justin Pritchard,…

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $60.2 billion in June, down $11.5 billion from $71.7 billion in May, revised. U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Deficit Deficit: $60.2 Billion –16.0%° Exports: $277.3 Billion –0.5%° Imports: $337.5 Billion –3.7%° Next release: Thursday, September 4, 2025 (°) Statistical significance is not applicable or not measurable. Data adjusted for seasonality but not price changes Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, August 5, 2025 Exports, Imports, and Balance (exhibit…

Uncertainty returned to the market this week after conflicting news on inflation in July. Consumer prices matched expectations, but producer prices were sharply higher. For now, investors are ignoring those concerns and pushing stocks higher backed by strong earnings, continued progress on tariffs, and retail sales that were in-line with expectations. That optimism is also being fueled by the belief that rate cuts are coming in September. However, that could change after the Federal Reserve chair speaks at the Jackson Hole meeting next week. In the meantime, the trend is in favor of the bulls, but it’s not likely to…

Stocks on Wall Street ended mostly lower on Friday, but the main indexes still managed to score their second straight weekly gain thanks to new consumer inflation data that raised hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut next month. Source: Investing.com For the week, the 30-stock rose around 1.7%, the benchmark S&P 500 climbed about 0.9%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 0.8%. The small-cap Russell 2000 Small Cap Index jumped 3.1%. Next week is expected to be another eventful one as attention turns to the Fed’s annual Economic Policy Symposium, which will take place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, starting…

Key Takeaways Meta reportedly offered bonuses as high as $100 million to OpenAI staff amid an AI hiring war. Top analysts caution that the surging spending on AI talent may signal we’re nearing the peak of market euphoria. For investors, the safest bet if you’re looking to gain some AI exposure may just be sticking with the tech titans funding the fight. When Sam Altman said Meta was offering $100 million bonuses to poach OpenAI employees, he wasn’t exaggerating. In fact, some of the world’s biggest tech firms are now shelling out massive compensation packages to secure top AI scientists,…

Hurricane Erin is now in the Atlantic, notably the first tropical storm to achieve hurricane status this season. Catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities fund manager Twelve Securis has highlighted that there is a strong consensus among the models that Erin will stay far enough away from the US coastline to avoid any significant impacts.The latest advisory from the US National Hurricane Center states that, “Steady to rapid strengthening is expected during the next two to three days, and Erin is forecast to become a major hurricane during the weekend.” The NHC’s forecast advisory shows hurricane Erin has the potential to…

Brightline, the private rail line linking Orlando to Miami, refinanced $985M of junior debt at a record-high 14.89% yield, reflecting deep investor concern after delaying a July interest payment on $1.2B in munis. The company, already downgraded deeper into junk by S&P and Fitch, faces falling ridership (53% below projections) and revenue (67% below estimates), plus a potential cash shortfall this quarter without an equity infusion. This is a reminder that non-traditional, revenue-dependent projects carry extreme credit and liquidity risks in the muni space, especially in the absence of essential-service backing or state/local guarantees. While double-digit yields may seem attractive,…

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its June 2025 Inflation report on July 15th, 2025. The report showed that Annual Inflation was up from 2.4% in May to 2.7% in June.Calculated to two digits, it was really 2.35% in May and 2.67% in June.Economists were predicting higher inflation, of 2.6% while our MIP was projecting an “Extreme High” of 2.63%. The NYSE responded by falling about 1% on the day, on fears that this might postpone the FED’s rate cuts even further.June’s Inflation Prediction:At 2.67%, June’s inflation numbers came in slightly above last month’s “extreme high” projection.Go here to…