Author: Money Mechanics

Medicare premiums are set to rise again for 2027. The latest Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report (page 207) estimates that Part B premiums will climb 3.5% in 2027, reaching $209.50 per month, up $6.60 from 2026. While another price hike is never good news for retirees, the increase is a relief compared to the almost 10% spike experienced in 2026.Unlike Part B, Medicare Part D is sold through private insurance companies, either as a standalone drug plan alongside traditional Medicare or as part of a Medicare Advantage policy.Because individual plan costs vary, the average premium enrollees pay is typically…

For many adult children, one of the hardest conversations to have is with their parents about finances.Do Mom and Dad have updated estate documents?Who would make financial or health care decisions if one of them became incapacitated?Where are the accounts, insurance policies, passwords and key documents?Have they thought about whether they want to age in place, downsize or move closer to family?Are they vulnerable to scams?Is one spouse carrying all the financial knowledge while the other remains largely uninvolved?These are practical questions. But inside a family, they rarely feel that way.For parents, the conversation can feel like a threat to…

If you have a travel-focused credit card that offers points on your spending, you can usually redeem them for flights and hotel rooms by visiting the issuer’s booking platform or getting statement credits for travel purchases.And some cards offer another way to use your points: Transferring them to airline and hotel loyalty programs. The key is knowing conversion ratios, as this can help you maximize the value of the points you’re transferring to a participating partner.Here’s a look at the credit card companies that offer points transfer, some of the participating partners they work with and how you can maximize…

If you’re aiming to retire at the standard retirement age of 65, your 50s can feel like crunch time. Whether you’re falling behind or you’re pretty sure you’re on track, this is the decade to nail down exactly how much you need to save for the retirement lifestyle you want and exactly what it’s going to take over these next 10 to 15 years to get there.At the same time, you might be part of the sandwich generation – those who have been stretched thin by the need to take care of both their aging parents and their older children,…

What direction is the stock market headed next? Nobody, of course, has a crystal ball. And the market can’t converse with you like ChatGPT can, so it can’t warn you of trouble ahead or confirm that a bull market is alive and well. There are tools, however, that can help you read the tea leaves and better gauge the market’s next move.Fundamental stock market indicators such as corporate earnings growth and price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios, and economic data such as gross domestic product (GDP), interest rates and inflation, tell only part of the story.A more complete picture of the market’s health…

If you are being billed by the hour for professional services, now is the time to renegotiate, as AI has put the billable hour on life support.In January 2024, during his recuperation from surgery and radiation treatment of thymoma — an extremely rare cancer — Los Angeles-based attorney Aaron Shechet, “wanted to do something for my wife and law partner, Leigh, who proved what being there ‘for better or for worse’ means. She said, ‘Make an app that helps me bake better sourdough.'”So I built an app to take pictures of her sourdough bread — AI analyzes the picture and…

Jean Chatzky is the CEO of HerMoney.com and host of the podcast HerMoney With Jean Chatzky. Here, she speaks with Kiplinger about her new book, The Forever Paycheck, and what retirees struggle with in the transition to spending.Kiplinger: You’ve referred to your new book, The Forever Paycheck, as the most important work you’ve done in your 40-year career. Why is this book such a passion project for you? Chatzky: The book is about how to spend down your savings once you retire — or decumulate, as experts call it — and it is not something you can afford to get…

Global gross domestic product (GDP) exposure to damaging severe convective storm (SCS) winds is projected to grow 14% over the next 30 years, reaching $20.2 trillion as climate risks continue to reshape underwriting globally, according to a new report by First Street, the climate risk financial modeling provider.A recent report published by the firm highlights how SCS has evolved into one of the fastest-growing physical climate risks, and the single costliest insured peril of the 21st century. In 2025 alone, SCS generated approximately $82 billion in global economic losses, representing nearly one-third of all natural catastrophe losses worldwide. For the…

Commercial buildings illuminated at dusk in Singapore, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSingapore on Monday unexpectedly tightened its monetary policy for a second consecutive time, moving preemptively against a renewed oil price surge even as inflation at home stays subdued.The Monetary Authority of Singapore said it will increase the rate of appreciation of the Singapore dollar’s nominal effective exchange rate policy band “very slightly,” with the adjustment smaller than April’s. The width of the band and the level at which it is centered were left unchanged. Economists polled by Reuters…

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETHow does Spotify verify my student status? For Spotify student subscriptions, the streaming giant is partnering with SheerID, a verification platform used by several other brands to confirm student status and other vocation-specific discounts, such as military, teacher, and more. SheerID also houses discounts for students, teachers, and more to access in one place. How do I obtain my free Hulu? Once you have your Spotify Premium student offer activated, you can then activate your Hulu (With Ads) plan from your services page.Is it safe to use student verification platforms like SheerID?I wouldn’t have written this article if there was anything remotely suspicious about…