Author: Money Mechanics

Whenever I meet with new investors, one of their first questions is, “What are your fees?”While this might seem like a natural question, it’s often misguided and asked too early in the process. Before you ask about an adviser’s fees, you should first want to know what services they can provide.When I was in college, I ran a house-painting franchise. Every spring, homeowners would collect bids and try to decide who to hire. This is when I discovered that a price is comparable only after you define the job. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter,…

An ultra luxurious eight-bedroom compound overlooking the Laguna Beach coastline has hit the market for the extraordinary price of $112 million—a sum that could see it become the most expensive home ever sold in Orange County. Built in 1974, the 14,434-square-foot estate is currently owned by auto dealership owner David Wilson and his wife, Holly Wilson, who purchased it “for around $16 million in 2001,” according to The Wall Street Journal.In the years since, the couple has transformed the estate into one of the most lavish properties on the West Coast, packing it with every amenity imaginable, before bringing it…

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) opened at $65,333.12 on Monday, July 27, 2026, 1.6% higher than Sunday’s opening price. As of 9:11 a.m. ET this morning, the price of bitcoin moved down to $64,974.08. Ethereum (ETH-USD) opened at $1,953.02 on Monday, July 27, 2026, up 4.3% from Sunday’s opening price. The price of ethereum moved slightly higher this morning to $1,955.04 as of 9:11 a.m. ET. Compared to a week and month ago, the prices for bitcoin and ethereum are up this morning after the U.S. decided to pause airstrikes against Iranian military targets in an effort to restore peace. With the Fed…

To see our latest updates on the Nancy Guthrie case, please click here.”Today” host Savannah Guthrie has issued a gut-wrenching new plea to those responsible for her mother, Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance to help the family “bring her home,” while detailing the “agony” that they continue to experience every day while the 84-year-old is still missing. Nancy vanished from her Arizona home in the early hours of Feb. 1, however little to no information about her whereabouts in the months since has been revealed—despite footage from a security camera at her front door capturing video of an armed intruder approaching the property…

Weeks before its expected acquisition by SpaceX closes, AI coding startup Cursor is making its biggest push into India yet, launching its first country-specific subscription as the company bets on one of the world’s largest developer markets to drive its next stage of growth. On Monday, the startup introduced Cursor Start, a ₹649-a-month (about $7) subscription built specifically for India — and priced well below Cursor’s standard $20-a-month Pro subscription. The move reflects India’s growing importance to Cursor’s business. The startup says India is already its third-largest market globally and home to its highest concentration of power users, with its…

(BOE Report) – Expand Energy said on Monday it would buy privately held natural gas marketer Twin Eagle Holdings from Five Point Infrastructure for $1.25 billion to expand its marketing business across North America. With U.S. natural gas demand expected to grow, producers are increasingly expanding into marketing and logistics businesses to improve margins and gain greater control over how gas reaches end-users. Founded in 2010, Twin Eagle is an independent natural gas and power marketer, with operations spanning wholesale marketing, asset management, logistics and analytics. Following the deal’s completion, it will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Expand,…

With the landmark 21st Century Road to Housing Act now law, local governments may finally rein in the red tape that is choking off the construction of new homes.The new law includes a $200 million “innovation fund,” which would be a competitive grant program for local governments that can show they’ve taken steps to reform permitting, zoning, and other programs. Congress will need to fund the seven-year program in future budgets. But it targets an acute problem local governments face, experts tell Realtor.com®.Local governments have struggled for years to keep up with their own extensive permit and approval systems, while…

This Week In A Nutshell: Rates are elevated and likely to remain volatile with risks on three fronts: oil prices, AI-driven inflation, and a newly unpredictable Fed. Upcoming Attractions This week will be all about the Fed with Kevin Warsh’s second meeting as chair on Wednesday. There is an unusual level of uncertainty regarding what they will do with futures markets forecasting about a one-third chance of a hike. Since the financial crisis, the Fed has generally preferred to telegraph their actions in advance to avoid surprising the market. Indeed, in June 2022, the Fed leaked that they were going…

A nurse taking care of an older man. gettyLong-term care costs are rising even as families struggle to keep up with increases in their ordinary living expenses, making it tougher than ever to save for personal care needs in old age. That combination is raising interest in public long-term care insurance. But what would a public program cost? It all depends on the design, but we are learning that a well-structured benefit could be quite affordable.Alternative ModelsWashington State has begun paying initial benefits under its WA Cares program, a front-end public insurance model that covers the first $36,500 in costs,…

Apartment hunters in New York City may soon get a warning when the home they’re scrolling looks a little too good to be true.The city is moving to require rental listings to disclose photos that have been altered using artificial intelligence or other digital tools, targeting a new version of an old problem: making something look better online than it does in real life.The practice, sometimes called “housefishing” or “AI real estate slop,” has rapidly evolved in lockstep with AI technology, advancing from simple retouches to what lawmakers have described as “marketing fiction.”“You shouldn’t have to worry whether or not…