Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)Mortgage rates are still a lot higher than they were just a few years ago, and that’s making both buyers and sellers look for creative ways to make the numbers work. One option getting fresh attention in 2026 is the assumable mortgage.It’s a little-known feature that could allow a buyer to take over a seller’s existing low-rate home loan instead of applying for a new one. In the right situation, that could mean locking in a mortgage rate closer to 3% when new loans are hovering around 6% or more. That kind of difference can significantly change…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Buying a new vehicle is a major investment, and the cost of new vehicles has soared in recent years. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average price of a new car reached a record $50,326 in December 2025, making any potential savings on a vehicle purchase even more valuable.Costco may be known for offering great deals on groceries, appliances and other items, but the Costco Auto Program could help you save on a new or pre-owned vehicle purchase or lease. While the program provides a more streamlined buying experience, it doesn’t always guarantee the lowest possible price.The…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Investors’ fever for artificial intelligence stocks left other areas of the market looking sickly by comparison. One was health care, which was decidedly out of favor as 2025 began. A larger-than-normal amount of regulatory uncertainty weighed down pharmaceutical companies, insurers and most of the other players in the multitrillion-dollar U.S. health ecosystem.As the AI fever broke and some of those regulatory concerns settled, health care stocks got healthier, if not fully robust.”Valuations are still below historical levels,” as the sector’s recovery is in its early days, says Mike Perrone, a specialist in health care at investment firm…

Key Takeaways High-yield savings, money market, and brokerage cash accounts pay 3%–5% right now, letting you grow your refund without any risk.CDs offer guaranteed APYs up to 4.50% and let you lock in today’s high rates if you won’t need the money for a while.Splitting your refund between a flexible account and a CD can help you earn more while keeping access to some of your cash. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. Earn 3% to 5% and Keep Your Money Flexible Last year, the average U.S. tax refund was more than $3,100. Whether your…

Stock futures pointed higher Wednesday ahead of a highly anticipated earnings report from AI chip giant Nvidia. Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 0.4%, 0.3%, and 0.3%, respectively, in recent trading. Yesterday, the tech-heavy Nasdaq, blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average, and benchmark S&P 500 closed up a respective 1.1%, 0.8%, and 0.8%, rebounding from sharp declines Monday on worries about AI disruption and uncertainty over the state of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. In a nearly two-hour State of the Union speech Tuesday night, Trump defended his tariffs, some of which were struck down by…

is trading with a clear geopolitical overlay, as markets recalibrate risk exposure ahead of U.S.-Iran talks while acknowledging the growing military footprint in the Middle East. is up 0.3% at $70.79 a barrel and WTI is 0.3% higher at $65.59, a modest rebound after both benchmarks closed lower in the previous session on hopes that diplomacy could ease tensions. The prior pullback reflected tentative confidence that negotiations may reduce the probability of disruption. However, the continued build-up of U.S. military assets in the region has prevented a deeper correction, reinforcing a tangible risk premium in current pricing. Energy markets are…

Adam Breeden/ZDNETIt appears that Amazon’s third annual Big Spring Sale will return in 2026, despite the company not yet publicly sharing any dates or details. Early leaks from members of Amazon’s Seller Central platform, the web-based dashboard for third-party sellers to manage their business on the Amazon marketplace, detailed preparations for the upcoming sale event. The leaks suggest that Amazon’s spring savings event will return from March 25-31 this year.Also: Update your Echo speakers ASAP for Alexa’s most functional upgrade in decades – here’s howIn a Feb. 10 email, a PR representative for Amazon told ZDNET that we would be informed…

(Oil Price) – For decades, nuclear energy has been regarded as the black sheep of the energy universe, thanks to drawbacks such as high costs, risk of thermal runaway leading to catastrophic accidents as well as the hazardous by-products of nuclear plants. Nuclear waste is notorious for the fact that it can remain dangerously radioactive for many thousands of years. Currently, there are thousands of metric tons of used solid fuel from nuclear power plants worldwide and millions of liters of radioactive liquid waste from weapons production sitting in temporary storage containers. Thankfully, the world has just come closer to finding…

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is one of Goldman Sachs’s top growth stock picks. On February 17, Cathie Wood’s ARK ETF disclosed that it acquired 24,205 shares of Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO), valued at about $7.87 million. This was after the fund divested $13.7 million worth of Teradyne Inc. (NASDAQ:TER) stock. Broadcom (AVGO) Draws Investor Interest Amid AI Growth Expectations Separately, on February 10, UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri reiterated a Buy rating and maintained a $475 price target on Broadcom. Arcuri cited accelerating demand for Broadcom’s custom AI chip products, specifically its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). For that reason, he projected that Broadcom…

U.S. growth slowed more than expected near the end of 2025 as the government shutdown impacted spending and investment, while a key inflation metric showed high prices are still a factor for the economy, according to data released Friday.Gross domestic product rose at an annualized rate of just 1.4%, according to the Commerce Department, well below the Dow Jones estimate for a 2.5% gain. Consumer spending increased at a slower pace for the period while government spending tumbled sharply in a quarter marked by the record-length shutdown. The department estimated that the shutdown subtracted about 1 percentage point from growth,…