Author: Money Mechanics

Global markets are entering June with the US dollar still searching for direction, even as its influence continues to be felt across most asset classes. The has pulled back from its April highs but is still trying to hold near the 99 level. This suggests the currency is no longer being driven solely by Federal Reserve expectations. Instead, investors are also factoring in energy prices, geopolitical developments, differences in central bank policies, and the global economic outlook. As a result, the current consolidation in the index is becoming more significant than a typical period of sideways trading. The range between…

Annuity sales are soaring, because retirees and pre-retirees want more guaranteed income and principal protection.Annuity sales increased to $223 billion in the first half of 2025, 3% higher than in the first half of 2024. Quarterly annuity sales hit their highest level ever in the second quarter of 2025, a total of more than $116 billion and a 5% increase from a year earlier.Annuities set quarterly and year-to-date sales records for three consecutive years, according to LIMRA, the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association. I recommend annuities, when people buy annuities that are right for them. But I suspect many…

Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a five-part special report exploring the connection between your money and your health. Other stories in the series look at how your finances affect your physical and mental health, the challenges of long-term care, managing the costs of mental health treatment and what’s new in Medicare this year.Gas prices are soaring, the cost of beef is through the roof, and electricity bills have shot up everywhere. But in a year when the affordability of basic goods and services is causing great anxiety across the board, there seems to be no expense more…

(Image credit: Getty Images)When you hire a doctor, lawyer or CPA, you assume one thing: Their advice isn’t influenced by what they can sell you. In the field of financial advice, that assumption can be wrong.It might surprise you — even shock you — to learn that most people calling themselves “financial advisors” are licensed to sell financial products. That means their compensation and, often their training, is tied to selling investments, insurance or other products.If you want objective financial advice, the first step is not finding the right advisor. It’s eliminating the wrong ones. From just $107.88 $24.99 for…

(Image credit: Getty Images)As investors reassess real estate strategies in a higher-rate environment, some are turning to oil and gas mineral rights as a fully passive, tax-efficient alternative to owning and operating property.I’m one of them. Here’s why.The exchange treadmillEvery real estate investor knows the cycle: From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more -…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Expecting an inheritance and think that means you don’t have to save for retirement? Think again. You don’t know for sure the timing or size of your windfall, or if you’ll receive one at all.Sure, the stock markets are sitting on record highs, and baby boomers hold $68 to $84 trillion in wealth they intend to pass down in what is known as the Great Wealth Transfer. But they are also living longer and spending more, which reduces the amount left for heirs.”It’s taking longer before our clients are receiving an inheritance,” says Sarah Wotherspoon, managing director…

(Image credit: Getty Images)In financial planning circles, Vince would be called a success story.He retired after 30 years as an engineer. He lives modestly, has no debt and takes genuine pride in building a portfolio that has outlasted his career.Every week, he calls his financial adviser to discuss potential investments, a company he’s researching, an undervalued sector or a position he wants to analyze. He’s read the annual reports. He’s done the math. He watches CNBC the way other people watch sports. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88…

June 1 (Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures climbed on Monday, starting June on a firm footing, as the latest AI push from Nvidia and Microsoft ‌lifted shares, even as uncertainty over the Middle East war lingered. Nvidia rose 1.6% ‌in premarket trading after the world’s most valuable company unveiled a new chip that brings AI capabilities to ​laptops and desktops, set for release this fall. The chip is a result of a three-year partnership with Microsoft to “reinvent the PC” for the AI era, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said. Microsoft shares gained 2.8%. Other PC chipmakers dropped. AMD and…

Realtor.comThe property includes a detached guesthouse and a separate artist’s studio, and overlooks the water.Published: June 1, 2026 at 5:02 a.m. ETActors Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson are preparing to part ways with one of the most significant homes in their property portfolio: a sprawling Martha’s Vineyard retreat where they tied the knot more than three decades ago, in front of a host of A-list guests, including Tom Hanks and President Bill Clinton.Steenburgen, 73, and Danson, 78, who met in the early 1980s while auditioning for the same movie, have owned the idyllic 4-acre property for more than two decades—using it…

The U.S.-Iran conflict has reached its 70th day, marked by significant market irregularities, despite both countries agreeing on a memorandum of understanding that awaits approval from President Trump and Iran’s leadership as of last Thursday.On Friday, the U.S. president and senior aides met to make a “final determination” on a framework for extending the ceasefire with Iran, but the meeting concluded without clarity on next steps.The latest iteration of the deal, first reported by Axios on Saturday, includes a 60-day cessation of violence, a call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework to reopen negotiations on Iran’s nuclear…