Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)Every stock price ultimately rests on two pillars: Earnings and a story to believe in. For much of the past 15 years, the most compelling story in global markets has been unmistakably American.Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, social media, advanced semiconductors, biotech discoveries, modular nuclear plants and quantum computing — all these growth narratives of the modern era have been led by U.S. companies and financed through U.S. capital markets.As global investors chased that story, capital flowed disproportionately into American stocks, lifting prices and valuations along the way. These capital flows have made the U.S. stock market more…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Selling a business, investment property, appreciated stock or even your primary residence can leave you with a huge tax bill.In 2026, federal long-term capital gains are taxed at 0%, 15% or 20% depending on your income, plus an extra 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) for high earners.This means sellers of large assets could owe up to 23.8% federal tax on their gains. On top of that, state taxes apply. 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…

(Image credit: Getty Images)We’re almost two months into 2026, but it’s never too late to set (or reset) your financial goals. And now we are well past the busy holiday season, it may be easier to think clearly about the “need-to-dos” and “nice-to-haves” to create a financial plan.The key is to start whenever you’re ready and to focus on building a realistic plan you can follow over the next 12 months (or any time frame that makes sense for your life).One helpful way to begin is by choosing a single word as your guiding theme, instead of a long list.…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Ask a group of people how they are feeling financially, and the majority will likely groan and share their fears. The truth is that we as a nation are experiencing more financial anxiety now than ever, and we are not sure what to do about it.Most people believe that financial anxiety is about money. They believe that money will solve all their problems. Let’s make no mistake here — money can solve a lot of financial problems, but that doesn’t mean that the anxiety or fear will go away. This is because financial anxiety is usually not…

(Image credit: Getty Images)You give to your favorite charities because you believe in their causes. It’s not about you. It’s about making a difference. That said, tax savings can and should be a factor in your decision-making process.Every dollar you save in taxes is an extra dollar available for charitable giving. But if you give to a church or charity every year, you might not currently be getting much of a tax benefit.Here’s why: The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act massively increased the standard deduction and then tied additional increases to inflation. Then the One Big Beautiful Bill Act…

Key Takeaways Buffett attributes his wealth to opportunity, privilege, and long-term compounding. Growing up in the U.S. gave him access to a successful market system and economic mobility. He describes being born with “lucky genes” as a major advantage. Compound interest multiplied his returns across decades, amplifying his wealth accumulation. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. Warren Buffett often downplays the idea that his wealth is the product of extraordinary genius alone. Instead, the “Oracle of Omaha”—who officially stepped down as chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway on Jan. 1—points to three forces that shaped…

Welcome to Kiplinger’s My First $1 Million series, in which we hear from people who have made $1 million. They’re sharing how they did it and what they’re doing with it. This time, we hear from a 64-year-old retired senior policy analyst who is married and lives in Washington, D.C. She has worked in both the private and federal industries.See our earlier profiles, including a writer in New England, a literacy interventionist in Colorado, a semiretired entrepreneur in Nashville and an events industry CEO in Northern New Jersey. (See all of the profiles here.) From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Retirees are traveling in great numbers, with the average American adult taking 3.9 trips per year, according to AARP. On the downside, total travel costs were, on average, $6,800 over a year’s worth of trips. That’s a budget-stretching number for most retirees living on a fixed income.One way to travel more and have the cash to pay the freight is through gig work, much of which can be handled before, during or after trips in the United States or abroad.”I’ve been a full-time nomad since 2019, initially augmenting our travel expenses with consulting in a business which…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.This article is an on-site version of our Unhedged: Chart of the Week newsletter. You sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every Saturday, or explore all FT newslettersGood morning. It’s no surprise that the equal-weighted S&P 500 spent the past three years in the shadows of its cap-weighted sibling. With tech stocks accounting for a third of the cap-weighted index’s weight, the largest sector by far, the benchmark index and the tech rally went largely hand in hand. Historically, it…

Gold is re-testing its 61.8% Fibonacci retracement once again instead of declining. Is it really bullish, though?The 2012 Bearish Analogy IntensifiesI previously wrote that based on the similarity to how behaved after another key (2011) top, we might be in the stage where it declines in a back-and-forth manner. Precisely, I meant its late-2012 performance. Gold price moved higher instead but did it make the entire analogy useless? No. It simply means that we’re most likely in a different part thereof. After the 2011 top, there were three corrections to the 61.8% retracement. What we now see is the third move…