Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways AI-powered tools like voice cloning have made impersonation scams far more believable, increasing the likelihood of real financial losses.Clear, pre-established rules—such as never sharing authentication codes or moving money in response to unsolicited requests—help protect clients when pressure is high.An emergency fund can provide temporary financial stability after a scam, but early reporting and prevention remain the most effective defenses. What makes today’s scam environment different is not just volume, but design. Many scams have always relied on impersonation, but AI has changed how believable those impersonations are. Voice cloning can recreate a family member in distress or…

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is one of my largest holdings, which has worked out well for me. Until its near 10% stock price drop on Jan. 29, that is. And although that isn’t ideal, I’m looking at it through a positive lens, giving me a chance to go discount shopping. Regardless of how Microsoft’s stock performs, it’s a stake I plan to consistently add to and hold for the long haul. The reason I’m high on Microsoft long-term is because of how diversified its business is and how ingrained its products and services are in daily corporate life globally. Where to…

Weak Dollar Index boost gold prices as holding cost becomes attractive. Middle East escalation fears cause surging safe-haven demand for gold. Bond yields are flattening, making gold relatively attractive. After a sharp fall in prices, oversold conditions attract value buyers. Market Summary:After a record high of $5,600, prices witnessed a historical correction that dragged prices to $4400, a jaw dropping $1200 fall. This strong price correction shed most of the overbought conditions across higher time frames and attracted strong buying intervention at bargain prices, causing a robust demand surge that saw prices rebound to $5090 during the Asian session. Moreover,…

I ran across this article by David Beckworth that discusses the issues with the reduction of the Fed’s balance sheet (called “Quantitative Tightening” or QT). The issue raised is not one that I spent much time thinking about: the previous expansion of the Fed’s balance sheet (“Quantitative Easing” or QE) has led to behavioural changes in banks (and their clients) as well as regulators.The Fed’s balance sheet used to be fairly small. For those of you who quite sensibly do not think much about central bank’s balance sheets, its size is determined entirely by its liabilities (there is only a…

People dig out their cars parked along Lancaster St. during a winter storm on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 in Albany, N.Y. Lori Van Buren | Albany Times Union | Getty ImagesThe harsh winter storm that recently hit much of the country took its toll on the mortgage market in the week that followed. Potential buyers stayed home, and mortgage rates didn’t move enough to spark refinance demand.Total mortgage application volume dropped 8.9% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the Martin Luther King Jr.…

If you hate seeing your team waste hours painstakingly entering data into spreadsheets only to get it wrong and be forced to do it all over again, you’re not alone. Enterprise data management is getting increasingly complex, with a bunch of different software programs piling up across various departments.Also: The best CRM softwareWithout a way to connect all these disparate data streams and put them into context, your business is probably struggling with problems like shadow IT, information overload, and just a bevy of human errors during the data entry process.ERP, or enterprise resource planning, software can plug into every…

Key Takeaways A 401(k) might be your best bet for saving more for retirement.A recent study shows that people with 401(k)s were able to save 29% more for retirement than their peers who did not have the same type of account.401(k) plans are often sponsored by employers, but even if you’re self-employed, you can open one for yourself.Traditional plans offer tax-deferred investing, a smart approach to regular contributions, compounding interest, and other tax advantages.Your employer might provide a matching contribution up to a certain percent of your salary. There are many retirement savings vehicles to choose from—401(k)s, IRAs, and more—but…

February 04, 2026 07:48 AM EST Millions of Legal Immigrants Are About to Lose Access to Government Loans for Small Businesses FROM 15 minutes ago The Small Business Administration is cutting off lending to any business with any amount of non-citizen ownership, excluding more than 5 million business owners from federal loans.Starting March 1, the SBA will no longer lend to businesses if any of their ownership is not a citizen, down from the 5% foreign ownership currently allowed. The move, announced Monday, is the latest step in President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut off legal immigrants from government funding…

Key Takeaways Warren Buffett said, “What the wise do in the beginning, fools do in the end.”With this quote, he was implying that wise people pounce early and that the fools follow the crowd and arrive when it’s too late to benefit, getting caught in a bubble that inevitably bursts.The comment is a dig at investors who pile into investments when they are already very popular and expensive in pursuit of quick profits.That approach has gained traction with social media and cheap trading apps and contrasts with Buffett’s long-term value investing philosophy. Warren Buffett isn’t just one of the world’s…

Key Takeaways According to 2022 Federal Reserve data, just 57% of Americans in their mid-50s to mid-60s have a retirement account, a participation rate that is near a 30-year low.Among households with at least one retirement account, the median balance for this age group was $185,000, according to the Fed.More recent data from Empower placed the median saved for 50-somethings at $253,454 and the median saved for 60-somethings at $186,902.Retirement readiness varies widely at this stage, shaped by housing wealth, access to workplace plans, and exposure to market swings.1 in 5 adults age 50 or older have no retirement savings…