Author: Money Mechanics

Figure Technology, a blockchain-based lending company, confirmed it experienced a data breach. On Friday, Figure spokesperson Alethea Jadick told TechCrunch in a statement that the breach originated when an employee was tricked with a social engineering attack that allowed the hackers to steal “a limited number of files.” The statement said the company is “with partners and those impacted,” and offering free credit monitoring “to all individuals who receive a notice.” Figure’s spokesperson did not respond to a series of specific questions about the breach.  The hacking group ShinyHunters took responsibility for the hack on its official dark web leak…

Key Takeaways Your retirement income stretches further here as Pennsylvania doesn’t tax Social Security, pensions, or most 401(k) withdrawals.Housing costs about half the national average, and everyday expenses run below the U.S. average.Health care, parks, and daily errands stay local—no hourlong drives for routine needs. Hermitage, Pennsylvania, isn’t a resort town—and it isn’t trying to be. This small western Pennsylvania community near the Ohio border offers something simpler: affordable housing, low taxes, and a slower pace of life that many retirees want. With about 15,800 residents—more than 4,400 of them 65 or older—Hermitage is already a town shaped by people…

(Oil Price) – Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge reported record-high core earnings for 2025 and consensus-beating earnings for the fourth quarter amid growing demand for oil and gas egress from production centers to consumption and export hubs. Enbridge on Friday reported full-year adjusted earnings before interest, income taxes and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of US$14.7 billion (C$20.0 billion) for 2025, up by 7% from 2024. Full-year adjusted earnings also rose, by 9%, compared to 2024. For the fourth quarter, adjusted earnings per common share of US$0.65 (C$0.88), higher than the average analyst estimate ‌of US$0.56 (C$0.77). “Despite tariffs and geopolitical tension, 2025 showcased our…

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is openly looking at changing the order protection rule (OPR, Rule 611).We recently looked at how often markets are actually locked and crossed. It was rare, and extremely short lived.Today, we look at how often trades print to the Securities Information Processor (SIP) at a price that looks like a trade-through. It’s also rare, and perhaps mostly due to the time it takes to route trades to the SIP.What are we talking about? When you look at the SIP, you do often see trades arrive at the tape, at old (stale) prices, after the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) has changed. In theory, if the NBBO is “protected,” we should never see a trade happen…

Key Takeaways Your 401(k) passes to the person you name on a beneficiary form—not through your will.Spouses and non-spouses face different rules and tax implications when inheriting a 401(k).Forgetting to update your beneficiary or leaving it blank can lead to probate and unintended recipients. Your 401(k) could be one of your biggest assets. But what happens to it after you die? Unlike other parts of your estate, a 401(k) doesn’t get handled through your will. It follows a different path—and if you haven’t paid attention, that path might lead somewhere you didn’t intend. Below, we break down what happens to…

Key Takeaways Skipping a purchase isn’t automatically saving.Real savings only happens when you deliberately redirect that money to build wealth, cut debt, or invest for the future.If you’ll likely pay for something later—especially at a higher cost—you’re postponing, not saving, and your budget may be giving you a false sense of progress. Putting off a purchase can feel like victory. Your bank account feels fuller, and you enjoy a brief rush of “look at how sensible I am.” The problem is that many times you’re not really saving money—you’re just postponing the spending. Real savings increase your net worth and…

Key Takeaways Manufacturing, once the largest employer in the U.S. economy, has shed jobs consistently since 2022. Health care has gained them.The two sectors have been on opposite trajectories since 2008, when health care employment first exceeded manufacturing. If you want to picture a typical American worker, forget the overalls and hardhat, and think scrubs and a stethoscope.As of January, more than 18 million people worked in health care, compared to 12 million in manufacturing, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And those two sectors have been headed in opposite directions in recent years. Factory jobs evaporated nearly every…

Key Takeaways Applied Materials saw profit jump more than 70% in the latest quarter, as demand for advanced, energy-efficient chips used in AI data centers continues to rise.The company expects its semiconductor equipment business to grow more than 20% this year. Wall Street is excited about Applied Materials’ quarterly profits. Shares of Applied Materials (AMAT) were recently up 9% after the maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment said profit soared more than 70% to $2.03 billion, or $2.45 a share, in the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year. Revenue declined 2% to $7.01 billion. “The need for higher performance and…

Key Takeaways Coinbase said it is buying the dip amid a crypto rout.Meanwhile, Standard Chartered Bank now forecasts more downside in digital assets and has cut its year-end price target for bitcoin. Crypto whales are rushing in where other investors fear to tread. Bitcoin is struggling to stage a turnaround. Recent prices are stuck under the $70,000 level, and altcoins including ether and solana are in a similar state. Though the volatility in crypto markets appears to be putting off retail investors, some industry players are buying. Crypto exchange Coinbase Global (COIN), for example, said it will continue to “buy…

Key Takeaways Home sales in January tumbled 8.4% from December levels.Weather likely played a role, the National Association of Realtors said, while low inventory levels helped keep prices elevated.Economists expect sales to improve this year thanks to lower mortgage rates, but affordability issues are expected to persist. Only a few short weeks ago, December home sales surged to their strongest level in nearly three years and home sellers were optimistic about the future. Mortgage rates were down, sales were up and there was hope that home buying activity was about to pick up after several slow years. On Thursday, real…