Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways CDs provide predictable income through fixed interest rates and defined maturity dates.FDIC insurance makes CDs one of the lowest-risk income investments available.CD ladders can balance income stability with reinvestment flexibility.CDs are best for conservative investors who prioritize capital preservation over liquidity. Certificates of deposit (CDs) are perhaps among the most familiar financial products, yet they’re often misunderstood or overlooked when markets become volatile. With interest rates elevated, CDs have regained attention as a way to generate steady income without taking on market risk. Still, CDs are not designed to maximize returns or provide day-to-day flexibility. Instead, they offer…

Key Takeaways Shares of Apple dropped 5% Thursday after a string of bad news. The latest: Federal regulators sent Apple a warning letter Thursday about its news app.A day earlier, Bloomberg reported some of Apple’s AI features have been delayed. It was a rough day for Apple. Shares of the tech giant and Magnificent Seven stock slumped 5% Thursday, the stock’s worst session since April, on what was already a rough day for tech shares. The drop followed a string of bad news, as the company’s news app drew the ire of federal regulators and reports emerged that its latest…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Early indications of a risk-on mood gave way to aggressive selling as the rotation out of software expanded to include hardware stocks on Thursday. Technology and AI-related names took their toll on all three main equity indexes, while risk-off sectors such as utilities and consumer staples surged.”There’s clearly a lot going on beneath the surface,” Mizuho analyst Dan O’Regan says, “with no shortage of headlines and chatter driving tape action” amid steep losses for large-cap tech stocks, growth stocks and higher-risk assets generally.The analyst suggests emerging concerns about the impact of new artificial intelligence (AI) companies on…

Key Takeaways Dealers often have more flexibility to structure deals when you finance, because price, loan terms, and add-ons can all be negotiated.Financing can lower your total cost through rebates, 0% offers, or a quick payoff—if you avoid fees and prepayment penalties.Keeping your cash can be smarter for those who don’t have easy access to their funds. If you have enough money to buy your next car outright, paying cash may feel like the obvious move—and many financial advisors recommend it. But ruling out financing too quickly can cost you negotiating leverage, valuable rebates, or even a cheaper overall deal.…

The technology stocks outlook is becoming increasingly uncertain. Investors are turning to value stocks and dividend stocks What are the best undervalued dividend stocks to watch right now? Markets feel more uncertain right now. Volatility has picked up, and earnings season has delivered both strong beats and sharp disappointments. As a result, many investors are becoming more careful with their money. The big gains of the past few years may be harder to repeat. Technology and AI stocks have climbed to very high valuations, and they led the recent bull run. With prices already stretched, expectations are high, and room…

AXIS Capital continues to leverage alternative capital and partner with insurance-linked securities (ILS) investors, with these activities generating attractive fee income in 2025. While a new structure established for 2026 shows that its casualty sidecar Monarch Point Re remains a core focus for the company.Specialty insurance and reinsurance company AXIS Capital no longer reports fee income earned from what it used to call strategic capital partners as clearly as it once did, but the company continues to leverage the appetite of third-party capital investors within its business. In 2025, it seems AXIS Capital had a profitable year, generating attractive fee…

KEY TAKEAWAYS The Department of Education is eliminating the Grad PLUS loan program starting the 2026-27 academic year, which previously allowed graduate students to borrow enough to pay for their entire education.The department expects the new limit on graduate student loans to lower graduate tuition costs.However, experts say the government must work to ensure lenders can offer loans to a wide range of students. Stricter loan limits for graduate students will likely encourage schools to lower tuition costs, but additional efforts will be required to ensure that all potential students can afford a master’s or doctoral degree, a recent report…

Key Takeaways Crocs shares surged on Thursday after the footwear maker’s fourth-quarter results topped Wall Street estimates.International and direct-to-consumer sales grew in the quarter, while sales in North America and through its wholesale partners fell. Crocs were cool with investors on Thursday. Shares of the footwear maker soared 19% after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. The company’s revenue of $958 million and adjusted earnings per share of $2.29 were both down from a year earlier but came in above the consensus estimates of analysts compiled by Visible Alpha. Crocs (CROX) said its wholesale revenue fell more than 14% in…

(Oil Price) – The sanctions squeeze on oil supply from Russia and Iran are tightening the oil market and supporting crude prices as buyers look for additional legit barrels while sanctioned supply is piling in floating storage, according to the world’s biggest independent oil trader, Vitol. “The traditional buyers of those two supply sources are reaching for more Western or Saudi supply sources, which is then in turn tightening the real market,” Vitol’s CEO Russell Hardy said at the International Energy Week conference in London on Thursday, as quoted by Bloomberg. Fears of massive oversupply this year haven’t filtered through oil prices.…

Key Takeaways If you have a doctorate, you’re more likely to have a strong salary, job stability, and a good amount of budgeting experience. Those advantages can help you make up for lost time.A good goal is to contribute 20% of your salary every month to your retirement account.Don’t try to take shortcuts by chasing high returns or speculative investments. Many of those with doctorates land their first full-time job with an unsettling realization: you’re pushing 30 or older and have little to no retirement savings. Anxiety about playing catch-up often surfaces in personal finance forums, including Reddit. A biomedical…