Author: Money Mechanics

PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL), one of the world’s largest digital payment companies, was once a promising growth stock. Yet over the past five years, its stock has declined nearly 80% as intense competition, the loss of eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) as a top customer, and a challenging macro environment throttled its growth in active accounts and revenues. From 2021 to 2025, PayPal’s year-end active accounts only grew from 426 million to 439 million. That was well below its original goal (which it later abandoned) of hitting 750 million active accounts by 2025. As its account growth stalls out, it’s trying to drive…

Middle East tensions pushed oil up 7%, triggering risk aversion and Bitcoin drop to $63,000. Regulatory progress and strong ETF inflows led by BlackRock helped Bitcoin recover toward $74,000. Whales accumulated over 13,000 BTC as markets await US jobs data for direction. had a very volatile start to the first week of March 2026. At the start of the week, rising tensions linked to the war in the Middle East pushed oil prices up by about 7%. This made investors more cautious and reduced interest in risky assets, causing Bitcoin to fall to around $63,000. The market soon recovered from…

In the absence of traffic flowing through the Strait of Hormuz quickly, oil prices will rise a lot. Forecasts of $200/barrel are coming from some analysts, and something like that would be needed to smash down demand to meet sharply lower supply. Although there are buffer stocks, there is not going to widespread willingness to sell inventory out of them below replacement price. A release from the American Strategic Petroleum Reserve appears likely in the absence of immediate good news, but that just delays the reckoning.An oil spike of just 1-2 weeks can be shrugged off, but anything beyond that…

What Millennials Have Saved in Defined Contribution Accounts    Average  Median  25-34  $42,640  $16,255  35-44  $103,552  $39,958 Source: Vanguard’s How America Saves 2025 report How Much the Median Millennial Could Have Saved by 2055 We’re going to do two calculations based on the two age groups above (25–34 and 35–44) for the median millennial. We’ll choose an age roughly in the middle of each of these groups: 30 (roughly the middle of the 25–34 age group) and 40 (roughly the middle of the 35–44 age group). This is how much the median 30-year-old millennial today could have saved by age…

(By Oil & Gas 360) – Energy markets are increasingly being driven by geopolitical risk rather than traditional supply-demand fundamentals, and major banks are beginning to adjust their outlooks accordingly. Investment banks have started lifting crude price forecasts as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz raise the possibility of supply disruptions from one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Analysts at Goldman Sachs recently raised their second-quarter Brent forecast by $10 per barrel, reflecting the growing risk premium tied to Middle East instability. Meanwhile, UBS also increased its Brent price outlook for early 2026 and the full year, citing…

Key Takeaways Warren Buffett’s central investing rule is about avoiding permanent losses, not scoring big wins.Buffett advises investing only in businesses you understand and avoiding emotional decisions. Buffett’s most famous investing advice is famous for being hard for many on Wall Street to follow: “Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1.” But he repeats the phrase often in interviews, shareholder letters, and investing guides for a reason. Buffett clarifies that this isn’t a pledge to avoid losses, but a philosophy that prioritizes protecting your money and long-term value over market noise. Despite his…

Key Takeaways Katy, Texas, offers affordable housing, with median monthly costs below the national average for homeowners and renters.The cost of living in Katy is 10% lower than the national average, with no state or local income tax.Katy’s master-planned communities and proximity to Houston provide retirees with modern amenities and world-class health care access. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. Katy is a rapidly growing suburb west of Houston known for comfortable communities and modern amenities. With a population under 28,000, it will appeal to retirees who are seeking warm weather, safety, and everyday convenience…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Some clients have portfolios that look a lot like junk drawers. They have a jumble of accounts with no clear strategy for generating retirement income.Many retirees share that feeling of confusion.A strategy called “basket planning” can solve this problem. 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 – straight to your e-mail.…

(Image credit: Getty Images)There’s a specific moment most people have at work. It’s not Monday morning or Friday afternoon. It’s some random weekday, when you glance at the clock in the midafternoon and think, “I can’t do this for another 20 years.”That feeling isn’t rare anymore. A lot of people aren’t just complaining about work — they’re actively building exits. Side businesses. Freelance income. Consulting. Anything that gives them more control over their time.If you want to leave regular employment and go it alone, you need a concrete financial plan. Here’s how to approach it. From just $107.88 $24.99 for…

(Image credit: Getty Images)IRS tax season is upon us, but if the first time you turn your attention toward taxes every year is when you’re gathering documents to file, the chances are you’re missing out on some loopholes that can help lower your tax obligation.These tips can help you (legally) reduce what you owe every year.1. Supercharge your retirement savings with the mega backdoor RothRoth IRAs have both income and contribution limits set by the IRS, making direct contributions to Roth IRAs generally unavailable to some high earners. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better…