Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Miami offers a warm tropical climate all year long and is the county seat of Miami-Dade County.The cost of living in Miami is higher than the national average, but it has a low tax burden because Florida lacks an individual state income tax.Known as a global gateway, Miami is a hub for international arts, culture, and dining.The city is very walkable and bikeable, has public transit, and access to good healthcare facilities. Part of the Miami metropolitan area, Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County. But it’s also one of Investopedia’s top 100 retirement hot spots in…

February 03, 2026 07:28 AM EST The Great Wealth Transfer: Why Inheriting a Home May Not Make You Rich FROM 27 minutes ago After your parents or grandparents pass away, you may expect to receive some type of inheritance, whether it’s old jewelry, leftover retirement account assets, or even a home. While inheriting a home can be a blessing, it can also come with hidden downsides. With the “Great Wealth Transfer” underway, this is an issue many Americans could face in the coming years. During this period, a staggering $124 trillion worth of wealth is expected to transfer through 2048,…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Today’s story will be valuable to anyone who is presently looking for a job, or will be in the future.Graduates are finding now to be one of the most difficult times to land a job. They need every tool available to convince a hiring manager that they are the right fit.William Vanderbloemen’s Work How You Are Wired: 12 Data-Driven Steps to Finding a Job You Love offers job-searching readers insights such as, “Who am I? What am I wired to do? What should I steer clear from? These are qualities that job seekers need to be aware…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Picture this scenario: You’re standing at the front of a steakhouse private room, halfway through your presentation. In the crowd, several attendees are nodding along and taking notes — proof that dinner seminars can be a great way to connect with potential clients. Still, you can’t help but also notice a few guests focused more on the ribeye than the retirement strategies you’re sharing.For financial professionals, this experience is familiar. Dinner seminars have long been a reliable way to attract new clients.But as marketing costs rise and consumer skepticism grows, some advisers find that seminars often attract…

(Image credit: Getty Images)I love my job. As part of Vanguard’s Financial Advisor Services team, I meet with financial advisers across the country to discuss their fast-growing technology stacks and determine how they can use AI to deliver better investment outcomes to their clients in a responsible way.Our advice is to always focus on improving outcomes for investors, and that may mean using AI to help free up time that can be dedicated to supporting clients. Vanguard research shows the real benefit for clients lies in behavioral coaching.But for advisers to use AI in ways that truly lead to better…

Key Takeaways Child-free retirees often enjoy more flexibility but must proactively plan for long-term care and estate decisions. Without heirs, the focus shifts from legacy building to safe spending, optimal risk taking, and tax-smart asset drawdowns. Naming trustworthy proxies and setting up proper beneficiary structures is particularly important when kids aren’t in the picture. Not having kids might mean fewer financial obligations, but it doesn’t automatically make retirement planning easier. In fact, flying solo as you age comes with its own set of complexities, from health care costs to estate decisions. Here’s what child-free adults should know when planning for…

Housing affordability challenges are weighing on not only would-be buyers, but also on a growing share of existing homeowners, new data suggests.Late-stage mortgage delinquencies — those with payments at least 90 days past due — rose 18.6% in December from a year earlier, according to new research from credit scoring company VantageScore. While the share of mortgages at that stage of nonpayment remains small at about 0.2% — up from just under 0.17% in December 2024 — the growth is occurring at a faster pace than for delinquencies involving other types of consumer credit, including auto loans, credit cards and…

Kerry Wan/ZDNETZDNET key takeawaysThere’s no need to purchase pricey apps to clean your Mac.Mole is a command-line tool that does a great job.Mole is free and can be installed with Homebrew.Because I work with a lot of video, my Mac drives can fill quickly. When that happens, things can get a bit tricky. The machine might slow down, or I won’t be able to create or save files.Before that situation arises, I like to clean my Mac drives of unnecessary items. When I do that task, I turn to a handy command-line tool called Mole.Also: I’ve tried nearly every browser out there…

(Investing) – U.S. President Donald Trump is set to launch a strategic critical minerals stockpile with $12 billion in seed money from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, a Trump administration official familiar with the plan said. The investment marks Washington’s latest attempt to offset what policymakers view as Chinese manipulation of prices for lithium, nickel, rare earths and other critical minerals – vital for items from electric vehicles to high-tech weaponry – that has stymied American mining companies for years. First reported by Bloomberg News, the venture, Project Vault, will combine private funding with a $10 billion loan from the EXIM Bank…

Ed Tom ▬ February 2, 2026 Link to Report: Macro Volatility DigestWHAT STANDS OUT:Implied volatilities were higher across the major asset classes last week on the back of President Trump’s nomination of arguably the most hawkish of the top contenders for Fed chair, Kevin Warsh. Although last Friday’s 10% and 29% collapse in gold and silver prices doubled the 1M realized volatility of the two metals, the comparable maturity implied volatilities for GLD and SLV were significantly more well behaved and essentially followed skew downwards from 38.6 to 35.8 (GLD) and from 103.7 to 86.1 (SLV). As a result, ATM…