Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways A crypto-friendly Fed Chair nominee, and a step forward for the Clarity Act, among other bits of good news, hasn’t inspired a turnaround in sentiment around bitcoin. The price of bitcoin is down about 20% in the past year. What can shake bitcoin out of its rut? That’s the question on crypto traders’ minds these days. The price of the world’s largest cryptocurrency has fallen year-to-date, deflating early January hopes of a turnaround. Bitcoin broke below the $85,000 level this week and appears headed toward lows not seen since April; even signs of good news aren’t helping, with…

Key Takeaways Deckers Outdoor stock soared Friday morning after the company reported strong quarterly results and issued a better-than-expected outlook.The company said it sees significant room for sales of its Hoka running shoes to continue growing as its fastest-growing brand. A shoemaker’s stock is running to its highest point in months Friday. Deckers Outdoor (DECK) shares surged 11% in early trading after the parent company of Hoka running shoes and UGG boots reported better fiscal third quarter results than expected. Deckers said after the bell Thursday that it earned $3.33 per share on $1.96 billion in revenue, each topping estimates…

Key Takeaways Sandisk shares surged Friday and have more than doubled this month after soaring in 2025.The storage device maker topped estimates and projected third-quarter results well above the analyst consensus. One of the hottest stocks of 2026 is extending its record run. Sandisk (SNDK) shares, up 13% in recent trading, have more than doubled this year. The storage device maker reported quarterly earnings and forecasts stronger than analysts had forecast, helping drive the shares higher and making them one of the day’s top gainers in the S&P 500. Fiscal second-quarter revenue came in at $3.03 billion, while adjusted earnings…

Changing your phone number can be a hassle, but switching mobile carriers doesn’t usually mean you have to. In most cases, you can keep your existing number by transferring it to your new provider through a process known as number porting.According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), carriers may charge a fee to port a number, though those fees are sometimes negotiable or waived. Importantly, your phone number belongs to you, and once you request a transfer, your current carrier can’t refuse to release it.While porting a phone number does require you to follow a few specific steps, the process…

The artificial intelligence (AI) gold rush has been a boon for investors in Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Massive demand from the buildout of data centers has AMD stock soaring.After falling nearly 20% in 2024, AMD stock returned close to 80% in 2025, and the outlook would appear bright. Indeed, analysts have never been more collectively bullish on the tech stock’s prospects.But while AMD has been a market-beater for more than a decade, truly long-term shareholders are sitting on disappointing returns. That’s because the chipmaker spent the first part of the past 20 years having a sort of “lost decade.” As…

To help you understand what’s going on in the economy, business and politics and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You’ll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…The economy will pick up the pace a little bit in 2026, with some help from Washington. However, it will have to overcome some mounting…

President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor, to be the next head of the Federal Reserve. Warsh would still need to be confirmed by the US Senate before he takes over for Jerome Powell in May.Warsh previously served on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011, after being nominated by President George Bush. On the Fed chair selection, President Donald Trump said in a social media post, “I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe…

Each week, in our Ask the Editor series, Joy Taylor, The Kiplinger Tax Letter editor, answers questions on topics submitted by readers. This week she’s looking at six questions on the taxation of Social Security benefits. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe.)1. Are all Social Security benefits fully tax-free?Question: I am retired and receive monthly Social Security benefits. I heard they are now fully tax-free for federal income tax purposes. Is that correct? Joy Taylor: Unfortunately, no. President Trump promised to make the benefits fully tax-free. But the complex process that Republican lawmakers in Congress…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The writer, an FT contributing editor, is a former chief economist at the Bank of EnglandIt has been a big week for Andys — or at least for two of them, Andy Burnham and Andy Street. The first, controversially, was blocked from standing as a member of parliament by the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee. The second, also controversially, announced the formation of a new centre-right political movement, Prosper UK. (Less controversially, this Andy has largely been inert this week.)Although drawn from…

(Image credit: Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)After months of speculation — and years of criticizing his last pick — President Donald Trump announced his selection for the next chair of the Federal Reserve.The president announced on Friday, January 30, that Kevin Warsh will be the next Fed chair. If approved by the Senate, he will take over when Jerome Powell’s term ends in May 2026. Trump had been reviewing several candidates for some time now.”I am pleased to announce that I am nominating Kevin Warsh to be the CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM,”…