Author: Money Mechanics

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed concerns about AI’s environmental impact this week while speaking at an event hosted by The Indian Express. For one thing, Altman — who was in India for a major AI summit — said concerns about AI’s water usage are “totally fake,” though he acknowledged it was a real issue when “we used to do evaporative cooling in data centers.” “Now that we don’t do that, you see these things on the internet where, ‘Don’t use ChatGPT, it’s 17 gallons of water for each query’ or whatever,” Altman said. “This is completely untrue, totally insane, no…

Key Takeaways President Donald Trump said he is imposing new tariffs to replace the ones the Supreme Court struck down Friday, starting with a 15% global tariff.Tariffs on specific countries and products will require his administration to carry out investigations. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. When the Supreme Court struck down the majority of President Donald Trump’s tariffs Friday, he lost little time revealing his backup plan: imposing more tariffs under different legal mechanisms from the one the high court ruled against.The new tariff regime will begin with a global 15% tariff on all…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.In theory, the market for small, cheap computers should be saturated. Most hobbyists who want them already have several. Older models are fine for retro gaming and tinkering, while industrial buyers don’t often need upgrades. Yet shares in Raspberry Pi, a Cambridge-based maker of simple devices on single circuit boards, shot up this week.The reason, ostensibly, was a burst of enthusiasm from AI hobbyists playing with OpenClaw, a personal assistant that runs on a home computer. This new embodiment of AI efficiency…

Members Capital Management Limited (MembersCap), the Bermuda-regulated investment manager, has broadened its tokenized reinsurance fund distribution by making its listed insurance-linked securities (ILS) fund, MCM Fund I, available to institutional investors on the Aptos blockchain via the Archax digital asset exchange.This comes as Archax, the UK/EU regulated digital asset platform, has entered into a partnership with Aptos, a institutional Layer-1 blockchain, which allows Archax to be able to bring Aptos into its tokenization engine, which enables regulated real-world assets (RWAs) to be issued and managed through the Aptos blockchain. The first of which will be the MembersCap Tokenized Global Reinsurance…

The Armstrong suit, which was first filed in early November, contained similar allegations, claiming that Zillow pressures agents in its Premier Agent and Flex lead programs to steer buyers to Zillow Home Loans for their purchase mortgage pre-approval. Allegedly, agents who sent more clients to Zillow’s mortgage arm for their pre-approvals received extra or higher-quality leads in exchange. In an amended complaint filed in the consolidated lawsuit in early January, the plaintiffs again claimed that Zillow tricks consumers into using agents affiliated with Zillow through its Flex and Premier Agent programs, resulting in inflated home purchase prices.  In its motion,…

(World Oil) – Ecopetrol reported proved reserves of 1.94 Bboe at year-end 2025, representing a 2.7% increase from 2024 and marking the company’s highest annual reserve additions in four years. The Colombian national oil company added 300 MMboe of proved reserves during 2025 and achieved a reserves replacement ratio of 121%, driven primarily by enhanced recovery projects and improved operational performance across key producing assets. The group’s average reserve life now stands at 7.8 years. According to Ecopetrol, the majority of reserve additions were tied to enhanced recovery and optimization programs in the Castilla, Chichimene and Akacías fields, along with improved operational…

Most companies today communicate regularly with investors. But 90% fail to connect investor relations (IR) with overall business strategy. * This means that the vast majority of firms today are missing valuable opportunities to strengthen credibility and influence valuation. Make the most of your communications by following the five IR best practicesA strong IR strategy connects business goals to hard data and the key signals investors care about. According to Nasdaq’s 2025 Global Issuer Pulse, issuers report that investors now expect more context around strategy so they can better assess credibility and long-term potential.What Is Investor Relations and Why Does…

Key Takeaways Keeping extra cash in checking earns little or no interest, so moving it to a high-yield savings account can be an easy first win.Building an emergency fund in a separate high-yield account gives you a buffer for life’s surprises without derailing your day-to-day budget.Starting small with retirement contributions—and increasing gradually over time—can help you build long-term security without strain. Get personalized, AI-powered answers built on 27+ years of trusted expertise. Money questions can feel stressful when you’re earning a decent income but aren’t sure how to make the most of it. That uncertainty showed up in a recent…

Key Takeaways Many renters hope a housing crash will make homes affordable.Experts advise buying a home when you’re financially ready.Home prices typically increase by 4% each year.Down payment assistance programs can help reduce your costs. If you’re waiting for the housing market to crash, you’re not alone. According to a 2024 survey by Lending Tree, over a third (36%) of Americans actively want the housing market to crash. What’s more, 29% of renters say a housing crash is the only way that they’ll finally be able to buy a home. With home prices at historic highs, it’s no surprise that…

You’re at the checkout counter of your local grocery store, and the total comes to $10.02. You reach for two cents, only to notice a sign taped to the card reader: “Penny shortage in effect; all cash transactions will be rounded.”This is the new fiscal reality for many American consumers. On November 12, 2025, the United States Treasury minted its final penny, following a presidential directive aimed at cutting the mounting costs of coin production.Still, as the “penniless” economy takes hold, it raises a multimillion-dollar question: How will your future transactions be rounded? And with the nickel also produced at…