Author: Money Mechanics

How has investing become easier and harder at the same time?On one hand, it’s never been easier to invest. You can select from a wide variety of products with a few clicks on an app, often with no commissions or account minimums.On the other, it’s never been harder to invest. A barrage of ads often blurring the lines between investing and gambling makes it easier to make emotional decisions and harder to evaluate relevant features to make confident decisions. 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…

For decades, retirement planning has been seen through the lens of one question: How much do I need to save? But placing too much focus on a single number is leaving many Americans with planning gaps.A recent study from Lincoln Financial found most Americans are unprepared for key retirement scenarios including generating income, managing healthcare costs, protecting loved ones and passing on assets. Most people aren’t failing to save, but they are leaving key expenses in retirement unaddressed.That’s why investors need to start thinking about retirement differently. Not as a single number you need to reach to be comfortable, but…

Your will dictates who inherits your real estate, but it can’t protect your kids from a ticking tax time-bomb or a landlord headache they don’t want.If your heirs have no interest in managing property, discover how smart investors are using Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) to trade active management for passive income today, while permanently wiping out decades of deferred capital gains for the next generation.Gary owns a warehouse outside Katy, Texas, that he bought in 2003 for $380,000. It’s worth $1.9 million today. He’s done two 1031 exchanges along the way, which means his taxable basis is somewhere around $210,000.…

If you’ve ever wondered whether your family could face a tax bill after inheriting money or property, you’re not alone.While estate tax and inheritance tax both involve assets passed on after death, they differ in who pays them, when they’re paid, and when they apply. Understanding the distinction can help you better navigate estate planning and inheritance decisions.The good news? According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, fewer than 1 in 1,000 estates owe federal estate tax. 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…

Fidelity is an investment-fund mainstay for buy-and-holders, and several of its products are tailor-made for waiting out market storms.This firm built its name on the back of exceptional portfolio managers. In more recent years, though, it’s broadened its appeal. Yes, Fidelity still is home to elite stock- and bond-pickers. But we can also get plain-vanilla index exposure as well as some cheekier “smart beta” strategies.And we can get them for a song. Not only do many Fidelity funds boast fees that are below their category average, but they have low nominal purchase requirements, too. Like with all other exchange-traded funds,…

As the buildout of AI and digital infrastructure continues to expand across the re/insurance industry, driving insurance-linked securities (ILS) into this emerging sector relies heavily on key structural advancements, including the development of standardised parametric triggers and portfolio aggregation mechanisms, according to Michael Moloney of Oliver Wyman.Moloney who serves as Partner, Global Head of Insurance and Asset Management and Managing Partner, Actuarial, at Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm and part of broker Marsh, recently highlighted in Guy Carpenter’s latest report how the ILS industry can branch into the digital infrastructure space. “The buildout of AI and digital infrastructure represents…

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order on researching the effects of psychedelic drugs in medical treatment for veterans, on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump said generic drugs imported into the U.S. will face zero tariffs for two years starting August 1, before a 100% levy takes effect in August 2028 and rises to 200% a year later.The phased schedule is intended to push generic drugmakers to move production onshore, Trump said in a social media post…

Jack Wallen/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET key takeawaysStop sending the wrong response to the wrong recipient.Theme Google Messages chats to make them distinctive.This feature is free to use and is rolling out on Android.Just this morning, I sent the wrong response to what I thought was the right chat thread. It didn’t get me in trouble, but it did cause the recipient to raise their eyebrows. I quickly explained, found the correct recipient, and sent the reply.I can’t tell you how many times this issue has happened to me over the years. Sometimes it happens when I’m…

Owning a little house on a plot of land is synonymous with the American dream—a sign of prosperity and social mobility.Affectionately known as the starter home, it was seen as the first rung on the property ladder and tended to be smaller and less expensive.”Conceptually, a starter home is one that is purchased by a first-time homebuyer with the goal of getting a foothold in homeownership,” says Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale.Today, affordable homes are hard to come by, and experts agree that reviving the starter home may be the only way to get the housing industry back on track. The history…

Economic resilience is probably something most Americans would welcome.  We’re seeing that consumer spending is still growing, wage gains haven’t gone away, and corporate dealmaking is showing fresh momentum. Those trends point to a country that is successfully blowing past the recent inflation shock. However, in an exclusive interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan sees something more troubling beneath the surface. The economy is arguably holding its own, but the relief households expected hasn’t followed. Food, housing, and fuel costs remain painful, while the strongest spending growth continues to come from consumers with…