Author: Money Mechanics

Oregon’s $1.41 billion tax surplus is officially returning to taxpayers. Thanks to the Oregon Surplus Kicker program, millions of eligible filers can now claim the tax credit on their 2025 state income return.The credit pays out every two years, and only if state revenue projections rise above 2% — so the Oregon kicker isn’t always a guarantee. Like prior years, strict eligibility requirements mean not all Oregon taxpayers qualify, either.Here is what you need to know about the 2026 calculation and how to ensure you don’t leave your potential share of the surplus on the table. From just $107.88 $24.99…

Key Takeaways As the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8%, dragged down by slumping UnitedHealth Group stock.UnitedHealth, one of the priciest stocks in the blue-chip Dow, tumbled nearly 20% Tuesday after reporting disappointing earnings.UnitedHealth stock shaved 422 points off the Dow, accounting for all of the index’s 409-point decline on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average missed out on a rally today thanks in large part to one very influential stock.  The Dow fell 0.8% Tuesday. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq gained 0.4% and 0.9%, respectively, boosted by rising chip stocks and…

Key Takeaways The widely followed Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell to its lowest level since May 2014, as worries over job losses and inflation persisted.Despite a recent trend of dour consumer survey readings, the economy has been expanding, and consumers keep spending, driven primarily by high-income consumers.Despite the poor confidence, economists expect consumers to continue spending in 2026. Consumer confidence plunged in January, but fears about the future aren’t stopping some people from spending. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index is hitting its lowest levels since 2014 on Tuesday. It comes after another widely followed sentiment survey last week…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Stocks were mixed Tuesday as investors looked ahead to a busy stretch of mega-cap earnings announcements and tomorrow’s policy statement from the Federal Reserve. While the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite extended their daily win streaks to five, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the session in the red.At the close, the S&P 500 was up 0.4% at 6,978 – a new record high – and the Nasdaq was 0.9% higher at 23,817. This marked the fifth straight win for each index.Boosting them both was positive price action for several Big Tech stocks ahead of their respective…

Retirement planning can sometimes feel like trying to assemble IKEA furniture in the dark — stressful, confusing and full of variables you can’t control. Enter the ‘4% Rule’: the retirement rule that suggests if you withdraw 4% of your nest egg in your first year of retirement (and adjust for inflation thereafter), your money should last for 30 years.Does this classic strategy align with your long-term goals, or does the current economy demand a different approach? Use this quiz to decide if this strategy is right for you or if you should pivot toward a more adaptable approach.More on the…

In-brief analysis January 27, 2026 Data source: Argus Freight Shipping rates for crude oil tankers were at multi-year highs at the end of 2025 before falling in early 2026. Rates climbed in the fall of 2025 because of increased demand for crude oil shipments, particularly from buyers in East Asia, limiting the number of vessels available for bookings. In this analysis, we look at several key global tanker routes for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and Suezmax tankers, including the Persian Gulf-to-Asia route and the U.S. Gulf Coast-to-Europe route. In November 2025,…

The ongoing winter storm event and freezing temperatures that are affecting tens of millions of people across the United States have the potential to contribute to the gradual erosion of aggregate limits in certain catastrophe bonds, investment manager Twelve Securis has highlighted.With winter storms a covered peril in the catastrophe bond market, largely in US regional and nationwide transactions, the scale and scope of damage expected from what has been named winter storm Fern is naturally on the mind of cat bond fund managers. Specialist insurance-linked securities manager Twelve Securis reported that the winter storm event has been designated as…

These relatively steady rate movements followed a more volatile week as financial markets anticipated and digested President Donald Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Trump touched on some key housing-related proposals during the forum, including restrictions on U.S. homebuying activities against large institutional investors and a $200 billion purchase of mortgage-backed securities by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The moves aim to improve affordability for consumers through additional housing supply and lower mortgage rates. But Trump also put the brakes on a reported proposal to allow tax-free withdrawals from 401(k) accounts for down payments on home…

On a Monday night NBC News segment, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei expressed concern over “some of the things we’ve seen in the last few days,” referring to the violence of Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. Amodei focused on the importance of preserving democracy at home, both on NBC and in a post on X that specifically called out “the horror we’re seeing in Minnesota.” On NBC, he said he’s a believer in arming democracies to defend against autocratic countries, and that “we need to defend our own democratic values at home.” He added that Anthropic has no contracts with Immigration and…

Key Takeaways Corning shares surged Tuesday after the glass and fiber optic cable maker announced a $6 billion deal with Meta to supply its data centers.The company is a supplier to several tech heavyweights including Nvidia and Apple, and has been a big beneficiary of the AI boom. A deal with Meta Platforms (META) is the latest piece of good news boosting Corning (GLW) stock. Corning and Meta announced $6 billion deal for Corning to supply the Facebook and Instagram parent with fiber optic technology and cables for its AI data centers. Corning said the deal will allow it to…