Author: Money Mechanics

HSAs or Health Savings Accounts provide a powerful triple tax benefit — on contributions, growth, and withdrawals — but they remain a woefully underused retirement tool.They are so underutilized that Fidelity Investments found that one in two Americans is unfamiliar with the HSA and its triple tax benefits. There’s even a National HSA Awareness Day, which falls on October 15 each year, to spread the word about the benefits of this tax-advantaged savings tool.“It’s drastically underutilized,” says Jessica Nino, a financial advisor at Edward Jones. “Anyone currently not on Medicare on a high deductible qualifying plan can have one.” From…

Defining success in philanthropy depends entirely on the goals an investor is trying to achieve, whether these are social, wealth transfer, personal or tax-deductibility objectives.With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), new tax rules and opportunities are now available to help investors reach their goals.OBBB’s key changes to charitable givingThe OBBB introduced four important changes to tax laws affecting charitable giving: From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes,…

To help you understand what’s happening in the economy 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 banking industry is pushing for a legislative fix to the GENIUS Act, a law that established the first federal framework for stablecoins, a form of digital token that represents a fixed amount of a fiat currency, such…

Medicare’s open enrollment period has begun. Now through December 7, millions of Americans will be reviewing their current Medicare plans or enrolling in coverage for the very first time.While there are several parts to Medicare and various plans to choose from, it’s crucial to pay extra attention to your prescription drug coverage plan, or Part D, because failing to do so could come at a significant cost.Each year, insurers adjust copays, premiums, formularies (the list of medications covered by your insurance), preferred pharmacies and in-network providers. They can also adjust the way medications are grouped and priced. From just $107.88…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The writer is director of the National Institute of Economic and Social ResearchThe current monetary-fiscal framework for big economies was devised for a world of low inflation, small central bank balance sheets and modest public debt.Fiscal policy would seek to keep debt on a sustainable path and engineer an appropriate distribution of income. Monetary policy, delegated to independent central banks, would seek to deliver stable nominal demand and low inflation.In that era, co-ordination was barely needed. Each arm of policy had a…

Question: A good friend recently died and it made me wonder, should I prepay my own funeral? Is it worth it to set up now while I’m in my 50s?Answer: I’m sorry to hear about your friend. Sometimes it takes a loss like this to make us face our own mortality — and the costs that come with it.Chances are, you’ve put a lot of thought into planning for different milestones during your lifetime — buying your first house, sending your kids off to college, and retirement. But it’s just as important to plan for what happens once you’re no…

Key Takeaways Stocks represent partial ownership in real companies with employees, products, and earnings—not lottery tickets or gambling chips. Warren Buffett’s investment success comes from focusing on business fundamentals and competitive advantages and holding quality companies for years or decades. Stay within your “circle of competence” by investing only in businesses you understand, rather than chasing hot tips or market hype. Many beginners approach the stock market like a lottery or casino, hoping to strike it rich with a quick win. This mindset often leads to risky speculation and costly mistakes. Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all…

Key Takeaways Springfield ranks among the top U.S. retirement destinations, offering a mix of affordability, culture, and healthcare access. Retirees can enjoy diverse activities—from museums and live events to outdoor recreation. Massachusetts sate tax breaks for seniors and Springfield’s relatively low housing costs can help make retirement more budget-friendly. Springfield, Massachusetts, nestled in the western part of the state, is one of the largest cities in Massachusetts and New England.If you’re looking for a big city feel without a big city price tag in retirement, look no further. Springfield claims the number six spot on the 50 best places to…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.It is hard to get back into a market just after a mauling — as cryptocurrencies suffered last week, led by bitcoin’s 15 per cent tumble. It can be harder still to jump into the products — perpetual futures — that are believed to have produced the crash. So-called perps, though, are about to go mainstream, providing a far more significant test of investor appetite for crypto than one weekend’s drubbing.Perps enable leveraged bets on the future price of crypto coins. Unlike…

’s climb into the $4,200s marks a new all-time high and underscores a decisive turn in global risk sentiment. Investors are once again favoring hard assets over paper claims as policy uncertainty, geopolitical tension, and falling real yields combine to push the world’s oldest store of value to unprecedented levels. The move signals that markets are bracing for a prolonged easing cycle and slower global growth. Spot gold traded near $4,205 an ounce in late New York dealings, up roughly 1% on the day, while futures rose to $4,217.20 after touching $4,218.20 earlier in the session. The rally was triggered…