Author: Money Mechanics

(BOE Report) – Separatists in Alberta are ramping up a petition campaign aimed at triggering an independence vote in the western province that has long complained its economy is being held back by the rest of Canada. Volunteer canvassers are hoping to collect by May 2 approximately 177,000 signatures, or 10% of the province’s registered voters, the threshold required to launch a citizen-led referendum on separation from Canada. While unlikely to result in an independent Alberta, the campaign poses a challenge to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s efforts to show a united Canadian front in the face of U.S. President Donald…

Today’s CD rates still hover well above the national average. The Federal Reserve reduced its target interest rate three times in 2025. This has a ripple effect on deposit account rates, which means now could be your last chance to lock in today’s high rates with a certificate of deposit (CD). Here’s a look at today’s best CD rates and where you can find the best offers. Today, the highest CD rate is 4% APY. This rate is offered by Marcus by Goldman Sachs on its 1-year CD. Here is a look at some of the best CD rates available…

Homes in Crockett, California, US, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMortgage rates for conventional loans didn’t budge last week, and neither did overall demand, but borrowers are actively seeking other loan products that offer bigger savings. Total mortgage application volume increased 0.3% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $832,750 or less, remained unchanged at 6.21%, with points staying unchanged at 0.56, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20%…

Highwings via Amazon / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Quick HDMI tweaks can noticeably improve picture and sound quality.Your TV’s settings and cables play a bigger role than you probably realize.A few checks can prevent HDMI problems and boost performance.Connecting your devices to a TV with HDMI is easy enough. Plug your cable in, and you’re good to go, right? Not so fast, my friend.Also: How to disable HDMI-CEC on your TV – and why it makes such a big difference doing soIn reality, getting the best performance…

It is a pleasure to join you again this year for the American Bankers Association Community Bankers Conference. As a former community banker, I always enjoy taking time to learn from your experience to inform my work at the Federal Reserve.1 Today, I would like to discuss a concerning trend in our financial system that has significant implications for the banking industry, the stability of the mortgage market, and consumers. Whether due to a conscious decision in response to the regulatory environment or other factors, we have seen a significant migration of mortgage origination and servicing out of the banking…

The Dollar Index is trapped between cooling inflation and political uncertainty. Markets are balancing rate-cut expectations against a shifting Fed leadership narrative. This week’s FOMC minutes and PMI data may decide whether DXY breaks 96.55 or reclaims 98. The appears to have entered a consolidation and wait-and-see phase in February, with its direction shaped more by news flow than by a classic trend environment. The move that extended toward the 98 threshold at the end of January, driven by Kevin Warsh’s official candidacy narrative, subsequently lost momentum as disinflation signals came to the forefront, and the index closed just below…

The insurance-linked securities (ILS) market is coming off a remarkable year, bolstered by record catastrophe bond issuance. According to Jean-Louis Monnier, Head of ILS at Swiss Re Capital Markets the momentum was driven by a mix of significant capital inflows and low market losses, which has ultimately helped create a high demand environment for ILS.Swiss Re Capital Markets (SRCM), the ILS and catastrophe bond structuring division and investment banking unit of the global reinsurer recently published its latest Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS) Market Insights report, which reviews developments within the catastrophe bond and broader ILS market over 2025. The firm’s report…

Fawaz, who has served the company most recently as executive vice president of strategy, growth and partnership, joined Rocket in 2011 as a mortgage banker. He entered the wholesale channel in 2017 with Rocket Pro, which serves the broker community. Prior to his current role, he was senior vice president of sales, overseeing account executives who work with broker partners. Rocket ranked as the third-largest U.S. mortgage lender in 2025, according to Inside Mortgage Finance, originating $123.7 billion in volume — up 29% year over year. Its third-party origination channel generated about $36.3 billion in sales from January through September,…

Gabriel Vasquez, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, recently revealed he took nine flights from NYC to Stockholm in one year. While his visits included stops at companies like Lovable — where he posted from its office — the trips were also about finding future Swedish unicorns before they cross the Atlantic. This all came to light when news emerged that a16z had led a $2.3 million pre-seed round into Dentio, a Swedish startup that uses AI to help dentists’ practices with admin work. While this is a small check for a firm that just announced new funds totaling $15 billion,…

(Investing) – WASHINGTON – Venezuelan interim leader President Delcy Rodriguez said she has been invited to the United States, according an interview released Thursday by NBC News as U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited Caracas. “I have been invited to the States,” Rodríguez was quoted as saying. “We’re contemplating coming there once we establish this cooperation and we can move forward with everything.” Rodriguez, the former vice president and oil minister, was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president in early January after the United States deposed President Nicolas Maduro. She and Wright face the Herculean task of organizing the recovery of…