Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Stocks rallied after President Trump dialed back his threats against Greenland, reviving talk of the TACO Trade, a strategy intended to exploit the president’s bombastic approach to policy. Over the past year, dip-buyers have reliably been rewarded by Trump’s habit of walking back aggressive tariff threats that batter the stock market. But the market has recently taken in stride some events that likely would have presented TACO Trade opportunities last year. It’s Taco Thursday on Wall Street. U.S. stocks, which rallied yesterday, were extending their gains Thursday after President Donald Trump said he would not use force to take…

Key Takeaways More than half of workers say they’ve been passed over for a job opportunity because of a nepo baby colleague, and most (72%) said that they believe personal connections affect hiring. For most workers, nepotism is thought to have a deleterious effect on the workplace, negatively impacting diversity, productivity, and morale. Nepotism doesn’t just happen in Hollywood or other high-profile industries. Many people are noticing it in their own workplaces, and say they’re losing out on job opportunities due to nepo babies. In a survey of 1,000 people by Resume.io—an online platform that offers resume services—half of respondents…

(Image credit: Getty Images)A major winter storm — named Winter Storm Fern — is forecast to sweep across much of the country this weekend, bringing a dangerous mix of heavy snow, ice and frigid temperatures from the South and Midwest into the Northeast.Falling temperatures and storms like this can strain your vehicle’s battery, tires and fluids, potentially leading to breakdowns or costly repairs. Winter weather risks such as ice-covered roads and heavy snow also increase the chances of getting into an accident or needing to call for roadside assistance.That’s why preparing your car for a winter storm can help reduce…

Key Takeaways Before your CD matures, you have a short window to decide what to do before your bank automatically rolls your money into a new CD. Miss that deadline and you could be locked into a new term with a low rate, limiting your options for months or even years. Comparing today’s best CDs—or moving funds to a top high-yield savings account—can help you earn more and keep flexibility. The Costly Mistake Many People Make With CDs Anytime you have a certificate of deposit (CD) nearing its maturity date, you face a deadline to decide what to do with…

Personal income increased $30.6 billion (0.1 percent at a monthly rate) in October, followed by an increase of $80.0 billion (0.3 percent) in November, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—increased $12.0 billion (0.1 percent) in October, followed by an increase of $63.7 billion (0.3 percent). Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $98.6 billion (0.5 percent), followed by an increase of $108.7 billion (0.5 percent).Due to the recent government shutdown, this report for October and November replaces releases originally scheduled for November 26 and December 19, 2025.Personal…

In-brief analysis January 22, 2026 In our January 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast U.S. crude oil production next year will remain near the record 13.6 million barrels per day (b/d) produced in 2025 before decreasing 2% to 13.3 million b/d in 2027. If realized, a fall in annual U.S. crude oil production will mark the first since 2021. We forecast slight production growth from the Federal Gulf of America and Alaska will be offset by declines in the Lower 48 United States in the next two years as low crude oil prices reduce operators’…

Descartes Underwriting, a specialist underwriter of parametric risk transfer opportunities, has unveiled a new parametric product suite for data centres, providing flexible capacity of up to $140 million per policy against natural perils that threaten timely completion of construction, commissioning, and ongoing service delivery.Increasing demand for capacity in generative AI and various cloud computing services has resulted in a significant rise in data centre investments, which are said to have reached $267 billion in 2025 and are expected to climb to $700 billion by 2035. As Descartes explains, with large multi-building data centre sites accommodating thousands of servers along with…

Chris Heller Heller — a multiple-time HousingWire Vanguard — has more than 30 years of experience in real estate brokerage, mortgage and technology. He has sold more than 4,000 homes, served as chief executive officer of Keller Williams Realty International, led LoanDepot’s mellohome business and was most recently president of OJO Labs — which was acquired by Lower Mortgage. He will continue advising Lower. PLACE co-founder Ben Kinney said Heller’s background aligns with the company’s growth plans. “Chris’s career uniquely bridges frontline production, enterprise leadership and consumer technology — experience directly aligned with PLACE’s next phase of growth,” Kinney said.…

Jenny Liu, former CEO of exclusive, celebrity-favorite gym Dogpound, said there were two reasons she wanted to start her own venture fund.  For one, she was surrounded by wellness founders at her local gym who loved testing new products and building community. Second, Liu also realized that many of these founders, especially women and minorities, were struggling to fund their ideas due to limited access to founder networks.  To bridge this gap, she launched Crush It Ventures, a wellness-focused early-stage fund. The firm hopes to back companies building across the wellness sector, including in mental health, fitness and sport, beauty,…

Key Takeaways Consumer prices rose 2.8% over the year in November, remaining well above the Federal Reserve’s goal of a 2% annual rate.The personal savings rate hit a three-year low in November, as inflation rose slightly faster than after-tax income.The report was delayed by a month by the government shutdown in October an November, and economists cautioned the shutdown may have skewed the data. Keeping up with the bills got harder for many households in November and October, as income failed to keep up with price increases according to a new government report.Prices as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures…