Author: Money Mechanics

For a couple of years, I have been relentlessly defending my forward inflation forecasts against a sizeable group of people who looked at various high-frequency rent indicators and concluded that rents were going to be imminently in deflation. (For most of the last year many of those same people thought tariffs would be a large and immediate effect increasing inflation. Fortunately for them, being wrong on both counts, at least the errors offset somewhat.) This battle began in early 2023, shortly after the publication of new indices by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, supported by a paper entitled “Disentangling…

CHONGQING, CHINA – JANUARY 16: An elderly man walks along a street with high-rise residential buildings under construction in the background, where tower cranes and overhead power lines are visible on January 16, 2026, in Chongqing, China. Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesChina’s sharp investment downturn is amplifying credit risks across the economy, particularly homebuilders, real estate, banks and construction sectors, Fitch Ratings has warned, as a slowing economy crimps their growth and the ability to repay debt. Fixed-asset investment in China, or FAI, declined 3.8% in 2025 to 48.52 trillion yuan ($6.8 trillion) — the first…

Supersmario/iStock/Getty Images PlusFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysJust The Browser strips your browser of unwanted features.Just The Browser can be used with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.This tool is free to use and open-source.I do not want AI in my web browser. I just don’t. I also don’t want companies collecting information about me, or sponsored content and product integrations. All those bits make me want to pull my hair out.I like my privacy and want to browse, you know, the old-fashioned way.I do use AI (on occasion), but only locally-installed AI and only for…

Key Takeaways Home sellers outnumbered buyers by 47% in December, the widest gap in more than a decade of Redfin data.Both buyers and sellers retreated from the housing market as mortgage rates remained elevated and home prices edged higher.But in some places like Nassau County, N.Y. and Milwaukee, home sellers had an edge, the report showed. Buyers have more power in many U.S. housing markets, even as prices hold firm. There were 631,535 more home sellers than buyers in December, according to Redfin data, creating a staggering 47% gap. That’s the widest margin recorded since Redfin began tracking it in…

Key Takeaways Gold prices hit an all-time high of $4,888 per troy ounce on Wednesday before paring some of those gains. JPMorgan estimates that gold’s share of total central banks’ reserves rose to a new record at the end of last year. There’s nothing like a potential crisis to brighten the shine on gold. Spot gold prices rallied to fresh highs on Wednesday, coming within dollars of $4,900 per ounce and leading investors and media to wonder when we might touch $5,000 for the first time. While U.S. stocks shook off Tuesday’s scare as affairs involving U.S. President Donald Trump,…

Key Takeaways Low-cost side hustles built on existing skills can scale to six or seven figures without substantial startup capital. Reinvesting early profits rather than increasing personal spending accelerates long-term business growth and wealth building. Platform diversification, combining marketplace sales with content creation, creates multiple revenue streams and reduces income volatility. Jocelyn Elizabeth bought a $5 lamp at a church sale in 2011 that changed her financial future, turning a side gig into a lucrative career. What started as weekend thrifting trips while working part-time as a marketing administrator evolved into NikNax, an online resale marketplace generating over $5.2 million…

Key Takeaways A key measure of inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, likely rose 2.8% over the year in November, according to forecasts.The PCE inflation report was delayed by the government shutdown, so it’s not as relevant to the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions as it normally would be.Tariffs have pushed up prices for many items, putting upward pressure on inflation, but a cooling housing market has kept a lid on overall inflation. We’re finally about to learn how much consumer prices rose back in the fall, according to the Federal Reserve’s favorite measure of inflation.A report Thursday from…

Key Takeaways Buffett says many AI tools are harmful and there’s no way of undoing it, prompting him to compare the technology to nuclear weapons.He’s concerned about its realism, potential for misuse, and how difficult it is to control or predict it. Warren Buffett recently watched an AI-generated video of himself, and it was so realistic that it could fool members of his own family. The experience prompted him to compare the technology to nuclear weapons—powerful, irreversible, and impossible to control. “How do you put the genie back in the bottle?” Buffett said during a two-hour special on CNBC that…

Key Takeaways How long it takes to reach $1 million depends on how much you save and the return you earn—not the age you start.But starting earlier does mean you’ll reach $1 million at a younger age—or need to save less each month.Setting a clear goal makes the tradeoffs easier to see, whether that means saving more, starting sooner, or adjusting your timeline. Reaching $1 million is one of those financial goals that can feel aspirational, yet somehow out-of-reach. For some people, it’s a retirement benchmark. For others, it’s a symbol of financial independence. No matter your motivation, you likely…

KEY TAKEAWAYS An Arctic cold blast and winter storm forecast have boosted expectations for heating demand, sending natural gas prices sharply higher this week.The extended forecast predicts colder-than-normal weather through the end of January, and the U.S. isn’t alone.It typically takes at least a few months for price fluctuations in the natural gas market to affect retail prices. U.S. natural gas prices soared for a second straight day Wednesday as brutal Arctic cold bears down on much of the country. Fortunately for consumers, those higher prices won’t impact their heating bills right away. Futures contracts based on benchmark Henry Hub…