Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)If you’re looking to retain an attorney, you might have heard: “Check their state bar’s website profile, because it will reveal anything negative.”That is bad advice.While it’s useful to look at a lawyer’s profile to confirm that they’re licensed to practice law, if there are complaints filed by dozens of clients over several years, you might never see them. Besides that, the absence of bad stuff on their profile is no assurance that you are dealing with an ethical attorney. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just…

Mar Vista Investment Partners, LLC, an investment management company, released its “Mar Vista U.S. Quality Premier Strategy” fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. US equities experienced strong momentum in 2025 and marked their third consecutive year of double-digit gains. The market witnessed one of the fastest recoveries following its dip into bear territory in April. Market leadership continued to narrow as mega-cap stocks and AI-driven companies dominated the landscape. Against this backdrop, The Mar Vista U.S. Quality Premier Strategy returned +1.80% net-of-fees gains in Q4 2025 vs. the Russell 1000® Index’s +2.41% return…

prices have extended their upward momentum at the start of the week, opening with a gap up in Asian trade and registering fresh lifetime highs ahead of the European session. Over the past two trading days, gold has consistently posted new record highs, reflecting strong bullish sentiment.In my recent articles, I shared practical trading insights aimed at helping intraday traders navigate the ongoing volatility in Gold and . Given current market conditions, I continue to believe that intraday trading remains the most effective and safest approach.Precious metals remain under strong upward pressure this week, with prices hitting new highs once…

The latest crisis of the weekend was the announced tariffs on selected European countries for their decision to base a tripwire force in Greenland. Since Canada was not initially in the tripwire force, we were spared.The most likely scenario appears to be that Trump is distracted by something else, and this trade war largely fizzles out — although last year’s trade deals may be victims. This appears to be a “I’m taking my ball and going home!” act by someone who is mad at an unexpected loss. However, everybody in Europe cottoned on to what the Canadian Liberals figured out…

President Donald Trump ‘s push into mortgage bonds is good news for investors holding the assets, according to fixed income strategists. Earlier this month, the president directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase up to $200 billion in agency mortgage-backed securities, claiming the move would bring down mortgage rates. Investors immediately reacted to the news, snapping up the securities. “You have more demand and that essentially moves up the price of your holding,” said Luis Alvarado, global fixed income strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. “It was definitely a positive.” In fact, spreads on agency mortgage-backed securities compressed by…

Meta’s Oversight Board is tackling a case focused on Meta’s ability to permanently disable user accounts. Permanent bans are a drastic action, locking people out of their profiles, memories, friend connections, and, in the case of creators and businesses, their ability to market and communicate with fans and customers. This is the first time in the organization’s five-year history as a policy advisor that permanent account bans have been a subject of the Oversight Board’s focus, the organization notes. The case being reviewed isn’t exactly one of an everyday user. Instead, the case involves a high-profile Instagram user who repeatedly…

Key Takeaways Older workers were the most likely to max out their 401(k)s, according to a recent report.Those who feel behind on saving can improve their outlook by increasing contributions, delaying Social Security, or working longer. If you’re approaching retirement but aren’t on track to have enough money saved, now might be a good time to try upping your 401(k) contributions. Of all age groups, those aged 55 to 64 were the most likely to have maxed out their 401(k)s in 2024, according to Vanguard data on about a million retirement plan participants. Among 55-to-64-year-olds, nearly one in five (19%)…

(BOE Report) – The ousting of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela may mark the beginning of a broader U.S. attempt to realign Latin America geoeconomically, limiting the ability of Russia and China to use the Western Hemisphere as a pressure point in global commodity markets. Central America could become the next domino to fall. The region is an attractive route for facilitating both licit and illicit commerce, given its proximity to major shipping lanes and checkpoints. This includes the Panama Canal, which handles about 40% of U.S. container traffic and approximately 5% of world trade, as well as the Caribbean Sea transit routes…

Key Takeaways Fed data shows retirees average almost $288,000 in net worth, boosted in recent years by significant gains in home values and investments.Retirees’ finances vary widely, with balances on mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards influencing outcomes as much as assets do.Protecting wealth in retirement often means earning strong yields, managing spending and debts, and perhaps earning a modest income to make your savings last longer. What Retirees’ Net Worth Looks Like Today The most recent data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances shows that retirees hold an average net worth of $287,900 as of 2022. (Updated…

As the housing market prices out more and more Americans, federal lawmakers are taking a closer look at manufactured housing as a more affordable supply-side alternative to a traditional stick-built home. Nevertheless, misconceptions about new manufactured housing communities — that they are dilapidated, ugly, or unsafe — continue to beleaguer a segment of the single-family, detached housing market that is currently home to 7.2 million U.S. households.  Legislators in both parties increasingly see manufactured homes as a crucial way to boost housing affordability. The Affordable HOMES Act, which the U.S. House of Representatives passed last week, is part of that…