Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Money market funds have been the most popular investment of the last couple years with total assets in them reaching a record $7.8 trillion as of early January. As inflation becomes less of an issue for the Federal Reserve, yields can move lower, Manulife John Hancock’s Roland said. Money market funds might offer less bang for your buck this year. Emily Roland, Manulife John Hancock Investment Management’s co-chief investment strategist, in a Monday interview with CNBC advised investors to “lock those yields in,” with the firm forecasting money market accounts’ returns to decline over the course of the…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Stocks opened lower Monday as news that the Department of Justice is investigating Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell shook market sentiment. However, the main equity indexes found their footing by lunchtime as participants turned their attention to this week’s key inflation data and the start of fourth-quarter earnings season.Late Friday, the Fed was issued subpoenas that threaten criminal indictment for Chair Powell over his testimony to the Senate Banking Committee last summer regarding renovations to the central bank’s buildings.In what is being called an “extraordinary” step, Powell released a video statement on Sunday night that calls the…

Key Takeaways Bank stocks fell Monday after President Donald Trump said over the weekend that credit card interest rates should be capped at 10% for at least a year.How a cap would be put in place and why for only a year remains unclear. A number of banking and financial stocks slumped Monday after President Donald Trump over the weekend suggested capping credit card interest rates. Trump posted on social media late Friday that Americans are being “ripped off” by interest rates of 20% to 30%, and said that effective Jan. 20 he would be calling for a one-year cap…

Key Takeaways Housing costs in 99% of U.S. counties remain above their historical averages, according to a report from real estate data firm ATTOM.San Francisco is a rare exception: Despite a $1.4 million median home price, the city is now more affordable, historically speaking, because local wages have risen faster than housing costs.Nationally, 86% of counties saw affordability improve in the fourth quarter of 2025 over the previous quarter, a sign that the market may be stabilizing. Is the housing market on the verge of a turnaround? Data from one of the country’s most expensive markets suggest the affordability crisis…

Gold (GC=F) futures opened at $4,529.10 per troy ounce on Monday, up 0.6% from Friday’s closing price of $4,500.90. The price of gold rose above $4,600, a record high, after the open. Gold surged to a new high after Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced the Justice Department had subpoenaed the central bank and threatened criminal charges. The move stems from Powell’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on renovations to the Fed’s office building. U.S. President Trump denied involvement in the investigation. Public tensions between Trump and Powell erupted in 2025 as the president openly pressured the Fed chair to…

Silver opens the week with strong momentum, driven by several forces acting at the same time. Safe haven demand is rising amid geopolitical tensions, the macro backdrop is reinforcing expectations of lower US interest rates, and supply remains tight against solid industrial demand. Because silver sits at the intersection of precious and industrial metals, it tends to respond faster than most assets when market risk sentiment shifts.1. Interest Rates, US Dollar, and Risk Perception Are Moving in the Same DirectionLast week’s US December added to signs that the labor market is cooling. Non-agricultural employment rose by just 50,000, while the…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. January 12, 2026 Agencies issue 2025 Shared National Credit Program report Federal Reserve Board Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of the Comptroller of the Currency For release at 3:00 p.m. EST Federal bank regulatory agencies today released the 2025 Shared National Credit (SNC) report that indicates credit risk associated with large, syndicated bank loans remains moderate. Credit risk trends continue to reflect the effects of borrowers’ ability to manage higher interest expenses…

Goldman Sachs sees big opportunities in two real estate stocks that it says will benefit from the booming senior population. On Friday, the firm initiated coverage of Ventas, whose portfolio includes senior housing communities, skilled nursing facilities and medical office buildings, with a buy rating and $94 price target. That target implies 25% upside from Thursday’s close. Ventas currently has a 2.56% dividend yield. It also initiated coverage on Omega Healthcare Investors , which focuses largely on skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, with a buy rating. Its price target of $54 suggests nearly 21% upside ahead. Omega Healthcare…

Key Takeaways Apple plans to use Google’s Gemini to power future Apple Intelligence features, the companies said Monday. The new features are set to include an AI-enhanced Siri due later this year. Could a new deal with Google help Apple sell investors on its AI Vision? The iPhone maker plans to use Google’s Gemini to power future Apple Intelligence features, including an AI-enhanced Siri coming later this year, the companies said Monday, ending months of speculation about a tie-up.  Shares of Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) climbed 1% to an all-time high following the news, pushing its end-of-day market capitalization above the…

(World Oil) – President Donald Trump signaled he’s leaning toward excluding ExxonMobil from his push for U.S. oil majors to rebuild Venezuela’s petroleum industry, saying he was displeased with the company’s response to his initiative. “I’d probably be inclined to keep Exxon out,” Trump told reporters late Sunday aboard the presidential plane on the way back to Washington from his Florida estate. “I didn’t like their response. They’re playing too cute.” Trump appeared to be referring to a White House meeting on Friday with almost 20 oil industry executives, where ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods expressed some of the strongest reservations and described…