Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Gen Z workers have an average 401(k) balance of $13,500, with a 7.2% employee contribution rate that climbs to 10.9% when employer matches are included. Gen Z started working with financial advisors at an average age of 23, earlier than any previous generation. Despite having the smallest balances, 63% of Gen Z workers say they’re confident they’ll be financially prepared for retirement—higher than any other generation. It’s perhaps a timeless pattern that older generations depict the young as reckless with money, less eager to work, and maybe even a worrisome sign of the future. Any such stereotypes need…

(Image credit: Getty Images)On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced tariff rates roughly two times what analysts had expected and roughly 10 times the effective rate of 2%.The S&P 500 fell by more than 10% in the week following the announcement and almost 20% from peak to trough.Headline inflation remains well above the Fed target of 2%, so it is nearly impossible to find a group of people who aren’t complaining about grocery prices. Despite all of this, the S&P 500 finished 2025 up 16%. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor.…

Key Takeaways Longview’s monthly housing costs are less than half the national average ($1,028 versus $2,120 nationwide).The city boasts rich cultural and historical attractions, such as the Longview Museum of Fine Arts.Longview offers abundant outdoor and recreational activities with nearby lakes and parks.Gregg County, where Longview is located, is home to 10 hospitals and 330 health care establishments.  While some retirees envision settling along the coastline, others are looking for an alternative to crowded beaches. If you’d still like to enjoy a warm summer, mild winter, and sunny skies, it might be time to consider other up-and-coming retirement destinations along…

Sun Country Airlines Stock Pops After Allegiant Buys Fellow Budget Carrier 7 minutes ago Investors see sunshine for Sun Country Airlines Holdings (SNCY) stock. Sun Country shares soared 13% in premarket trading Monday, a day after the airline agreed to combine with fellow ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) to “create a leading leisure-focused U.S. airline.” Las Vegas-based Allegiant will acquire Minneapolis-based Sun Country for $1.5 billion in cash and stock, including $400 million of net debt. Allegiant stock reversed earlier gains and were down 3% before the bell. Upon closing, which is expected in the second half of 2026,…

Question: I’m 68, retired, and loved spending the holidays with my grandkids. Now that everyone’s back to real life, I’m getting more depressed by the day. How can I change my outlook?Answer: For working folks and retirees alike, the holidays are often a highlight of the year. There’s festive music on the radio, neighborhood homes are adorned with lights, and the mood is generally elevated.You might especially enjoy the holidays if it means spending a meaningful amount of time with your grandchildren. But if that’s the case, those first few post-holiday weeks can be a big letdown. This especially holds…

UPS shares have surrendered nearly a third of their value over the past five years. Revenue growth has failed to top 3% in any of the past four years, but analysts see the bottom line growing again in 2026. If it can keep its streak of annual dividend increases as well as its turnaround strategy going, UPS can beat the market in the next five years. 10 stocks we like better than United Parcel Service › The past five years have been challenging for United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) investors. Shares of the package delivery giant have plummeted 32% in…

Selling a business in California can be a huge win, but it’s rarely “simple.” Buyers love strong CA markets and premium customer bases, yet they also expect serious documentation, tight compliance, and clean operations. The biggest California deal-killers are usually predictable: messy books, payroll/tax surprises, lease issues, and state-specific clearance items that get discovered too late. Want a realistic sale price range before you talk to buyers? A clean valuation framework helps you price correctly, defend your numbers during diligence, and avoid “discounting” when buyers start probing add-backs, margins, or owner dependence. Get a Free Business Valuation Disclosure: This page…

After five years of building an edtech company, Nathan Nwachuku, 22, realized that Africa was at a crossroads. The continent is undergoing rapid industrialization, he told TechCrunch. There is money, opportunity, and a young, driven population. He figured, soon enough, the continent was on the “edge of an industrial revolution.”  “At the same time,” he said, he felt the continent still struggled to address what was one of its biggest Achilles heels. “Terrorism and insecurity.” Africa has more terror-related deaths than any region in the world, and it is this problem that could slow down — or even stop completely…

(Investing) – WASHINGTON/SINGAPORE – The U.S. has seized the Olina tanker in the Caribbean, the fifth vessel targeted in recent weeks as Washington steps up efforts to curb Venezuelan oil exports, U.S. officials said on Friday.   The Olina, which according to public shipping database Equasis was falsely flying the flag of Timor Leste, previously sailed from Venezuela and had returned to the region, said an industry source with direct knowledge of the matter. In a pre-dawn move, marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, launched from the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, apprehended the Olina in the Caribbean…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. Accessible Keys for Video [Space Bar] toggles play/pause; [Right/Left Arrows] seeks the video forwards and back (5 sec ); [Up/Down Arrows] increase/decrease volume; [M] toggles mute on/off; [F] toggles fullscreen on/off (Except IE 11); The [Tab] key may be used in combination with the [Enter/Return] key to navigate and activate control buttons, such as caption on/off. Good evening. On Friday, the Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas, threatening a criminal…