Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Omak, Washington offers retirees a cost of living that’s lower than the national average, including its housing and food costs.There are dozens of health care establishments in the county, including multiple hospitals, helping retirees get quality medical care without too much travel.Omak’s proximity to rivers, lakes, and national forests makes it an ideal retirement destination for those who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.Despite its size, Omak offers plenty of entertainment and community events, helping to foster an active and engaged retirement. The small town of Omak, Washington made our 2025 list of the best places for retirees. It’s made…

KEY TAKEAWAYS A new deduction created under the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ will allow senior taxpayers to subtract between $6,000 and $12,000 from their 2025 taxable income, lowering their overall tax burden.Taxpayers must be 65 years or older, and single taxpayers must have an income of less than $175,000, while married couples must have an income of less than $250,000, to be eligible for the deduction. A new tax deduction could lower your tax bill this year. Here’s what you need to know about it. The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ passed in July 2025, created a new deduction for taxpayers…

Key Takeaways The federal government shutdown froze economic data releases, and agencies are still working to catch up. While a handful of reports have been rescheduled, some have also been consolidated or canceled. The government shutdown ended in November, but statistical agencies are working to catch up on economic releases they missed. After being closed for 43 days, the federal bureaus that track inflation, employment, and economic growth are behind schedule on several reports, but they are beginning to catch up. Why This Matters Delayed economic reports can blur the outlook for inflation, jobs, and growth, complicating decisions for investors, businesses,…

Key Takeaways Alphabet overtook Apple as America’s second most-valuable company on Wednesday, and shares continued to rise Thursday, putting the Google-parent’s market capitalization just shy of $4 trillion.Alphabet stock soared 65% in 2025 as it won over skeptics with its Gemini 3 AI model, showed the value of its custom AI chips, and strengthened its core advertising business. Google-parent Alphabet’s stock is showing no signs of slowing down after a strong finish to 2025. Alphabet (GOOG)(GOOGL) stock was up about 1% in afternoon trading Thursday, bringing it within a hair of becoming just the fourth company to ever boast a…

Key Takeaways Apple Card and Apple Savings balances, rewards, and account history will carry over when JPMorgan takes over as the credit card issuer.Apple Savings customers will be able to choose between a new JPMorgan savings account or their existing Goldman Sachs savings account. If you have an Apple Card—or the Apple Savings account tied to it—your account will be moving to a new bank. Here’s what you need to know. Apple (AAPL) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) on Wednesday announced a deal that will make Chase the issuer of the Apple Card, replacing Goldman Sachs. The transition is expected to…

KEY TAKEAWAYS More than 7 million borrowers currently in forbearance under the Saving for a Valuable Education program will soon have to transition to another repayment plan and resume payments for the first time in years.Because these borrowers’ monthly payments will increase, and several major changes have been made to student loan policies, many SAVE borrowers will struggle to resume payments.That could add to the millions of people already in default or delinquency. Millions of federal student loan borrowers are currently in default or are delinquent on their debt, and this number is likely to increase as millions will have…

(Image credit: Getty Images)It was a mixed session for stocks on Thursday, with market participants reducing exposure to tech names and boosting bets on cyclical plays. The main indexes failed to make any major moves, though, as caution took hold ahead of a key jobs report and the start of fourth-quarter earnings season.Technology was the worst-performing S&P 500 sector today, shedding 1.6% as several Magnificent 7 stocks slumped. Most notable was Nvidia’s (NVDA) 2.2% drop, which came after Stifel analyst Ruben Roy said following an investor meeting with the chipmaker’s chief financial officer, Colette Kress, that the company is “still…

Key Takeaways Stock analysts are eyeing potential beneficiaries of the Supreme Court potentially repealing Trump’s tariffs, but the range of possible outcomes make trade certainty look elusive.Whatever the court decides, the Trump administration has alternative ways to replace or reimpose tariffs that are repealed, fully or partially. The Supreme Court may soon rule on President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, which could shake up markets and individual stocks—but while experts have ideas about what assets might be move, the menu of possible outcomes remains complex. Put another way, we might get some long-awaited news. But trading might not be as simple…

Key Takeaways U.S. sanctions still block most direct investments in Venezuela.No Venezuela companies trade as ADRs on American exchanges, and there are no Venezuela-focused ETFs.The most practical way to invest in the country’s recovery is through shares in oil majors such as Chevron and other companies that would be involved in reconstruction. When U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, 2026, some on Wall Street immediately wanted to know if the world’s largest oil reserves were now open for business.  Venezuelan bonds, as well as shares in Chevron (CVX), ExxonMobil (XOM) and ConocoPhillips (COP), jumped on…

Key Takeaways Just 57% of Americans in their mid-50s to mid-60s have a retirement account, a participation rate that is near a 30-year low.Among households with at least one retirement account, the median balance for this age group was $185,000.Retirement readiness varies widely at this stage, shaped by housing wealth, access to workplace plans, and exposure to market swings. How Many Americans Ages 55–64 Have Any Retirement Savings at All The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances shows that 57% of households headed by someone ages 55–64 had money in retirement-specific accounts in 2022, the most recent year for which…