Author: Money Mechanics

Even before the holiday season began, the Bank of Japan held its final meeting of the year and, as expected, raised by 0.25%, taking them to their highest level in decades. Despite this rate hike, the Japanese yen initially weakened against the US dollar and stayed stuck in a sideways range. After the meeting minutes were released, the yen recovered some ground as markets picked up signals that more rate hikes could come, since real interest rates in Japan remain deeply negative. will stay the key factor to watch next year, as it has been running above the central bank’s…

Labor market weakness, uncertainty about inflation and political pressure will push the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates aggressively in the early part of 2026, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.Though markets and Fed officials themselves see only modest easing in the year ahead, Zandi expects the central bank to enact three cuts of a quarter percentage point each before midyear.”Behind the decision to ease monetary policy further will be the still flagging job market, particularly in the early part of 2026,” the economist wrote in his look at the year ahead published recently. “It will take…

Unless if you’re really in the know about nascent platforms, you probably didn’t know what Mastodon was until Elon Musk bought Twitter and renamed it X. In the initial aftermath of the acquisition, as users fretted over what direction Twitter would take, millions of users hopped over to Mastodon, a fellow microblogging site. As time went on, users would also try out Bluesky, or Instagram’s Threads app — but because Mastodon was founded in 2016, it had years to develop its own identity as more than just an alternate Twitter. What is Mastodon? Mastodon was founded in 2016 by German…

(World Oil)– Saipem has won two offshore Contract Release Purchase Orders (CRPO) in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing its position as a leading EPC contractor in the Kingdom. The contracts are worth approximately $600 million, and expand Saipem’s long-standing partnership with Aramco. The first work package (CRPO 162), spanning 32 months, covers engineering, procurement, construction and installation of roughly 34 km of pipeline—ranging from 20-inch to 30-inch diameter—along with topside modification work across the Berri and Abu Safah oil fields. The second contract (CRPO 165), with a 12-month duration, includes subsea intervention work at the Marjan field and EPC of 300 m of onshore…

Cost of Living Breakdown Santa Rosa State Average National Average Median monthly housing costs $516 $963 $1,338 Average monthly food $951 $1,244 $1,174 Average monthly taxes $957 $961 $1,156 Average monthly transportation costs $1,500 $1,532 $1,098 Average monthly healthcare costs $1,931 $1,743 $1,214 Taxes and Retirement Income Only a handful of states still tax Social Security benefits, but New Mexico is not necessarily one of them. The state has a high income threshold for exempting Social Security, so single filers can enjoy a high income (up to $100,000 per year as of 2025) without having to pay taxes on the…

Key Takeaways President Trump has promised major housing reforms. That could mean declaring a national housing emergency and the introduction of 50-year mortgages.Some reforms could also come from Congress, which is advancing bipartisan housing legislation. The housing market has been plagued by high costs and limited supply. Are reforms on the way? That’s what President Donald Trump promised in a Dec. 17 address. What precisely those reforms could entail remains uncertain, though Trump could use 2026 to move forward with proposals he’s touted since taking office.  “Mortgage payments will be coming down even further,” Trump said. “Early in the new…

Key Takeaways Astoria, Oregon is the first permanent U.S. settlement west of the Rockies. Astoria is about a half hour from the end point of the Lewis and Clark expedition, making it a historically rich area. The Astoria urban area is home to just under 16,000 people. Retirees may be drawn to the region’s beauty, rich history, and the ease of access to the outdoors. However, it is not the most affordable retirement destination. With a population around 16,000 people, the small coastal town of Astoria, Oregon at the mouth of the Columbia River has an outsized role in the…

Key Takeaways The percentage of employees in 2024 who took out a hardship withdrawal from their retirement account more than doubled compared to 2018.The costs of emergencies also continue to rise, from unexpected car repairs and hospital stays to an increased number and severity of natural disasters. It is becoming increasingly difficult for many Americans to accumulate sufficient savings, and many struggle to afford emergency expenses, especially as the costs for things like home repairs and hospital stays increase faster than inflation. Workers are having to find alternative ways to afford these unexpected costs, such as taking out loans or…

Key Takeaways The Grad PLUS program will be sunset starting in the 2026-2027 school year. At the same time, some graduate students will see the amount they can borrow at the federal level reduced.Before taking out loans, graduate students should explore grants and scholarships, as well as opportunities to work for their school and federal tax breaks. If those options are exhausted, state-based and private lenders provide alternative options to federal student loans. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, graduate students will no longer have access to a key federal loan program to help them pay for their education, and…

Introduction has entered a historic phase in capital markets, breaking out of a 45-year consolidation base. This analysis explores the technical setup, historical analogs, and implications for silver investors, including upside targets, correction risks, and potential blowoff scenarios.The Historic BreakoutSilver has just broken out of a 45-year-long base—the second greatest breakout in the history of capital markets. The price has closed near $72, with measured upside targets of $88 and $96. Strong support has formed around the $55 level. This multi-decade breakout resets normal technical parameters. Historically, breakouts of this magnitude do not produce significant corrections in their early phases.…