Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways For people in their 60s, retirement accounts typically hold more than $300,000 in stocks on average—but the median balance is closer to about $100,000.Taxable brokerage accounts vary widely, but industry data show engaged near-retirees often hold low- to mid-six-figure balances. As retirement nears, many wonder if their investment portfolios will provide the income they’ll need. For most Americans, the bulk of these investments is in qualified retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans and IRAs. Indeed, while more than 80% of Americans in their 60s are invested in retirement plans, only about 35% have brokerage accounts. That leaves us…

Actress Melissa George, who is 30 years old, is dressed as a 65-year-old to promote BP Financial Group’s Superannuation Scheme at Zeta Bar in the Hilton Hotel on October 30, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)WireImageAustralia is often cited as a model for U.S. retirement policy. And for good reason. The Retirement Savings for Americans Act (RSAA) would would move the United States closer to an ideal retirement system.Australia consistently earns high marks, particularly for system integrity, in a well-known global survey of pension systems, while the United States persistently receives C-level grades for adequacy, integrity, and sustainability.Australia’s…

Key Takeaways Warren Buffett has said, “It’s better to be approximately right than precisely wrong.”He means that investors often struggle because they prefer mathematical precision to sound judgment.The real challenge is maintaining simplicity and common sense amid complexity. Buffett has a talent for distilling important financial concepts down to one memorable sentence. For most retail investors, a crucial piece of advice is as follows: “It is better to be approximately right than precisely wrong.” There’s a subtle edge to it: the most common way investors make mistakes is not by having insufficient information, but by being seduced by precision—getting lost…

Key Takeaways Shares of Meta soared after it demonstrated AI investments are paying off in its advertising business, while Microsoft slumped as key indicators of AI-driven growth lagged expectations.Meta and Microsoft are both on track to dramatically increase their spending on AI infrastructure, which some experts say could exceed $700 billion this year. Investors appear to be over AI spending. They want to see AI earnings. Meta Platforms (META) stock soared Thursday after the social-media giant said revenue growth is accelerating thanks to its massive investments in artificial intelligence. Meta’s capital expenditures—what it spends on property and capital equipment, including…

We recently published 10 Big Names With Painful Declines. Pinterest Inc. (NYSE:PINS) was one of the worst performers on Tuesday. Pinterest fell by 9.61 percent on Tuesday to close at $23.41 apiece as investors took path from news that it would let go of 15 percent of its total workforce and slowly transition to artificial intelligence. In a regulatory filing, Pinterest Inc. (NYSE:PINS) said that its board of directors approved a global restructuring plan that would see the layoff of several workers as well as the reduction of office spaces. It said the initiative is expected to spend around $35…

Apple had a great Q1, though iPhone sales were the real standout. The company reports that its signature device had its best quarter ever, thanks partially to a surge of sales in regions like China and India. “iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment,” said CEO Tim Cook during the company’s earnings call Thursday. Apple’s earnings report shows the company sold $85 billion worth of iPhones during its first quarter, up from $69 billion in the same period last year. During the call’s Q&A portion, Cook revealed that China had seen…

(Oil and Gas 360) – Energy Advisors is providing continuing research as events unfold at Coterra Energy in response to pressure from activist Kimmeridge. Earlier in our report“ The Debate Begins” we looked what a merger between Coterra and Devon would look like. Imagine a Super Independent with 1.6 MMBoepd. Amazingly these volumes would exceed US volumes of Conoco Lower 48 (1.5 MMboepd), EOG (1.3 MMboepd), OXY US (1.2 MMboepd), Diamondback (0.9 MMboepd). And >50% would be in the Delaware Basin and setup a leader with room to execute further consolidation in the Delaware. Our latest is The Debate Continues which looks at…

Old‑School Networks, Modern Market Abuse The Bursa remisier manipulation case is a reminder that market abuse isn’t always high-tech or high-speed. Sometimes it comes from something much more old-school, like a human distribution network capable of coordinating retail accounts in a way that manufactures demand, shapes price action and creates the illusion of genuine market interest. January 2026 Capital Markets Regulatory Updates22 January 2026: The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) released its 2026 Business Plan outlining its commitment to strengthening Bermuda’s regulatory framework through technology‑driven innovation, enhanced transparency and governance, sustainability initiatives, prudent oversight of AI, global regulatory collaboration and improved industry readiness20…

KEY TAKEAWAY The IRS is moving away from paper refund checks this year, and is asking all taxpayers to include their direct deposit information on their 2025 tax returns.Taxpayers who don’t include their bank information or report it incorrectly will have their refunds held until they correct it.Taxpayers can still request a paper check, but that will delay their refund. The IRS is asking all taxpayers to include their bank account information on their 2025 tax returns. Failing to do so could delay any refund this year. Starting in the 2026 filing season, the IRS is transitioning away from paper…

Key Takeaways Tesla this week detailed how many active subscriptions to its “FSD” self-driving software product it has for the first time. The number is important to Tesla, but also CEO Elon Musk, whose pay is in part tied to whether the company can get it to 10 million from around 1 million at present. Is Tesla’s self-driving software selling? Investors can now see for themselves. The EVs-and-more company last night reported its latest financial results, sharing news that has the shares drooping on a down day for stocks. Tesla (TSLA) also shared a number of updates on changes to…