Author: Money Mechanics

Netflix/Peacock/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.After a long day of work, there’s nothing better than watching some TV. But the big question remains: What do you watch? There’s no shortage of streaming services competing for your attention these days. Two of my personal favorites are Netflix and Peacock. Both have great content, but they approach entertainment differently.Also: You can still buy last year’s Sony Bravia OLED TV for $600 off – and I can’t recommend it enoughNetflix focuses more on blockbuster originals, while Peacock leans into live TV, offering stronger sports and news coverage. Let’s break down where…

It’s no secret that retirement tax rules can be tricky to master, especially since they often change significantly from how our income was taxed during our working years. And if older adults find retirement taxes confusing, younger workers — who are decades away from retiring — likely feel less prepared.A study by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) Institute, a financial research organization, and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC) recently highlighted this knowledge gap.The study revealed that Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2007) scored an average of just 29% on a “retirement fluency”…

AI has already affected how we learn, work and govern ourselves much faster than research, regulation or nonprofits can keep pace.While businesses and governments scramble to respond, philanthropists hold a distinct and underutilized advantage: The flexibility to fund what others won’t, invest where we still need evidence and work across sectors without commercial pressure.Here is how to leverage your advantages as a donor. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit…

Among affluent investors, few words are more powerful than “exclusive.”The appeal is not simply the exclusive investment itself, but the feeling that comes with access to something unavailable to most people.That emotional pull is understandable. Scarcity creates perceived value in nearly every area of life, and investing is no exception. But investors should recognize that exclusivity itself can carry costs — what some advisers think of as an “exclusivity premium.” From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE…

As shoppers continue searching for ways to stretch their grocery budgets, warehouse clubs and discount grocers are expanding across the country. Retailers including Costco, Aldi and Trader Joe’s are adding new locations in 2026, bringing lower-cost shopping options to more communities as consumers remain focused on value.Costco alone plans to open 26 new warehouses this year, including 10 in the second half of 2026. Aldi has announced plans to open more than 180 stores, while Trader Joe’s continues its nationwide expansion after opening four new locations in April.For shoppers, the expansion could mean more than just a shorter drive to…

We’ve all seen and heard ads for assisted living facilities in newspapers and online and on the radio and television.But until a family member has a stroke or some other physical or cognitive impairment, most of us don’t know very much about how assisted living, senior living or memory care facilities work. Or, to be specific, how they are supposed to work and what red flags look like.I sure didn’t either, until “Julie,” a close family friend, became the victim of medical malpractice. Following a “simple” operation, the 62-year-old retired teacher’s electrolyte chemistry wasn’t properly monitored, resulting in dangerously low…

Accumulating a large balance in a traditional retirement account is a great thing in theory — until the reality of required minimum distributions (RMDs) sets in. Suddenly, the freedom that comes with having a gigantic nest egg becomes a potential tax liability that could come with hidden consequences, like Medicare IRMAAs that drive your costs up substantially.Let’s take the example of a 63-year-old couple living in New York State (in a suburb of NYC) who are sitting on $4.2 million. They want to convert a good chunk of that sum to a Roth IRA. From there, they’ll enjoy tax-deferred growth…

You’ve built a retirement nest egg and are ready to retire.Congratulations! You’ve done the hard work. But now it’s time for the nitty-gritty details that can make a major difference in how much of your retirement income you actually get to spend on yourself … and how much you have to share with Uncle Sam.Most retirement planning conversations focus on what to invest in — or asset allocation. Far fewer address something equally important: where to hold those investments, or asset location. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88…

Gold remains under pressure as a strong US dollar and hawkish Fed expectations weigh on prices. Central bank speeches and US payrolls data could determine gold’s near-term direction. The technical outlook stays bearish unless prices reclaim key resistance above $4,100. has slipped back below the symbolic $4,000-an-ounce level this week, touching around $3,960 on Tuesday morning, its lowest level in eight months. The decline has been driven largely by expectations that US monetary policy could remain tighter for longer. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s hawkish tone has strengthened expectations of a rate hike before year-end, supporting the US dollar while…

Stone Ridge Asset Management has grown assets under management across its mutual catastrophe bond, insurance-linked securities and reinsurance fund strategies by more than 8% in the last quarter of record, with additional AUM growth in the following weeks taking them to around $7 billion, a new all-time high.The New York based alternative risk premia focused investment manager has now expanded its insurance-linked securities (ILS) assets under management across its two main dedicated mutual cat bond and ILS fund strategies, as well as its diversified alternatives fund, by an impressive almost 29% in the last year of record, adding $1.5 billion…