Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)The first time an editor assigned me to a cruise, I sniffed. “I’m an adventurer! I don’t like to be told where to be and when, and least of all, with a bunch of strangers.” I was astonished to be proven wrong, and to learn what, in 2026, an estimated 21 million U.S. travelers already know.A cruise, especially a luxury one, is one of the most efficient, stress-free ways to see the world. I loved unpacking my bags only once, and delighted in the coffee bar 20 steps from my suite. Above all, I…

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) estimates that 45% of older adults lack the income to support their needs. (1) With the average cost of assisted living clocking in at $5,190 per month, (2) many seniors are in a bind — and relying on their families for support. Imagine David, 55, trying to navigate finding care for his father, Frank, 83. Though Frank was living independently until now, his health has been slipping in the last few months and his doctor says he’ll likely need specialty care — costing roughly $7,500 a month. On paper, Frank is in a solid…

A staff member prepares for the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and EU Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera during China-EU Sixth High Level Environment and Climate Dialogue (HECD) at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on July 14, 2025.Wang Zhao | Afp | Getty ImagesChina on Tuesday announced lower duties on pork imports and pig by-products from the European Union as it concluded a year-long anti-dumping investigation into European pork imports. The new tariff rates — ranging from 4.9% to 19.8% on dozens of European pork exporters — will start taking…

After 33 years, Bernardo Quintero decided it was time to find the person who changed his life — the anonymous programmer who created a computer virus that had infected his university decades earlier. The virus, called Virus Málaga, was mostly harmless. But the challenge of defeating it sparked Quintero’s passion for cybersecurity, eventually leading him to found VirusTotal, a startup that Google acquired in 2012. That acquisition brought Google’s flagship European cybersecurity center to Málaga, transforming the Spanish city into a tech hub. All because of a small malware program created by someone whose identity Quintero had never known. Moved…

A lakeside Rochester suburb tops the list, but the Bay Area is a close second.Irondequoit, NY, a suburb of Rochester, is the most competitive housing market in the U.S. Homes in the lakeside town typically sell in just 8.5 days and for well over their asking price. It’s followed by Sunnyvale, CA, Santa Clara, CA, Tonawanda Town, NY (a Buffalo suburb), and Mountain View, CA. Four of the top 10 most competitive cities were in California, three were in Western New York, and the rest were in the South and East Coast. Every city has less than a month of supply,…

(Investing)– Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday as investors assessed stronger-than-expected U.S. economic growth and the risk of disruptions to oil supply from Venezuela and Russia.  settled 31 cents, or 0.5%, higher at $62.38 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 37 cents, or 0.64%, at $58.38. Prices had risen by more than 2% on Monday, with Brent registering its biggest daily gain in two months and WTI climbing the most since November 14. The U.S. economy grew faster than expected, driven by robust consumer spending, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its initial estimate…

Broadcom’s (AVGO) Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer, Mark David Brazeal, recently sold 38,281 AVGO shares valued at $12.54 million, unloading stock in the $322.29 to $345.01 per share range. The timing of the sale is notable as it came amid growing investor skepticism about returns on massive AI infrastructure investments, even as Broadcom reported strong quarterly results that beat analyst expectations. The semiconductor giant’s stock has experienced unusual volatility despite posting impressive numbers. Broadcom delivered fourth-quarter earnings of $1.95 per share on revenue of $18.02 billion, both exceeding Wall Street forecasts. CEO Hock Tan projected AI chip sales would…

Front-month WTI crude CL=F trades around $58.35, marginally lower by 0.05%, while  BZ=F sits near $62.24, down about 0.22%. Murban trades close to $62.80, U.S. Louisiana Light is around $60.88 with a daily gain of 2.49%, Mars US changes hands near $70.06 with a 1.30% decline, and Bonny Light still commands a premium near $78.62. Refined products confirm a softer but important undercurrent, with gasoline near $1.747 per gallon and up modestly on the day, while U.S. natural gas weakens to about $4.242, down almost 3.8%. Since December 16, both WTI and Brent have recovered roughly 6% from levels described as almost five-year lows, but that bounce only brings WTI back to the high $50s and Brent to the low $60s, leaving both benchmarks deep in negative…

Qualifying homeowners would see school-related property tax valuations frozen at the year they turn 55, preventing future increases in that portion of their tax bill. Seniors already receive a partial exemption from school property taxes, which was recently increased from $10,000 to $60,000. Patrick said the proposal would save eligible Texans about $900 to $1,000 a year, or up to $10,000 between ages 55 and 65. Patrick also called for increasing homestead exemptions by another $40,000, which would raise the exemption to $180,000 for non-seniors and to $240,000 for Texans 55 and older. A homestead exemption reduces a home’s taxable…

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Welcome to ZDNET’s Best of 2025 awards, our annual ceremony of the year’s top-performing gadgets and gizmos, from 100-inch TVs to smart rings to AI chatbots that help you get more done.Over the last 12 months, our team has unboxed, benchmarked, dropped, submerged, and doom-scrolled on hundreds of devices. We have worn dozens of smart glasses in an attempt to understand the next frontier of mobile technology — while making face-worn geekery cool again. We have tested enough noise-canceling headphones to block out the sound of a jet engine (and, occasionally, our own…