Author: Money Mechanics

(Oil Price) – The acquisition of ChampionX helped the world’s biggest oilfield services provider, SLB (NYSE: SLB), raise its North America revenue by 15% in the fourth quarter versus Q3 despite the softer market in the U.S. shale industry. SLB, which completed the acquisition of chemicals and engineering oilfield services provider ChampionX in the third quarter, saw its North America revenue surge by 26% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, the company said in its Q4 results release on Friday. SLB reported $0.78 earnings per share for the fourth quarter, up by 13% sequentially, but down 15% year on year. The EPS beat the…

Key Takeaways Leaving your 401(k) with your former employer keeps funds invested and growing tax deferred, but you can’t make new contributions.Rolling over the funds to an IRA gives you more investment choices, lower fees, and greater control over your savings.Transferring the funds to a new employer’s 401(k) can maximize employer matches and consolidate accounts, but new plans may have limited options or higher fees. When you leave a job, it’s important to decide what to do with your 401(k), because each option affects your taxes, fees, and long-term savings. One Reddit user shared their experience when changing jobs: “My…

Key Takeaways Despite new-car loan rates falling to a three-year low, the average monthly payment climbed to a record $781 in December.Higher payments reflect higher car prices and bigger loan balances—offsetting any gains from the modest rate decline.Used-car payments are also rising, but they remain lower than new-car payments, making a used vehicle a smart money-saving option. Car Loan Rates Are at a 3-Year Low After Months of Declines According to Edmunds, a car shopping and research site, average car loan rates have fallen 0.5 percentage points since September—sinking to their lowest level since October 2022. While that seems like…

Welcome to Kiplinger’s My First $1 Million series, in which we hear from people who have made $1 million. They’re sharing how they did it and what they’re doing with it. This time, we get some amazing details from a single 55-year-old risk management consultant in Marlborough, Mass. He’s originally from Butler County, Ohio. See our earlier profiles, including a writer in New England, a literacy interventionist in Colorado, a semiretired entrepreneur in Nashville and an events industry CEO in Northern New Jersey. (See all of the profiles here.) From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter,…

Question: My wife and I retired last year and moved to a 55+ community. She loves being social, but I miss our neighbors and feel it was a bad choice. What can I do to safeguard our finances and manage my regret?Answer: There’s a reason so many older Americans are drawn to 55+ communities. These communities commonly offer amenities that range from on-site swimming pools to tennis courts to dining facilities. And just as importantly, they give residents a chance to socialize with people of a similar age.By the time you’re ready to move to a 55+ community, you may…

For many homeowners, the idea that an insurance company might quietly fly a drone, or pull satellite images, over their house feels unsettling. Not because they’re hiding something, but because home insurance has traditionally involved human judgment: an adjuster on the ground, a phone call, a chance to explain.Now, more insurers are using aerial imagery to evaluate homes for underwriting, renewals and claims decisions. In some cases, policyholders say those images led directly to higher premiums or outright nonrenewal without warning.That push and pull between speed and privacy feels especially real in California right now, where the insurance market is…

(Image credit: Getty Images)There’s more to the Mairs & Power Growth Fund (MPGFX) than its name implies. The managers favor firms with above-average earnings growth. But a durable, competitive position in their market — “a number-one or number-two position and gaining share,” says comanager Andrew Adams — and a reasonable stock price matter even more.That valuation focus has been a handicap recently, as pricey stocks in companies with little in the way of profits have led the market. Over the past 12 months, Mairs & Power Growth, a member of the Kiplinger 25, our favorite no-load mutual funds, has returned…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Since the April 2025 market low, small-capitalization stocks have kept pace with, and at times even outpaced, shares in large companies. Many strategists expect the rally in small-cap stocks to continue.After a two-year profit downturn, earnings growth at small firms is turning up, says Francis Gannon, co-chief investment officer at small-cap specialist Royce Investment Partners. Lower interest rates, deregulation, and strong activity in mergers and acquisitions and in initial public offerings (IPOs) have been a boon.Even the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax bill, could help small-cap earnings this year, thanks to certain…

To help you understand the trends surrounding AI and other new technologies and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe.) You’ll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…For years, humanoid robot demonstrations have dazzled, featuring robots that can run, dance and even flip. Now, leading companies want to move from viral online clips…

KEY TAKEAWAYS About 6.4 million federal student loan borrowers are ages 50 to 61, with the average student loan debt in this group at $48,203.That is the highest average balance out of all other age groups. Generation X is caught in a financial squeeze. Borrowers aged 50 to 61 carry an average student loan balance of $48,203—more than any other age group—even as many Gen Xers also support aging parents and help their own children pay for college. About 6.4 million federal borrowers fall into this age range, holding a combined $308.5 billion in outstanding student loan debt, according to…