Author: Money Mechanics

As Federal Reserve expectations continue building momentum for 2026, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are emerging as among the most compelling beneficiaries of potential monetary policy easing. REITs often thrive in such environments due to their dependence on borrowing for growth and their appeal to income-focused investors drawn to their dividend yields. Among them, Realty Income (NYSE:), Prologis (NYSE:), and Digital Realty (NYSE:) stand out as compelling choices for those looking to capitalize on a favorable rate landscape. Here’s why these REITs are poised for success.1. Realty Income – The ‘Monthly Dividend Company’ Dividend Yield: 5.93% Annual Payout: $3.24 per…

Reinsurance broker Gallagher Re has unveiled a new specialised Captive Risk Transfer team within its Global Facultative practice, which is set to be led by Martin Hughes from Artex Risk Solutions as Executive Vice President, Captives, effective January 1, 2026.According to the broker, the new practice will provide tailored facultative and structured reinsurance solutions for single parent captives of all sizes and complexities. Leveraging the broker’s advanced analytics, Gallagher Re noted that the newly formed team will deliver deep expertise and insights necessary to enhance risk transfer strategies and drive growth opportunities across North American and international markets. As mentioned,…

House hunters are retreating amid high housing costs and a seasonal slowdown, leading prospective sellers to pull back, too.  U.S. pending home sales fell 5.8% from a year earlier during the four weeks ending December 14, the biggest decline since the start of 2025. On a metro level, pending sales declined in all but six of the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas, with the biggest drops in San Jose, CA (-35.1% year over year), Houston (-20.9%), and Oakland, CA (-17.6%). The typical U.S. home that does sell is taking 52 days to go under contract, about a week longer…

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Vertically positioning your monitor is an easy and effective way to enhance your workflow, as it enables you to view more content simultaneously, reducing the need to constantly scroll.Windows 11 allows users to rotate their screens through system settings, and third-party tools also enable display adjustments via keyboard shortcuts.This guide teaches you easy ways to rotate your monitor, plus gives suggests on recommended displays.Turning a computer monitor from a landscape position to a portrait position may seem odd at first. After all, a horizontal display allows…

We have said before that index funds rarely trade, which is mostly true. The obvious exception is when the index itself does a “reconstitution.” These are usually done to move the index back closer to their stated objective – whether that means including just large-cap companies, or new shares of float for each company, or even allocating companies to style indexes based on their latest financial data. Usually, indexes make additions, deletions and a number of other changes in their reconstitutions. When indexes change, index funds have to replicate the changes that the index makes at the same time, leading to sometimes very large trades.Most indexes do these reconstitutions at regular times during the year. One of those days is this Friday – when Nasdaq, FTSE, S&P and Russell all have scheduled some changes.Today, we focus on the Nasdaq-100 Index® (NDX), its changes tomorrow and throughout the years.This year’s annual NDX reconstitution has 12 changesThe Nasdaq-100 Index conducts an annual reconstitution in December. This includes large new…

Key Takeaways Nvidia’s Jensen Huang said back in June that he believes “everybody’s jobs will be changed” by artificial intelligence.During the same week in June, OpenAI’s Sam Altman said there could be “whole classes of jobs going away,” due to AI, but that he expects people to find new solutions to address the shift.The comments come amid concerns over the extent to which AI could disrupt the labor market. Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang said at an event in June that he believes “everybody’s jobs will be changed” by artificial intelligence. “Some jobs will be obsolete, but many jobs are…

Key Takeaways Technically, you can use home equity financing to pay off a home loan, but that’s often counterproductive.The only ways to access home equity are to sell your home or take out new financing, which comes at a cost. The nearly 50% rise in home values over the past six years—from $243,398 in November 2019 to $359,241 in November 2025—has helped many homeowners enjoy a surge in home equity. This additional value could potentially help you pay down debt or pay for repairs or renovations. However, it’s important to understand that home equity isn’t free money. For one Reddit…

Key Takeaways Hermitage, Johnstown, and Altoona are the top three Pennsylvania towns that made our list of the 50 best places to retire in the U.S. this year. When choosing a retirement destination, factors like cost of living, health care access, and lifestyle amenities play a crucial role. Pennsylvania doesn’t tax pensions, Social Security income, or retirement account withdrawals.  If you’re looking for a place to retire, consider Pennsylvania. It offers an attractive mix of urban and small-town living, affordability, access to quality health care, and proximity to major metros. Earlier this year, Investopedia compiled a list of 50 of the best…

(Image credit: Getty Images)If your phone is ready for an upgrade, but your wallet’s still exhausted from all that holiday shopping, Metro by T-Mobile has a free phone deal that could solve both of your problems. For a limited time, you can get up to four free Samsung Galaxy A16s with some of the most affordable mobile plans on the market right now.Plans eligible for the free phone deal start at just $40 per month with each additional line costing as little as $25. If you’re currently with a major provider like Verizon or T-Mobile, a free phone with such…

(Image credit: Getty Images)As 2025 winds down, many households find themselves pulled in many directions. Holiday gatherings, year-end work obligations and family commitments all compete for attention.In the midst of that chaos, financial to-dos often could slip to the bottom of the list.But the final stretch of the year can be one of the most meaningful windows for anyone looking to reset, refocus and shore up their finances before 2026 begins. 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…