Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Your credit score is an important part of your financial profile. If your score is above average, you may be able to secure lower interest rates on loans and better terms on lines of credit. In September of 2024, the average credit score in the U.S. was around 715, per credit bureau Experian. States like Mississippi and Louisiana are on the lower end of the national average, around 680 to 690, while Minnesota and Wisconsin have the highest credit score averages at 742 and 738, respectively. Being aware of your credit score is an essential part of modern…

The end of the year is a crucial time for charitable giving. Whether you are giving cash, stock, or using your IRA to make a qualified charitable distribution, meeting specific year-end deadlines is essential.Donating to charities and nonprofits is more common during the holiday season. Half (51%) of U.S. adults report having donated or planning to donate money by the end of 2025, with a fifth of those donating exclusively in the final months of the year, according to Charities Aid Foundation America. For retirees, charitable giving is not merely an act of generosity — it is a sophisticated tax-management…

Key Takeaways The federal government plans to issue a one-time, tax-free $1,776 “Warrior Dividend” to roughly 1.45 million eligible service members this month. There is some uncertainty around how the benefit will be funded, with Trump citing both tariff revenue and the One Big Beautiful Bill. Select military members will be eligible to receive one-time checks worth $1,776 from the federal government this holiday season. On Wednesday evening, President Trump unveiled a $1,776 tax-free benefit, known as the ‘Warrior Dividend,’ for 1.45 million military service members. The benefit amount is intended to pay homage to the year the nation was…

Wavebreakmedia/envato Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. On paper, it seems rather obvious that the best way to optimize your retirement is to delay claiming Social Security for as long as possible. According to the Social Security Administration, taking your benefits as early as possible (age 62 for those born after 1960) could result in lower monthly payments. At age 67, you qualify for full benefits, but if you delay your claim until age 70, you could enjoy a 24% total boost to monthly benefits. At 70, your monthly benefit…

Gold is digesting the latest US inflation data with notable composure, as markets assess whether the recent bullish structure can withstand a modest upside surprise in consumer prices. The US rose to 3.1 percent year on year, slightly above the 3.0 percent consensus, but the reaction across and related assets has been measured rather than defensive.This response highlights a key shift in market focus. The attention is no longer on the headline number itself, but on whether inflation data meaningfully alters expectations around monetary policy, real yields and the dollar. So far, it has not.An additional element shaping this reaction…

The November 2025 Consumer Price Index of All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) report indicates that inflation increased by 0.2% over the last two months, down from 0.3% in September. These data were released at 8:30 am EST on December 18, 2025, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Before seasonal adjustment, the year-over-year (Y-o-Y) inflation rate in the all-items index grew by 2.7%, down from 3.0% in September. As a reminder, the October CPI report was cancelled due to the government shutdown, so there are no comparable figures on a MoM basis. Today’s results also missed economists’ consensus estimates. The table below…

The average premium for a new policy rose 8.5% from a year earlier, down from an 18% increase in 2024. Despite the slower pace of growth, premiums remain at record levels and now account for about 9% of the typical homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment. “Carriers are back to rate adequacy, technology is helping them assess risk more accurately, and calmer weather in the latter half of the year gave the market a chance to steady,” said Ben Madick, CEO and co-founder of Matic. “Even so, homeowners are still facing very high costs, and climate-related uncertainty will continue to drive pricing…

Pickle Robot, which builds autonomous unloading robots for warehouses and distribution centers, announced a new chief financial officer just days after a reports of a major deal with UPS. The Charlestown, Massachusetts-based company announced that it hired Jeff Evanson as its CFO on Thursday. Evanson had been consulting for the company since September and recently joined full time. Evanson previously served as the vice president of global investor relations and strategy at Tesla from 2011 to 2017. In that role, he worked directly with Elon Musk and helped the company raise debt and equity financing to support the launch of…

Key Takeaways Inflation has eased to 2.7%, but that’s still considered high. It will eat away at any savings that’s earning less than that rate. You can continue to earn well above today’s inflation rate with a top high-yield savings account, where rates range from 4.20% to 5%. To lock in your inflation protection, consider adding a top-paying CD, which guarantees its APY for months or years into the future. Why Today’s Inflation Is Making Your Savings Account Lose Value Today’s new Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 2.7% is an improvement from the previous reading, but the headline inflation number…

(BOE Report)– Japan Petroleum Exploration said on Thursday it will acquire Verdad Resources Intermediate Holdings LLC (VRIH), which owns tight oil and gas assets in the U.S. for $1.3 billion in its largest-ever deal. JAPEX will buy VRIH, which holds assets in Colorado and Wyoming, from Verdad Resources Feeder LLC using a mix of its own funds and debt. The transaction is expected to close by the end of February 2026. The Japanese energy firm has been seeking to become an operator of a U.S. oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) project as it now prioritises oil and gas…