Author: Money Mechanics

Tuesdays can be a soft day for supreme money against inferior fiat… and today is Tuesday. The good news is that gold does often have an interesting tendency to rise aggressively after the release of the jobs report. What is likely the world’s most important chart. The never-ending meltdown of US government fiat against gold is one of a myriad of reasons for investors to create a solid gold accumulation plan. Pension regulators in Asia are realising what the citizens there have known for thousands of years; rather than ridiculed and stifled, gold needs to be accumulated and celebrated. In…

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, one of the finalists for the Federal Reserve chair job, showed support Tuesday for central bank independence.With President Donald Trump apparently in the final days of picking a successor to Jerome Powell at the Fed, Hassett declined in a CNBC interview to directly address his own candidacy but said forging consensus is an important part of the job.”The Federal Reserve’s independence is really, really important, and the voices of the other people at the [Federal Open Market Committee], they’re important, too,” he said. “So the way you’ve got to drive interest rate movements is…

A growing percentage of Americans believe they’ll need at least $1 million to retire comfortably, according to a new survey from Betterment, a robo-advisor and fintech company. In 2025, nearly half (48%) of workers reported that they’d need at least $1 million to retire, up from 37% the year prior. Yet for many Americans, achieving that milestone may be challenging. Only about half (54.3%) of households actually had retirement account assets, while just 4.6% of households had assets worth more than $1 million as of 2022, according to a Congressional Research Service analysis of the latest Survey of Consumer Finances. If…

Key Takeaways Tesla’s stock climbed to an all-time high Tuesday, setting its first record in a year, as investors buy into the electric vehicle maker’s plans for autonomous driving, robotics, and AI.Tesla launched a pilot of its robotaxi program in Austin earlier this year, and analysts say improvements to its self-driving software could allow the program to expand quickly. Tesla’s (TSLA) stock is powering up, notching its first record high in a year. The shares added about 3% Tuesday to finish near $490, their highest level since last December’s close at $479.86. The electric vehicle maker’s stock has been on…

Key Takeaways Large towns with 100,000+ residents can give retirees access to cultural attractions, health care, and recreation without many of the inconveniences seen in the biggest cities.Spanning the Midwest, New England, the Southwest, and the Rockies, our four favorite large towns offer affordability, a rich local culture, strong health care networks, and year-round recreation.Toledo, Ohio, may be best for retirees wanting both urban and green spaces, while Springfield, Massachusetts, is attractive to seniors who love to travel. Albuquerque, New Mexico, can be a good choice for older adults prioritizing access to health care, and Pueblo, Colorado, may be a favorite…

Key Takeaways SpaceX’s reported pursuit of a $1.5 trillion valuation in an IPO next year would add hundreds of billions of dollars to Elon Musk’s wealth. Between his recently approved pay package at Tesla, his existing shares of the auto-turned-robotics company, and his other private companies, Musk’s wealth would rival some countries’ annual economic output. Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, is well on his way to becoming a trillionaire. Musk’s private space exploration company, SpaceX could hand him that superlative as soon as next year—when it will reportedly list on public exchanges, targeting a market valuation of $1.5 trillion.…

Key Takeaways While artificial intelligence spending will likely boost the economy next year, the new technology could have farther reaching impacts on the economy, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said recently.AI could contribute to rising productivity, but the central banker also warned that job losses may be another result of the technology’s adoption.The benefits from technology spending on the economy are clear, Powell said, but officials are still waiting to see what kind of impacts AI will have on productivity and the labor market. Artificial intelligence will give the economy a lift in 2026, but it could also be coming…

Key Takeaways Kevin Hassett, the frontrunner to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, wants to bring inflation down to 1%.A 1% inflation rate would be the lowest since the Obama administration, other than the pandemic.Most forecasters do not expect inflation to get down below 2% for years. If you could turn back the clock on inflation, a good date to pick might be July 2016. That was the last time the Consumer Price Index rose by less than 1% over 12 months when there wasn’t a pandemic disrupting the global economy.Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council,…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Stocks were choppy Tuesday as market participants considered what the delayed November jobs report could mean for the Federal Reserve and interest rates in 2026. A higher-than-expected payroll number couldn’t offset concerns over a rising unemployment rate, though, with two of the three main indexes extending their recent losing streaks.Ahead of the open, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said nonfarm payrolls rose by 64,000 in November, beating economists’ estimate for 45,000 new jobs. The report also showed 105,000 job losses for October, while figures for August and September were revised down by a combined 33,000.More concerning…

Key Takeaways Parents often underestimate the full cost of college—especially non-tuition expenses—and that can put pressure on retirement savings.Protecting retirement comes first, and using 529 plans, the FAFSA, and modest borrowing can ease the pressure of paying for college.Periodic check-ins on your retirement contributions and college savings can help you stay on track toward both goals. How College Costs Can Squeeze Your Budget—and Your Retirement Plans College is more expensive than many parents anticipate. The average college cost for an undergraduate student in the 2024–25 school year was $30,837, according to a recent survey by private loan provider Sallie Mae.…