Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Gulf Shores, Alabama may appeal to retirees looking to move to a spot on the Gulf Coast, to settle down in a beachside locale, and to spend their days doing recreational activities on the water, and eating, shopping, or playing golf.The city of under 16,000 offers many of the same benefits as much larger coastal communities in Florida, but is much quieter.Cost of living is lower in Gulf Shores than the national average, but retirees should be aware of housing costs and the quality of health care statewide. Located on the Gulf Coast just miles from the Florida…

Key Takeaways Despite a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, 39% of middle-class Americans fear Social Security benefits will be cut in the coming years, according to a recent report. Many retirees say the annual COLAs haven’t kept up with real-world costs, and polling shows broad skepticism that the raise is “enough.” Inflation, policy uncertainty, and longer life spans could steadily erode Social Security’s purchasing power Retirees now know the Social Security COLA for next year is 2.8% Payments reflecting the increase begin in January 2026, but the modest bump of $56 per month, on average, won’t likely quell deeper concerns…

With the future of Social Security feeling uncertain and the cost of living on the rise, many Americans are worried that they will live longer than their savings. “Running out of money is a real risk, and for most retirees, it doesn’t happen because of bad investments,” said Melissa Caro, certified financial planner (CFP) and founder of My Retirement Network. “It happens because of bad timing, inflexible spending, or poor planning around income streams.” Whether you’re already retired or looking toward the future, here are five strategies you can use to ensure you don’t outlive your savings in retirement. Spend…

Key Takeaways Platte City is just a few miles from Kansas City International Airport (MCI), which offers nonstop domestic flights and limited international service. The county’s median home value of $317,600 is well below the national average, making it an affordable option for retirees. Retirees can enjoy nearby wineries, antique shops, and museums, with easy access to larger events and cultural attractions in Kansas City. The area has a relatively low climate risk and experiences four full seasons, with hot summers and cold winters. While it might not be on your retirement radar yet, Platte City, Missouri, is a midwestern…

Key Takeaways Roomba robot vacuum maker iRobot announced a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on Sunday.A deal for Amazon to buy the company fell through last year. Shares of iRobot (IRBT) plummeted over 70% Monday morning after the Roomba robot vacuum maker announced a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on Sunday. The company said it plans to have one of its lenders and its primary contract manufacturer, a Chinese robotics firm called Picea, acquire 100% of its equity, with iRobot set to continue operating as a private company under Picea. CEO Gary Cohen said the Chapter 11 filing and acquisition by Picea…

Key in the Middle East have dropped to their weakest level against the Brent benchmark in two months, signaling oversupplied markets as output from both the Middle East and the Americas rises amid tepid demand.   The premium of Abu Dhabi’s flagship Murban grade over , the international benchmark, has narrowed in recent weeks and is now at its lowest level since early October, according to estimates by Bloomberg. In Dubai, the discount of the benchmark against Brent had grown to its widest in seven weeks. The Brent-Dubai EFS (Exchange of Futures for Swaps) indicates the spread between the light sweet…

Beazley’s fourth successful sponsorship of a 144A cyber catastrophe bond, the $300 million PoleStar Re Ltd. (Series 2026-1) issuance, which became the largest cyber cat bond to be issued so far, demonstrates evidence of the company’s ability to drive sustained growth within the cyber insurance-linked securities (ILS) space, CUO Paul Bantick said today.As we’ve been reporting, Beazley successfully priced its fourth 144A cyber catastrophe bond sponsorship last week, with the Polestar Re 2026-1 cat bond growing from its initial $200 million target of excess-of-loss cyber reinsurance protection, to secure the company with $300 million of reinsurance protection, This latest issuance…

The average U.S. buyer’s agent commission rose to 2.42% in the third quarter from 2.36% a year earlier. Commissions were virtually flat from the previous quarter. Commissions were largely flat across different price tiers from the previous quarter, with the average buyer’s commission for homes under $500,000 maintaining the highest level since 2023. The average U.S. buyer’s agent commission was 2.42% for homes sold in the third quarter, up from 2.36% a year earlier. Commissions were virtually flat from the second quarter (2.43%), leveling out after minor upticks in three consecutive quarters.    This is according to an analysis of…

Stock futures pointed sharply higher and gold neared its all-time record to begin the last full trading week of the year. Futures associated with the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average, benchmark S&P 500, and tech-heavy Nasdaq all were up roughly 0.5%. On Friday, the three major stock indexes fell as technology shares remained under pressure on AI bubble fears. The Nasdaq sank 1.7%; the S&P 500, which like the Dow set an all-time closing high Thursday, fell 1.1%; and the Dow set an intraday record high for a second straight session soon after markets opened but reversed course and ended down 0.5%. Shares of Oracle (ORCL), which…

If you’re approaching retirement but aren’t on track to have enough money saved, now might be a good time to try upping your 401(k) contributions. Of all age groups, those aged 55 to 64 were the most likely to have maxed out their 401(k)s in 2024, according to Vanguard data of roughly 4.8 million retirement plan participants. Of 55 to 64-year-olds, nearly one in five (19%) were maxing out their 401(k)s in 2024, when the limit was $23,000. The group least likely to max out their 401(k) plan was workers younger than 25, with only 3% of this cohort contributing…