Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)Most people have at least a little familiarity with annuities, which are attracting more attention.Sales set a record for the first half of the year: $223.0 billion in total, up 3% from the same period last year and a record, according to LIMRA, an industry research group.More people are concluding annuities are right for them. That doesn’t mean an annuity is right for you. Different types of annuities do very different things. One type might fit your needs precisely, while another might not at all. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Retirees have long expressed their frustration that a portion of the Social Security benefits they’ve spent a lifetime earning could be subject to federal income taxes. And for years, those concerns have sparked debate across the political spectrum.During his 2024 campaign, President Trump proposed exempting Social Security from federal income tax. And in recent months, lawmakers in Congress (both Republicans and Democrats) introduced legislation with that same goal in mind.So far, however, the tax on benefits — which is based on a person’s filing status and income — remains in place. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger…

Key Takeaways Morgan Stanley sees the S&P 500 hitting 7800 by the end of next year and is bullish on this year’s sector laggards.One reason it sees strength ahead: a setup that should support at least two more rate cuts next year. A nice surprise in U.S. labor market data could be the gift that keeps giving next year. Michael Wilson, Morgan Stanley’s chief investment officer and chief U.S. equity strategist, in wondering why the market has behaved the way it has—the S&P 500 has had a strong year by any standard—has landed on a possible answer: April marked the…

Key Takeaways President Trump said Nvidia will be allowed to sell its H200 AI chips in China, with a 25% cut of sales going to the U.S. government.The move comes just months after a less advanced chip was approved in a 15% revenue-sharing deal. Nvidia could be set to sell more of its advanced chips to China, with some conditions. President Trump posted on Truth Social Monday that Nvidia (NVDA) will be allowed to sell its H200 AI chips to “approved customers” in China, in exchange for a 25% cut of revenues going to the U.S. government. “The Department of…

Meta Platforms may purchase Alphabet’s TPUs. Nvidia still owns the majority of the data center computing market. Nvidia’s 2026 growth rate is expected to be far greater than Alphabet’s. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) was the gold standard of AI investing up until a few weeks ago. Now, that notion is being challenged by an unlikely source: Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Alphabet isn’t what investors think of when they think about AI computing hardware, but recent developments may be pushing Alphabet in that direction. Furthermore, Alphabet has other AI endeavors that could push…

climbed for months and touched a record high of $4,398 per ounce on October 20. It then saw a quick drop to $3,890 on October 28. The metal picked up again through November with a gain of 6.4%. The first days of December showed some hesitation, though the broader trend still moves upward. The meets tomorrow evening, and a rate cut looks very likely. The Investing.com rate barometer shows a probability above 80 percent that the FOMC will move in this direction, and many expect more easing through 2026. This supports gold. A Fed rate cut usually weakens the US…

Jim Cramer has said Home Depot is the best way to play lower interest rates, and Tuesday’s trading in the stock shows us why. To Jim’s surprise, shares of the home improvement retailer ran as high as $356 each in the morning, despite management releasing disappointing guidance for the company’s full-year fiscal 2026. Home Depot “should be down big,” Jim said on Tuesday’s Morning Meeting as shares were up modestly. If the Federal Reserve were not expected to cut rates on Wednesday afternoon, an outlook like this would be sold heavily, he explained. The stock did turn lower by more than…

Kerry Wan/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Your Android device retains your Google searches, enabling various sites and services to use that data to personalize ads and other types of recommendations. For some of us, that level of personalization makes using the platform easier. However, in this modern era, with companies leveraging such information to create a highly personalized picture of you and your web usage, one could consider this practice an invasion of privacy. This can be especially problematic if you accidentally search for the wrong thing, only to be inundated with ads that fall under the category of,…

(World Oil) –  ExxonMobil has raised its corporate outlook through 2030, increasing expected earnings and cash flow growth without raising capital spending, driven by stronger upstream performance, lower operating costs and continued gains from advantaged assets. . The supermajor now expects $25 billion in earnings growth and $35 billion in cash flow growth by 2030, up $5 billion for each metric versus its prior plan, based on constant prices and margins. Return on capital employed is projected to exceed 17%, supported by structural cost savings that have been expanded to $20 billion versus 2019 levels. Upstream operations account for a significant…

Key Takeaways Pepsi is lowering the prices of some snacks as part of a new strategy hashed out with activist investor group Elliott Investment Management.The soda and snack giant is one of several food manufacturers and merchants talking about rolling back prices. Shoppers are turning up their noses at pricier provisions. That pushback is prompting some major players to regroup. PepsiCo (PEP) is the latest food and staples seller to announce price cuts. Sales improved where the New York-based company tested lower price points with retailers, who gave its snacks more shelf space, CEO Ramon Laguarta said on a conference…