Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Gaming and social media hubs are taking steps to identify young users and limit their access to mature content or ability to interact with adults.Privacy advocates have raised concerns about age verification tools, while platforms say they’re mindful of such issues. Earlier this week, Roblox began requiring an age-verification process for users to keep chatting with each other. The move made the gaming hub the latest tech platform to retool its approach to keeping young users safe. Meta (META) is now shielding teens from PG-13-esque Instagram content, while OpenAI is altering how ChatGPT interacts with minors, the companies…

Selling a business in Illinois can be a huge win if you plan around the realities of this state: high buyer sophistication (especially in Chicagoland), heavy due diligence, and lots of “small” compliance details that can stall a deal late in the process. This guide walks you through the Illinois-specific steps, timelines, local resources, and common mistakes so you can sell faster and keep more of what you earn. Want a realistic sale price estimate before you talk to buyers? EarnedExits can help you understand what your Illinois business may be worth, what drives valuation in your niche, and what…

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Bloomberg, antitrust enforcers at  the Department of Justice (DOJ) wanted to investigate Compass’s recently closed acquisition of Anywhere, but they were blocked by senior officials who wished to green-light the deal. Sources familiar with the situation told both WSJ and Bloomberg that Gail Slater, the head of the DOJ’s antitrust division, wanted to undertake an extended review of the proposed merger for potential anticompetitive effects. But according to the news outlets, sources said Compass and its lawyers, including Mike Davis, a confidant of President Donald Trump, appealed to her superiors including Deputy…

CES has always been a robot extravaganza, and this year’s event saw the announcement of a number of important robotics developments, including the new, production-ready debut of Atlas, the humanoid from Boston Dynamics. Then there were all the robots on the showroom floor, where bots often serve as good marketing for the companies involved. If they don’t always give a totally accurate representation of where commercial deployment is at the moment, they do give visitors a peek at where it might be headed. And, of course, they sure are fun to look at. I spent a decent amount of time…

KEY TAKEAWAYS The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects millions of job openings through 2034 for workers with degrees in fields like business administration, nursing, accounting, and computer science.Four of the top 10 pay more than $100,000.A business administration degree qualifies you for six of the 10 occupations with the most projected openings. This year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics identified the top 10 jobs with the most projected openings from 2024 to 2034 for workers with a bachelor’s degree—and four of them pay six figures. For students weighing whether college is still worth it, this list offers a roadmap to…

Key Takeaways Rising U.S. healthcare costs are driving more Americans to look abroad for treatment and long-term care options.France, Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica, and Panama all offer high-quality healthcare that expats say rivals U.S. care, but at a fraction of the cost.Private healthcare is affordable and widely available in these countries, while residents can also access low-cost public systems. Why More Americans Are Looking Outside the U.S. for Healthcare High healthcare costs, coverage gaps, and long wait times are pushing many Americans to delay care or skip treatment altogether. Nearly half of U.S. adults worry they won’t be able to…

Key Takeaways Your withdrawal rate matters more than your balance. At 3%, $1 million has a strong chance of lasting 50-plus years; at 5%, you’re gambling with your future.A growth-heavy portfolio’s volatility may feel uncomfortable, but conservative investments that can’t keep up with inflation pose a bigger threat over a 50-year horizon.The ability to cut spending during downturns, relocate to lower-cost areas, or earn side income often determines success more than whether you started with $1 million or $1.5 million. Retire at 39 with $1 million, and your money could last decades—or run out before you hit 50. The difference…

Key Takeaways If you have a monthly income of at least $2,000, take a look at South Africa and Kenya, which offer visa programs for retirees. Health care in many parts of Africa costs a fraction of U.S. prices, while some countries like Mauritius offer tax advantages that can stretch retirement income even further. Retirees are increasingly looking abroad not just for adventure or cultural connections, but for affordability and a health care system that won’t drain their savings. In parts of Africa, you can find private medical care that is accessible and affordable, monthly costs that are far lower…

Key Takeaways Baby boomers are set to pass on approximately $84 trillion in wealth to heirs by 2045, greatly impacting personal finances and the economy.Wills, trusts, and annual gift strategies can help families minimize taxes and preserve the most wealth.Understanding rules like the step-up in basis and having open family conversations will help the process run better and smarter. The United States is on the precipice of the largest wealth transfer in history; approximately $84 trillion will pass from one generation to the next by 2045. It’s expected to have a massive impact on inheritors, older loved ones who need…

(Image credit: Getty Images)A mixed December jobs report sent stocks higher at the open, and they kept climbing into the close. The gains were enough to keep all three main indexes positive on the week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 ending at new record highs.At the session’s end, the blue-chip Dow was up 0.5% at 49,504 and the broader S&P 500 was 0.7% higher at 6,966. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.8% to 23,671, but remains just below its all-time closing high of 23,958.47 from October 29.Market participants struck a glass-half-full outlook to the December…