Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Returns are costly in both time and money for retailers. Instead of being restocked, many returned items are discarded in landfills or sold on the secondary market. Online return rates have almost doubled since 2019, with generous pandemic-era policies contributing to the surge. Whether you’re purchasing a gift for your child or buying a dress for a work holiday party, you’ve probably bought items only to return them soon after you get them. While many assume that your purchase just gets restocked afterward, some returned items end up in landfills or are resold at discount stores. This is…

SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) is a popular AI stock due to its growth rate and size. It’s a relatively small company at a $5 billion market cap, but its revenue is rising at over 50% year over year. Despite this, its stock has sold off heavily over the past few weeks and has fallen nearly 40% from its all-time high. That’s a deep sell-off, and it may have many investors wondering if now is the time to buy the stock. What matters for a company’s stock price is the future, and SoundHound AI’s looks bright. I think its stock price…

U.S. investor activity was sluggish in the third quarter, with investor home purchases up 1% from a year earlier and market share rising marginally.  Investor purchases are fairly flat because it’s harder to make a profit as a flipper or a landlord than it used to be; the share of investor-owned homes selling at a loss is sitting at its highest level in 2 years. But some investors are still making moves, taking advantage of slow competition.  Investor purchases of condos are down just slightly year over year, but they’re still sitting near a decade-low.  Investors are pulling back most…

Key Takeaways Palantir Technologies Inc.’s (PLTR) new fellowship offers high school graduates a paid pathway toward working at the company, along with training and courses on topics like Western Civilization. CEO Alex Karp said the initiative is meant to challenge traditional higher education. The fellowship comes amid a tough job market for recent college grads. Palantir Technologies, whose share price has more than tripled in the past year, is paying 22 high school graduates about $5,400 a month this fall to forgo college, with several turning down Ivy League offers to do it. The data analytics giant’s “Meritocracy Fellowship” promises…

(Oil Price) – Germany moved to reduce the capacity it will auction in its offshore wind tender in 2026, following the flop in the latest auction without a single bid made. The German Parliament approved legislation narrowing the capacity in the 2026 tender to just 2.5 gigawatts (GW) to 5 GW, compared with an earlier plan of auctioning off 6 GW of offshore wind capacity and with as much as 10 GW offered in the auction in August. The August offshore wind auction without government subsidies failed to attract a single bid, alarming the local offshore wind sector, which is calling for a fundamental redesign…

Key Takeaways Nearly half of Generation Z is receiving financial help from their family, a Bank of America survey found.A third of respondents said they were receiving at least $1,000 in monthly aid.Gen Z reported turning down social events and using a budget to reduce expenses. Gen Z is asking mom and dad for financial help. In a Bank of America Survey of more than 1,000 adult members of Generation Z—the generation born between 1997 and 2012—46% of respondents reported getting financial assistance from parents or other family that they used to pay for expenses including groceries, rent and phone…

Key Takeaways Travel is exciting, but it can be expensive. Choosing a destination dupe can save you money on your next trip. A destination dupe is a lower-cost alternative to a popular and expensive travel spot like New York City or Rome. In addition to keeping more money in your wallet, a destination dupe can offer a reprieve from crowds and the hustle and bustle of tourists. Looking for a way to save money on your next vacation? A destination dupe may be just what you and your family are looking for. Destination dupes are lesser-known, more affordable destinations for…

Key Takeaways Roles in healthcare surged in September. You don’t need to be a doctor to earn a good living in health care, as degrees in biomedical engineering, data science, and health informatics can all lead to six-figure roles in health tech. Look for schools that partner with hospitals, device makers, or major health IT vendors like Epic Systems or Medtronic. The health care sector added 43,000 jobs in September 2025, part of a surge that’s created hundreds of thousands of new health care positions this year. (In contrast, the federal government, the warehousing field, and the transportation sector shed…

(Image credit: Getty Images)If you’ve ever delayed or avoided checking on your finances because you’re afraid of what you’ll find, you aren’t alone.A new survey conducted by Wealth Enhancement in partnership with Wakefield Research found that nearly half (44%) of U.S. adults have purposely avoided checking a financial account in the past year due to stress or fear — and younger generations, specifically Gen Z, are particularly susceptible to this.Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as an avoidant response. When your finances are a source of stress and anxiety, it can often feel better in the moment to avoid them rather…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For many people, charitable giving feels like something to focus on later in life, after retirement, when there’s more time to reflect and plan.But from a financial standpoint, the most powerful time to give is often while you’re still earning.That may sound counterintuitive. After all, retirement is when you finally have clarity about what you can afford to give away. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit…