Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways A tax refund can feel like a welcome bonus, though it usually reflects money you could have received in paychecks throughout the year.Based on the average tax refund, adjusting your withholding could add about $250 a month to your budget for bills, saving, or spending.Changing your withholding isn’t permanent—you can modify it if your situation changes or you decide you want a larger refund. In a typical year, over 100 million U.S. tax filers receive a refund—and the average amount is more than $3,000. But while a big tax refund can feel like a windfall, there could be…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Investors, traders and speculators welcomed President Donald Trump’s reassertion of American authority in the western hemisphere with a rally that lifted all three main U.S. equity indexes into or near all-time high territory. The so-called “Donroe Doctrine” means the White House will “run” Venezuela’s oil and gas industry, and the energy sector reacted well to the president’s pronouncement.Financials and consumer discretionary stocks were up big, too, but relative weakness for technology-related names suggests questions about the AI revolution will linger in the new year.Chevron (CVX, +5.1%) was No. 1 among the 30 Dow Jones stocks on Monday…

Gold () futures opened at $4,368.30 per troy ounce Monday, up 0.9% from Friday’s closing price of $4,329.60. The price of gold rose above $4,400 in early trading. Increased geopolitical risk after a U.S. strike in Venezuela supported gold demand. The U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, transporting them to New York to face charges related to drug trafficking and gang running. Leaders in Cuba, Russia, and Iran criticized the attack. President Trump subsequently said the U.S. would run Venezuela and take over the country’s oil assets. Geopolitical tensions and wars typically increase demand for gold, a…

Nina Raemont/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeaways Sunbooster plugs into your laptop and doses sunlight.The company is also prototyping a monitor and phone case at CES.It could help office workers stuck inside all day.The benefits of going outside under the sun are endless. Sunlight boosts mood, clears skin, and improves energy. But most Americans are traveling in their cars to work, not walking outdoors to get there — or staying inside their homes and working during peak daylight hours. This tech company is building an indoor solution to Americans’ sunlight problem. Also: CES 2026: Live updatesSunLED Light Solutions…

(Oil Price) – The white hydrogen boom could be within sight based on recent finds in France, the United States, and other parts of the world. However, developers are still not sure of the costs involved with exploiting white hydrogen resources, as well as the technical challenges to accessing reserves, making the outlook uncertain. Unlike other low-carbon forms of hydrogen, such as blue and green hydrogen, white hydrogen is naturally occurring.  The geologic hydrogen, often referred to as natural or white hydrogen, is produced naturally when underground water crosses paths with iron-rich rocks in a process known as serpentinization. Hydrogen is so light…

Key Takeaways Versant shares tumbled in their first day of trading on Monday.The group of cable channels and digital properties was spun off from Comcast last year, and includes CNBC, MS NOW and the USA Network. Versant (VSNT) shares fell sharply after they started trading on the Nasdaq exchange Monday, as the company completed its spin-off from Comcast (CMCSA). Versant shares opened the session just above $45 but finished the session at $40.57, after falling to near $39. Comcast announced plans in late 2024 to spin off its cable TV channels including CNBC, MSNBC (since rebranded to MS NOW), USA…

Mandy Xu ▬ January 5, 2026 Link to Report: Macro Volatility DigestWHAT STANDS OUT:Except for gold, implied volatilities for most asset classes ended 2025 near a 1-year low. And despite the unprecedented actions by the US in Venezuela over the weekend, cross-asset vols have remained remarkably calm so far. Even oil, which initially sold off on the news, have rallied back, with WTI 1M implied vol up just a modest 1.2 vol pts this morning.Gold has been the biggest beneficiary of the geopolitical turmoil so far, up over 2% this morning. Interestingly, gold positioning had become a lot more defensive…

Key Takeaways It took the typical American seven years to save for the median down payment for a house, down from the peak a few years ago but still above pre-pandemic levels.Down payments have gotten higher amid rising home prices, while a slower savings rate is also extending the time it takes to save for a house.It can take decades to save for a down payment in high-cost markets like San Francisco, while it may only take a few years in other markets. For most Americans, saving enough for a down payment takes years. But today’s buyers are reaching that…

Key Takeaways Bitcoin traded above $94,000 as of Monday afternoon, levels last seen in early December, as investors digested the weekend news that the U.S. had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Ousting Maduro “is not a direct bullish catalyst” for bitcoin, but the geopolitical conflict points to cryptocurrencies’ real-world utility, one analyst said. Bitcoin (BTCUSD) appears to have climbed out of a rut following the surprise capture by the U.S. of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro over the weekend. The world’s largest cryptocurrency underperformed the broader stock market last year, but is starting to show signs of life—it rose above $94,000…

Key Takeaways The focus of tech investors shifts to Las Vegas this week as it hosts the CES consumer electronics show.Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su are scheduled to speak on Monday. Investors will be focused on Las Vegas this week, where executives from AI chip giant Nvidia and other major companies are due to speak at the CES consumer electronics trade show. Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CEO Lisa Su are the star attractions on Monday. Huang is scheduled to appear at a press conference at 4 p.m. EST, while Su…