Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are losing ground Monday, while stocks related to the industry are also slumping.Bitcoin fell sharply in November, as uncertainty in the markets led some investors to shed riskier assets such as cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies tumbled Monday morning as risk-averse sentiment returned to financial markets. Bitcoin (BTCUSD), the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, was trading at $84,200 recently, down from a weekend high of around $91,000. Other digital assets, including ether and solana, were also down sharply. Crypto-related stocks also retreated, with shares of trading platform operators Coinbase (COIN) and Robinhood (HOOD) each dropping more than…

Key Takeaways OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that “some really bad stuff” is coming with AI—especially deepfakes and other “really strange or scary moments.”OpenAI’s new video app Sora 2 quickly claimed the top spot of Apple’s App Store in the days after its launch, showing how quickly deepfake-style tech is going mainstream.Altman said he hopes society learns how to build guardrails before the tech gets even more powerful. Sam Altman, CEO of the OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is providing unexpectedly stark warnings about the effects of his own products and those like them. “I expect some really bad stuff to…

Key Takeaways Many Americans have been holiday shopping for weeks and will make final decisions tonight as Cyber Monday specials come to an end.Total retail spending is on track to surpass last year’s numbers, but people are buying fewer items as prices rise. It’s last call to finalize your haul. Cyber Monday spending may peak from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. today as Americans make decisions before sales end and collectively spend some $16 million per minute, Adobe said. Online shoppers will have spent $14.2 billion by the day’s end or about 6% more than last year, the software company…

Key Takeaways Markets now see a December rate cut as more likely than a pause, reflecting how quickly expectations can shift.If the Fed cuts rates in mid-December, it will push today’s savings and CD yields lower.It’s easy to track rate-cut odds yourself with the CME FedWatch tool, which updates in real-time as traders react to new data. What’s Changed in the Outlook for Fed Rate Cuts When you want to know where bank savings rates are headed, it all comes down to what the Federal Reserve does next. That’s because the Fed’s benchmark rate directly influences how much banks and…

Key Takeaways College athletes are now entitled to receive up to $20.5 million in revenues from their schools.Before investing, it’s a good idea to learn the financial basics and build a strong foundation.Roth IRAs are one of the best tools young athletes can use when starting their investment journey. With the landmark House v. NCAA settlement now finalized, college athletes will be entitled to a share of the revenue they help generate. As of July 1, 2025, schools can share up to $20.5 million annually in revenue with athletes, alongside billions in retroactive name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments. For…

The current national average HELOC rate continues to hover at its 2025 low, according to the analytics company Curinos. Home equity line of credit rates might see more room to fall if the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates again at its next meeting on December 10. According to Curinos data, the average weekly HELOC rate is 7.64%. This rate is based on applicants with a minimum credit score of 780 and a maximum combined loan-to-value ratio (CLTV) of 70%. Homeowners have a huge amount of value tied up in their houses — nearly $36 trillion at the end of the…

Silver futures continue to advance in a powerful, hyperbolic structure that began with the capitulation low at 48.05, forming the foundational pivot of the current 30-day cycle. This pivot aligned precisely with Weekly Buy 2 (47.61) and launched an aggressive mean-reversion rally through the Weekly VC PMI (54.82) and into the highest-probability Sell Zones between Daily Sell 1 (58.54) and Daily Sell 2 (59.92). The market has now traveled more than 18% from the pivot low into a region where the VC PMI statistical probability of mean reversion exceeds 90%. The 30-day cycle that began on 11/24 is entering its…

When is Cyber Monday 2025? Cyber Monday takes place on Dec. 1 this year. During the sale, retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target cut prices on thousands of products (and many products from brands Amazon owns, like Kindle, Alexa, Ring, and more). Unlike Prime Days, which mainly discounts Amazon products, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are universal deals days. Since more retailers participate, there’s more competition (and sometimes better deals). Are Apple Watches really cheaper on Black Friday and Cyber Monday? I’ve been following deals during events like Black Friday, Cyber Week, and Amazon Prime Day for several years. During these…

(Oil Price) – The provincial government of Alberta, Canada’s key oil and gas-producing province, has advised the Alberta Energy Regulator to go soft on imposing penalties for excess flaring, Reuters reported on Monday, citing documents it had obtained through access to information laws. The provincial government has urged the regulator to take a “softer” tone in communication with companies that are found to have exceeded the flaring limit, according to the documents Reuters has reviewed. Moreover, the regulator was advised to take a “humble and collaborative” approach to communicating with companies. In June, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) issued a bulletin to announce the “removal…

Executive Summary The return of volatility reveals strength in equities, not weaknessWhite House issues executive order “Launching the Genesis Mission”Precious metals continue historic pace as silver breaks out to new highCrude oil declined for fourth consecutive month nearing four-year lowSector rotation benefits healthcare, regional banks, homebuilders and transports November was a volatile month for U.S. equities with the S&P 500 declining 5.7% from its October high, measuring its largest retracement since April. However, the flagship index rebounded sharply into the month-end, eked out a modest 0.2% gain, and extended its winning streak to seven months. In a sign of broadening strength,…