Author: Money Mechanics

International burglary rings are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to target homes in Los Angeles, including hidden cameras, social media surveillance, and Wi-Fi jamming devices designed to disable doorbell cameras, authorities have warned.In recent months, a surge in residential break-ins across Los Angeles has left many homeowners on edge. Officials say many of the home burglaries appear tied to organized South American crime rings. On Wednesday morning, law enforcement officials announced the arrest of seven burglary suspects believed to be connected to several of those recent crimes, bringing some relief to concerned residents.“These crimes are invasive. They violate people’s sense of…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Given rising energy costs, renters are looking for alternative ways to save on electricity. Plug-in solar panels are one potential solution, and they’re quickly gaining traction because of their ease of use. Lawmakers in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island are all advancing proposals that would allow residents to use plug-in solar systems that connect to standard home outlets.Plug-in solar systems, also called balcony solar systems, are smaller alternatives to traditional rooftop panels. These systems typically feature a compact solar panel that can be placed on a balcony or patio, without the need for…

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)Stocks notched their first win of the week on Wednesday as Treasury yields and oil prices pulled back. Market participants also took an optimistic stance ahead of tonight’s quarterly results from AI bellwether Nvidia (NVDA), which could help set the tone for the broader market’s short-term price action.After surging to their highest levels in roughly a year, bond yields took a breather today. The yield on the 2-year Treasury bond fell 7.8 basis points to 4.044%, with the yields on the 10-year (-9.3 basis points to 4.576%) and 30-year (-6.5 basis points to 5.116%) Treasury…

While the national average rate for a savings account is 0.38%, the best high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) boast rates of 3% to 4% APY — or even higher in some cases. However, some financial institutions require account holders to keep a certain amount of money in their HYSAs in order to earn the highest rate. And that can be tough if you’re just getting started with saving. The good news: There are a handful of banks that offer competitive rates with zero minimum balance requirements. Here’s a look at some of the top HYSAs available today that don’t require a…

Nvidia reports quarterly results on Wednesday after the closing bell, and once again, the entire market will be watching. A beat could refuel the AI rally, while any sign of slowing growth or margin pressure could ripple well beyond semiconductors. All eyes are on Jensen Huang to deliver clarity on the pipeline, innovation, and the durability of AI demand. Nvidia (NASDAQ:) is scheduled to report its fiscal first-quarter earnings on Wednesday after the market close, in what is arguably the most closely watched release of the entire earnings season. With a $5.3 trillion market cap and undisputed dominance in AI…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. May 20, 2026 Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, April 28-29, 2026 For release at 2:00 p.m. EDT The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting that was held on April 28–29, 2026. The minutes for each regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee are generally published three weeks after the day of the policy decision. The descriptions of economic and financial conditions contained in these…

Paying off your mortgage in 5 years sounds almost impossible at first, but it can be done! With a clear plan, aggressive extra payments, and a willingness to make some short-term tradeoffs. I have been writing about personal finance, inflation, debt, and investing for more than two decades, and the one thing I always tell readers is this: paying off a mortgage early is not just a math decision. It is also a lifestyle, discipline, and cash-flow decision. Quick Answer: How Do You Pay Off a Mortgage in 5 Years? To pay off your mortgage in 5 years, you generally…

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer has opened up about the difficulties she faced while trying to adjust to the very rugged and rural conditions on the set of her hit “Yellowstone” spinoff, “The Madison.” The 67-year-old actress spent several months shooting the series in Montana and Texas, areas that she described as “breathtakingly glorious.” But beyond the scenery, Pfeiffer, who plays Stacy Clyburn in the TV show, says the conditions were less than ideal. During an appearance on the Los Angeles Times’ podcast “In Conversation: The Madison,” she revealed that the show’s stars had little to no access to some very basic…

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assistance software is now available in Lithuania, the second European country to approve its use, as the company pushes to position itself as an AI and robotics powerhouse and not just an automaker. Making FSD available in Europe — which kicked off last month when the Dutch regulator RDW approved its use — is critical to Tesla’s and CEO Elon Musk’s ambitions. It’s also financially important for Musk, whose $1 trillion pay package is tied to hitting a number of product goals, including hitting “10 million active FSD subscriptions” by 2035. Tesla has a long…

(World Oil) — bp has signed three production sharing contracts (PSCs) in Indonesia, expanding its upstream exploration portfolio near the company’s existing Tangguh LNG operations in Papua Barat and adding participation in a new East Java block. The agreements cover the Bintuni and Drawa exploration blocks near the bp-operated Tangguh LNG project, as well as the INPEX-operated Barong block in East Java. The PSCs were signed during the Indonesian Petroleum Association Convention & Exhibition 2026 as part of Indonesia’s second 2025 petroleum bidding round. According to bp, the proximity of the Bintuni and Drawa blocks to existing Tangguh LNG infrastructure could…