Author: Money Mechanics

Through the partnership, agents and brokerages using Rechat Deals will have access to SkySlope’s digital forms library, MLS-synched data automation and integrated e-signature tools. Users will be able to start and complete documents without leaving the Rechat ecosystem. “This partnership allows us to strengthen the back end of Rechat Deals that streamlines how brokerages and agents work,” Rechat CEO Shayan Hamidi said in a statement. “SkySlope gives our users the forms and e-signature solutions they rely on, and Rechat keeps everything centralized and simple.”  SkySlope CEO Tyler Smith added that the partnership was inspired by a desire to meet agents…

KEY TAKEAWAYS A decision by CME Group to adjust its metals contracts halted a recent rally in precious metalsTraders must apply more upfront cash to bet on metals pricesGold and silver remain on pace for their highest returns since 1979. After a strong week-long rally that sent gold, silver and other precious metals prices to all-time highs, prices fell sharply Monday after exchange operator CME Group made a key change to its metals contracts. After peaking at $4,565 per troy ounce Friday, spot gold was down more than 4% at $4,355 in late afternoon trading today. Spot silver, whose rally…

(BOE Report)– Energy markets enter 2026 in a downbeat mood as geopolitical uncertainty clouds the outlook and increasing signs of swelling oil and gas supplies threaten to sink prices. This past year was a wild one for the oil and gas industry, punctuated by the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade wars, the intensified targeting of energy infrastructure in Russia in its war against Ukraine, OPEC’s often perplexing production decisions and the recently threatened U.S. blockade of Venezuela. So what’s in store for next year? Here are five trends likely to shape the energy landscape in…

Key Takeaways Warren Buffett’s key to investing is simple: own good businesses or index funds and hold them for the long term.Avoid trading in and out of positions.Costs, taxes, and churn are stealth portfolio killers. Buffett’s key to successful investing is deceivingly simple. You don’t need to predict GDP, call rate cuts, or chase sexy stocks. You just need a sensible plan, a few repeatable rules, and the discipline to follow them. Buffett’s own recipe: buy great businesses at fair prices and hold them long enough for compounding to work its magic. But if you prefer not to intensively research…

Key Takeaways Analysts expect the U.S. dollar to weaken modestly in 2026 as Fed rate cuts and resilient global growth reduce demand for dollar assets.Despite the recent slide, the dollar remains the world’s dominant currency, with little evidence of true de-dollarization. The U.S. dollar could see a bit more weakness in 2026, analysts say, continuing its decline after President Donald Trump’s tariff plans in April surprised markets. The dollar weakened as much as 10% this year against a basket of foreign currencies, though it’s retraced some of those losses recently and is now down 7% year-to-date. The drop was far…

KEY TAKEAWAYS Computer science majors can generally pay off their student loans the fastest. However, employment for this degree has recently taken a hit from AI.Theology and religion students typically take out the most student loans but earn less than the average college student, making it more challenging for them to pay off their debt. Approximately 6.7 million student loan borrowers are behind on payments, and the issue is worsening: borrowers over 50 now have the highest delinquency rates of any age group. The difference between struggling for decades and paying off your loans in a few years often comes…

(Image credit: Getty Images)The inflation rate may have cooled from pandemic-era levels, but higher prices are still wreaking havoc on millions of Americans’ budgets. Affordability is suddenly the buzzword du jour after years of soaring prices for groceries, health care, housing and other essentials.And it’s not exactly a surprise that inflation is the top financial concern among Americans across all income groups, according to a 2025 Gallup poll — a spot it has occupied every year since 2022.Unfortunately, the squeeze may continue. Economists from Deloitte, for instance, project that inflation will rise modestly in 2026 as tariffs take their toll,…

Key Takeaways A prominent strategist contends that the real “poverty line” for a family of four is $140,000, not the official threshold of $32,150.Created in the 1960s, the formula used to calculate the poverty threshold does not accurately reflect the realities of modern household budgets, the strategist says. One analysis contends that a family of four is below a meaningful “poverty line” if they earn less than $140,000 per year, far more than the official federal threshold of $32,150.Michael Green, chief strategist and portfolio manager at Simplify Asset Management, wrote in late November about how household finances have changed since…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For more than 30 years, I have offered an annual list of 10 stock picks with the potential to beat the market in the 12 months ahead. My selections for 2024 notched the highest return ever, but my choices for 2025 flamed out. They scored an average of a mere 5.9%, compared with 21.5% for the benchmark S&P 500 Index. Six out of 10 stocks fell, four by more than 20% each. What hurt me most? Not having any of the mega-capitalization tech stocks that provided the lift for the S&P 500. I correct the oversight this…

Key Takeaways Financial planners typically advise saving enough to replace about 75% of your pre-tax income for retirement.For the median U.S. household income ($83,730), you’d need about $5,233 per month in retirement. Using the 4% rule, that means that you’d need to save $1.57 million in total. When preparing for retirement, you’re probably wondering, will I have enough? To answer this, you’ll need to know a few key numbers. First, how much money will you need per month in retirement? And then, how much money will you need to save in total? Read on to learn how to crunch these…