Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence survey for November fell to its lowest levels since April as labor market fears and job market worries weighed on public perceptions of the economy.Consumers’ near-term economic outlook remained in recessionary territory for the 10th straight month. Consumers have a bah-humbug feeling entering the holiday season, as their confidence has dropped to its lowest levels since April. A monthly survey conducted by The Conference Board showed that consumer confidence moved sharply lower, falling 6.8 points to 88.7 in November, its lowest level since April. Why This Matters for You Consumer confidence reflects how…

KEY TAKEAWAYS The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” created different student loan limits for graduate students and “professional” graduate students. Professional students, such as those in medical and law fields, will receive a higher loan limit than other graduate students.Critics argue that excluding degrees such as nursing and social work from being considered “professional” makes it more difficult for students to afford their master’s degrees. A new classification could make it harder for some graduate students to afford their degrees. The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Act, passed in July, directed the Department of Education to reduce the amount of student loans available to…

With Thanksgiving just days away, the holiday season has officially started. That means it’s time to cozy up with friends and family for a Christmas movie marathon. Whether you’re a Christmas romcom connoisseur or a fan of the classic comedies of Christmases past, Paramount+ is a must-have streaming platform to fill your marathon watch list.The popular streaming service just added a bunch of new holiday movies to its roster and dropped a Black Friday streaming deal at the same time.From now through December 2, you can sign up for either the Paramount+ Essential or Premium plan for just $2.99 per…

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 this week about how household finances have changed since 1963,…

Key Takeaways Best Buy has invited Ikea to set up shop in 10 of its locations and is testing small-store formats as it eyes excess retail space.The electronics retailer reported third-quarter results that beat expectations and raised its outlook for the full-year. Are you overwhelmed by Ikea’s mazy showrooms? Help is on the way—from a home-electronics chain. Best Buy (BBY) added 1,000-square-foot Ikea showrooms in 10 of its stores earlier this month, according to CEO Corie Barry. Ikea workers help staff the areas, which display Ikea kitchen and laundry room merchandise, as well as Best Buy appliances. The pilot program,…

These pages have often criticized proxy advisers, who provide research to institutional investors on voting decisions. But the market has changed dramatically in recent years: Investors and companies are adjusting to diverging national approaches to fiduciary duty. As the new CEO of Glass Lewis, I recently announced revisions to our business model to adapt to this reality. Your editorial “The Proxy Flight From ESG” (Nov. 18) suggests I was simply “reading politics in the room.” That isn’t quite right.As ever, I am focused on our clients and on leading in the rapidly evolving global market for corporate governance. The advice…

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are the foundation of tax-advantaged retirement savings, offering every worker the chance to build wealth outside of a workplace retirement plan. But knowing whether to choose a Traditional IRA (tax break now) or a Roth IRA (tax-free in retirement) requires understanding the crucial differences in contribution limits, income phase-outs, and withdrawal rules.This 10-question True/False quiz covers the essential facts you need to maximize your annual contributions and avoid costly mistakes. Don’t worry if you miss an answer; you can follow the links below the quiz to brush up on your knowledge.More on IRAs, from the Kiplinger…

Atlanta, Georgia-based Assurant, Inc. (AIZ) is a global provider of risk management solutions in the housing and lifestyle markets, protecting where people live and the goods they buy. With a market cap of $11.4 billion, Assurant’s operations span the Americas, Indo-Pacific, and Europe. The insurance giant has notably lagged behind the broader market over the past year. AIZ stock prices have gained 6.4% on a YTD basis and inched up 71 bps over the past 52 weeks, compared to the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 12.3% gains in 2025 and 11% returns over the past year. Narrowing the focus, Assurant has also underperformed the…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. November 25, 2025 Agencies issue proposal to enhance community banks’ ability to serve their communities while maintaining strong capital requirements Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation  Federal Reserve Board Office of the Comptroller of the Currency    For release at 1:30 p.m. EST The federal bank regulatory agencies today invited public comment on a proposal that would implement changes to the community bank leverage ratio framework in accordance with statutory authority. By incorporating these…

US technology stocks staged a strong rally on Monday, with NASDAQ Composite closing up +2.69%, its best session since May. Google’s parent company , in particular, gained over 6%, as its new Gemini 3 AI model brought market enthusiasm.Several reports after last week’s presentation said Alphabet’s model delivered stronger performance than models from OpenAI or Anthropic. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff also praised its capability in public remarks.Alphabet’s rally gained an extra lift after it secured a multi-billion-dollar NATO contract to supply cloud infrastructure.The stock’s rally lifted many other major AI-linked tech names. climbed +11.10%, gained +8%, added +5.5%, rose +6.82%,…