Author: Money Mechanics

Total pending home sales Our HousingWire data tracks many categories weekly and we share just a few in these weekly tracker articles. Today, I wanted to include our total pending sales data because you can see how sales are better over the past few weeks than in the previous few years. Over the past few years, housing data has tended to perform better when mortgage rates are below 6.64% and are heading toward 6%. As long as rates don’t spike back above 7%, we have a situation we can work with in 2026. Last year at this time rates spiked,…

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are only days away, and if you want to get a jump on your holiday shopping list, you can already find excellent markdowns on both premium and entry-level TVs from brands like Samsung, Hisense, Sony, and more. Also: The top TVs ZDNET readers bought this year so far (including a surprise pick)Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are ramping up sales, offering up to $2,500 off everything from premium OLED models to basic smart TVs. You’ll also be able to find discounts on home audio equipment and projectors, which means you’ll be able to update or…

(World Oil)– The Trump administration is eliminating Energy Department offices focused on clean energy and renewables and, instead, creating units dedicated to hydrocarbons and fusion energy.   The changes are part of an agency reorganization unveiled Thursday. The plan made no mention of staffing reductions as part of the realignment, and the agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Among the units eliminated are the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which under former President Joe Biden awarded billions of dollars for technologies such as carbon capture and hydrogen hubs. The Trump administration previously recommended shutting down the office…

Your career has been like driving up a mountain, rising to every challenge and accumulating rewards — retirement savings — along the way.Now you’re a few years from reaching your peak earnings and retiring. When that happens, the view from the mountaintop will be satisfying and well-earned.Then what? How will descending the mountain look and feel when, after decades of building a nice nest egg, you’ll no longer be accumulating and instead will be switching gears dramatically into the drawdown/withdrawal phase of your retirement accounts? From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK…

Whether you’re looking to experience breath-taking natural beauty in the Dolomite mountains or the urban buzz of a global design capital, northern Italy may already be high on your list of vacation destinations. Add in the chance to attend the Winter Olympics, taking place from February 6 to 22 in Milan and the Cortina d’Ampezzo ski resort, and you may be looking at a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.”It’s not going to be cheap,” says Darley Newman, who hosts travel shows on PBS and Amazon Prime. “But in the long run, it’s such a cool experience when the world comes together to participate…

I don’t know what I was expecting when I went to my first Rotary Club meeting, but it’s not what I found.I suppose I’d deemed such groups as ineffectual, outdated, self-serving, and salesy. But when a friend invited me—a longtime Rotary veteran at the Roswell, Georgia Club who didn’t seem to exemplify any of those characteristics—I decided to give it a shot.My first impression wasn’t necessarily bolstered as I parked my car outside of the municipal gymnasium, but as I opened the door, I was greeted by a buzz of positivity. The proceedings were, indeed, held in a space that…

Question: I’m 64, retired, and want to invest $400,000 of my $2.4 million portfolio in a winery I’d co-own with a few partners. Am I crazy?Answer: Many people look forward to retiring because it typically means a break from the daily grind of work. But there’s a downside to not working — having too much free time. If you’re starting to feel restless in retirement, you may be interested in starting a business — not necessarily for the money, but to have something meaningful to do with your time. And let’s be honest: Being a vintner sounds like a lot…

It may be better to give than to receive, but that doesn’t make picking out holiday presents for your family and friends any easier. Even with all the festive cheer that the season brings, it can be stressful to shop for the perfect gift for everyone on your list if you’re worried the folks you hold near and dear won’t be delighted by what they find under the tree.With gift givers spending more than ever, that pressure is mounting. In 2024, U.S. consumers dropped a record $994 billion on holiday shopping, according to the National Retail Federation, and projections by…

Key Takeaways Ford (F) CEO Jim Farley warned earlier this year that AI could leave many white-collar workers behind and urged a renewed focus on trade skills. Recent research from Microsoft (MSFT) suggests that manual labor jobs like roofers and tire builders are among the least likely to be replaced by AI. Despite a declining percentage of people saying college is “very important,” households with a college degree still earn significantly more than those without one. For the past year, CEOs and founders have sounded the alarm, warning that AI could result in job loss and dramatically change the workforce.…

Key Takeaways Foreign investors poured more than $300 billion into U.S. assets in August and September, easing fears of a global Treasury selloff.The steady demand helps keep borrowing costs lower for American households, despite trade tensions and discussions about de-dollarization. If there were any lingering thoughts that foreign investors are dumping U.S. Treasury securities—and threatening to raise interest rates for American households—the latest data from the federal government put it to rest.  New data from the Treasury Department showed continued appetite among foreign investors for U.S. securities, including the bonds that the Treasury issues to finance deficits. Net capital inflows…