Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Grocery prices have climbed during President Donald Trump’s administration, contrary to his claim this week that they are “falling rapidly.”Although overall food prices are rising, they are doing so more slowly than they did earlier in the year. President Donald Trump says grocery prices are “falling rapidly” under his economic policies, but the government’s own data says otherwise.On Wednesday evening, Trump took to the airways to defend his economic policies, responding to criticism from Democrats and others that the cost of living has risen too quickly under his administration, and has been exacerbated by his tariff campaign. Trump…

Key Takeaways Giving to charity isn’t just a nice thing to do—it can also provide meaningful tax benefits. Effective strategies include donating profitable investments and using a donor-advised fund. Alternatively, if you’re 70 ½ or older, you can transfer funds from your IRA to a qualified charity. Helping others is always rewarding, and it can be even more impactful when done strategically. By donating to an IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) public charity, you may be able to reduce your taxable income. And if you do it smartly, you can maximize the benefits not only for yourself but for your recipient, as well.…

Key Takeaways Gen X expects to fall more than $400,000 short of what they think they’ll need for a comfortable retirement. This gap stems from the shift away from pensions toward 401(k)s, which left Gen X without many of the automatic 401(k) features younger workers rely on today. Of all the generations, Gen X faces the largest retirement savings shortfall, a recent survey by asset management company Shroders finds. While this generation, which was born between 1965 and 1980, thinks they’ll need more than $1.1 million to retire comfortably, they expect to retire with roughly $712,000 saved, leaving a shortfall…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Stocks finished the week on a positive note as volume thins ahead of two holiday-shortened weeks. But Friday’s gains weren’t enough for one of the main market indexes to erase its weekly deficit.At the close, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.4% at 48,134, the broader S&P 500 was 0.9% higher at 6,834, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 1.3% to 23,307. While the Dow and S&P 500 managed weekly wins, the Nasdaq ended the week down 0.7%.The tech sector saw the biggest gains on Friday, as measured by the State Street Technology Select Sector…

Key Takeaways The Federal Reserve cut interest rates earlier this month. But so far, yields on several cash options haven’t budged, meaning you can still earn a historically high return. Top high-yield savings accounts pay as much as 5.00%, while the best CDs let you lock in rates up to 4.50% APY. Brokerage and robo-advisor cash accounts continue to offer attractive yields in the 3% range, while U.S. Treasuries pay up to 4.82% for investors seeking stability. See Today’s Best Cash Yields—All in One Chart With the new year soon upon us, many savers are taking a fresh look at…

We came across a bullish thesis on Comfort Systems USA, Inc. on X.com by @TheValueist. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on FIX. Comfort Systems USA, Inc.’s share was trading at $883.79 as of December 17th. FIX’s trailing and forward P/E were 37.45 and 29.41 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. American Electric Power (AEP)’s Stock Looks Very Much Like Intel’s, Says Jim Cramer franco lucato/Shutterstock.com Comfort Systems USA, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides mechanical and electrical installation, renovation, maintenance, repair, and replacement services for the mechanical and electrical services industry in the United States. FIX is a scaled, acquisition-driven…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. December 19, 2025 Federal Reserve Board publishes its biennial report on debit card transactions, which summarizes information collected from large debit card issuers and payment card networks For release at 1:30 p.m. EST The Board on Friday published its biennial report on debit card transactions, which summarizes information collected from large debit card issuers and payment card networks. The report, required by law, provides data on interchange fees, issuer costs, and fraud losses…

This week brought developments that could shape ’s short and medium-term outlook. A 25 basis point rate cut by the US Federal Reserve has provided some support for risk appetite, while a 25 basis point by the Bank of Japan has made the yen more expensive as a funding currency. Together, these moves are influencing broader risk markets. The offers short-term relief for risk assets such as equities and cryptocurrencies by reinforcing expectations of looser financial conditions. This policy shift gives markets room to stabilize after recent volatility. For this support to turn into a lasting trend, must continue moving…

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com In the messiest inflation report in history, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said today that seasonally-adjusted consumer prices rose just 0.2% over a two-month period (October and November), resulting in an annual rate of 2.7% This is a two-month report because the BLS didn’t collect inflation data for October during the 43-day government shutdown. Plus, the November report was delayed by eight days. So we have been flying blind since the September report (also delayed) was issued on Oct. 24. For what it is worth, this is a very encouraging inflation report, with both all-items and…

Outlaw Audio RR 2160 Mk II ZDNET’s key takeaways The Outlaw Audio RR 2160 Mk II stereo receiver is available online for $949. It’s a high-end receiver that delivers amazing sound, has plenty of inputs and outputs, and has bass management that will floor you. It’s also far heavier than you’d expect. Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.”If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it,” Duke Orsino said in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” The soundtrack of my life is filled with music that spans genres, so when I hear audio from high-quality equipment,…