Author: Money Mechanics

ChatGPT took less than five minutes to generate my complete 16-slide deck. Once it finishes, you get a preview, along with links to edit or view the presentation. Clicking either link opens it directly in Canva.How to edit or view your Canva designScroll through the preview thumbnails that appear in ChatGPT.Click the Canva edit link or view link to open the design in Canva.Your design will open directly in Canva.Review it, paying special attention to the color, text, and images.Also: I love Photoshop, but Canva’s free Affinity tools won me over (and saved me money)The Canva presentation that ChatGPT generated…

Key Takeaways Olive Garden’s “never ending pasta bowl” special was a meaningful driver of its quarterly sales as Americans search for deals, executives said Thursday.Executives also said Olive Garden has seen a growing number of higher-income customers at its restaurants. Olive Garden said its sales show Americans are growing more hungry for two things: value, and lots of pasta. Executives from Darden Restaurants (DRI), the parent company of Olive Garden, said during the company’s earnings call Thursday that the restaurant chain saw a big boost in its quarterly sales, thanks in part to the popularity of its $13.99 “never ending…

Key Takeaways TikTok agreed to a new joint venture that will be controlled by American investors, according to reports Thursday.Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX are set to hold a combined 45% stake in the joint venture. TikTok finally has a deal. CEO Shou Zi Chew told employees in an internal memo that Bytedance, the social media platform’s Chinese parent company, has agreed to create a joint venture granting a group of American investors a controlling stake in TikTok, Axios and Bloomberg reported late Thursday. The joint venture’s investors will reportedly include cloud computing giant Oracle (ORCL), private equity firm Silver…

KEY TAKEAWAYS Millions of borrowers on the Saving for a Valuable Education plan will soon need to move to another repayment plan and resume making payments for the first time in over a year.Depending on a borrower’s situation, their new monthly payments could be anywhere from $10 to $500 more than what they were under the SAVE plan. The Saving for a Valuable Education repayment plan for federal student loans is coming to an end, which means millions of borrowers need to choose a new, and likely more expensive, plan. Borrowers on the SAVE plan have been in administrative forbearance since…

Key Takeaways Some AI stocks shook off bubble concerns and soared on Thursday after memory chip maker Micron blew past earnings estimates and predicted its profits will soar.Memory and data storage companies could be the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom over the next year, according to some analysts. AI stocks soared Thursday after memory chip maker Micron (MU) reported quarterly results far stronger-than-expected. That offered tech investors a glimmer of hope after weeks of disappointing performance for AI stocks.  Micron was the S&P 500’s best-performing stock Thursday, with shares finishing up more than 10%. Fellow memory and storage companies…

Key Takeaways Keeping extra cash in checking earns little or no interest, so moving it to a high-yield savings account can be an easy first win.Building an emergency fund in a separate high-yield account gives you a buffer for life’s surprises without derailing your day-to-day budget.Starting small with retirement contributions—and increasing gradually over time—can help you build long-term security without strain. Money questions can feel stressful when you’re earning a decent income but aren’t sure how to make the most of it. That uncertainty showed up in a recent Reddit post from a young professional trying to figure out the…

(Image credit: Getty Images)If you’re looking for the best interest rate on a savings account, chances are you’ll find it at an online bank. Online banks, which are banks that operate without physical branches, offer convenient digital banking and competitive interest rates that can maximize your return on your savings.The national average interest rate for savings accounts as of December 15 was 0.39%, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).But right now, some online banks are offering savings account interest rates up to 5%. Since online banks have lower overhead costs, they’re able to pass on better interest rates…

(Image credit: Getty Images)A belated but better-than-expected read on still-spotty consumer price data was enough to support a relief rally for the stock market on Thursday. Strong earnings and guidance from a major player in the AI revolution provided a fresh bounce for a beleaguered technology sector and elevated the risk-on mood.Core inflation has cooled to its lowest level since early 2021, according to the November CPI report. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased at an annual rate of 2.7% through November and 0.2% from September to November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said before the opening bell.Core CPI, which…

Key Takeaways Your credit score is an important part of your financial profile. If your score is above average, you may be able to secure lower interest rates on loans and better terms on lines of credit. In September of 2024, the average credit score in the U.S. was around 715, per credit bureau Experian. States like Mississippi and Louisiana are on the lower end of the national average, around 680 to 690, while Minnesota and Wisconsin have the highest credit score averages at 742 and 738, respectively. Being aware of your credit score is an essential part of modern…

The end of the year is a crucial time for charitable giving. Whether you are giving cash, stock, or using your IRA to make a qualified charitable distribution, meeting specific year-end deadlines is essential.Donating to charities and nonprofits is more common during the holiday season. Half (51%) of U.S. adults report having donated or planning to donate money by the end of 2025, with a fifth of those donating exclusively in the final months of the year, according to Charities Aid Foundation America. For retirees, charitable giving is not merely an act of generosity — it is a sophisticated tax-management…