Author: Money Mechanics

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. November 19, 2025 Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, October 28-29, 2025 For release at 2:00 p.m. EST The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting that was held on October 28–29, 2025. The minutes for each regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee are generally published three weeks after the day of the policy decision. The descriptions of economic and financial conditions contained in these…

A home is shown for sale in The Heights in Houston, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. Kirk Sides | Houston Chronicle | Getty ImagesThis is the strongest buyer’s market in housing in more than a decade. That’s the headline on a new report from Redfin, a real estate brokerage owned by Rocket Cos. The report points to specific data on the supply of homes for sale and the number of buyers actively looking. There were an estimated 36.8% more sellers than buyers in October, according to Redfin, the largest gap in records dating back to 2013. Redfin defines a buyer’s market…

KEY TAKEAWAYS The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” adds some tax deductions and increases others for the 2025 tax year, which will mean lower tax bills for many Americans.Taxpayers who prefer to pay less in taxes throughout the year can use IRS tools to estimate how to adjust their withholdings to account for the tax rule changes. Some workers may want to adjust the amount they withhold for taxes from their last few paychecks of the year, since new laws will change how much many will owe for 2025. The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” introduced new tax breaks and updated others…

Key Takeaways If you contribute the 2026 individual retirement account (IRA) limit of $7,500 every year from age 27 to 67, investing fully in an S&P 500 index fund, you could end up with roughly $1.38 million, assuming that past annual inflation-adjusted returns match future ones. A more conservative 60/40 portfolio of U.S. stocks and bonds, respectively, would yield a much smaller nest egg—just over $882,000—with an average annual return of 4.89%. In 2026, you can contribute up to $7,500 to you IRAs, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (If you’re 50 or older, you can contribute $1,100 more…

(World Oil) – Chevron Corp., the only major U.S. oil company left in Venezuela, wants to remain in the sanctioned country for the long-term and sees a role in rebuilding its economy when the time is right. “The kinds of swings that you see in places like Venezuela are challenging but we play a long game,” Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth said at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington DC on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Venezuela’s socialist leader Nicolas Maduro by encircling the South American nation with warships. The show of force designed to combat…

KEY TAKEAWAYS The Grad PLUS program will be sunset starting the next school year. At the same time, some graduate students will see the amount they can borrow at the federal level reduced.Before taking out loans, graduate students should explore grants and scholarships, as well as opportunities to work for their school and federal tax breaks. If those options are exhausted, state-based and private lenders provide alternative options to federal student loans. Starting next school year, graduate students will no longer have access to a key federal loan program to help them pay for their education, and many will need…

Key Takeaways An energy technology firm got a boost from an overseas sale, and a chip giant’s shares rose ahead of its highly anticipated earnings report on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.Shares of GE Vernova powered higher after the company signed its first wind repower agreement outside the U.S.Regulators in Connecticut voted to block Eversource Energy’s sale of its water subsidiary, and shares of the utility company dropped. Major U.S. equities indexes ticked higher Wednesday, with Nvidia (NVDA) rising 2.9% to lead chip stocks higher ahead of the AI darling’s highly anticipated quarterly results after the bell. The S&P 500 rose…

Key Takeaways Walmart is scheduled to share its third-quarter results and discuss its outlook with investors early Thursday.The retailer will weigh in during a time when many are looking for more clarity on consumers’ health. Given its scale, Walmart’s results and outlook are a useful barometer. Walmart’s going through plenty these days—but so are its customers. Both topics are likely to take center stage when the retail giant reports its third-quarter results on Thursday. The update comes during a time of transition for both the company and the economy. Walmart’s (WMT) long-time CEO Doug McMillon will step down at the…

Key Takeaways Chances of a Fed rate cut for December fell after minutes from the most recent Fed meeting revealed more members opposed another rate cut that month than were for it.Fed officials are divided about whether to lower rates to save the job market or keep them higher for longer to fight inflation.FOMC members are working with limited data because the government shutdown delayed or cancelled key economic reports. A Federal Reserve rate cut in December is looking less likely as minutes from the Fed’s most recent policy committee meeting show its members are sharply divided about how to…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Stocks rallied hard to start Wednesday, but the enthusiasm quickly faded as market participants looked ahead to tonight’s highly anticipated earnings report from Nvidia and tomorrow morning’s delayed release of the September jobs report.At the close, the broader S&P 500 was 0.4% higher at 6,642 and the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 0.1% to 46,138 – snapping their four-day losing streaks – while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was up 0.6% at 22,564.Nvidia’s third-quarter results and forward guidance will give Wall Street a better read on demand for artificial intelligence chips, particularly amid growing concerns…