Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways The U.S. trade deficit shrank by 24% in August, according to a delayed report released Wednesday. The improvement in the trade deficit is expected to boost economic growth, according to forecasts. The U.S. trade deficit fell sharply in August as newly released information showed imports are declining in the wake of President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging tariff policies.  The trade deficit fell by nearly 24% in August, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data. The delayed report showed the difference between imports and exports narrowed by $18.6 billion to a total of $59.6 billion. Why This Matters for the Economy…

The financial professionals who contribute to Kiplinger’s Adviser Intel are always here to make sure you have the information you need to make critical decisions about your retirement planning, estate planning and tax planning.Daniel Goodwin, chief investment strategist at Provident Wealth Advisors, often writes about real estate investing vehicles such as 1031 exchanges and Delaware statutory trusts (DSTs).Recently, he wrote about how DSTs can shift your wealth into a higher gear. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and prosper with the…

Key Takeaways ChatGPT offered solid guidance about considering your time horizon when deciding where to put $10,000 in savings. But when we we asked ChatGPT for the highest rates it could find, its top pick trailed Investopedia’s in almost every major savings category. Because our team checks rates from 200+ institutions every business day, Investopedia’s savings and CD rankings stay fresher and go deeper than what ChatGPT can quickly surface. What ChatGPT Got Right About Saving $10K When we asked ChatGPT where to park $10,000 in savings, it didn’t give reckless or inaccurate advice. In fact, it started by asking…

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $59.6 billion in August, down $18.6 billion from $78.2 billion in July, revised. U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Deficit Deficit: $59.6 Billion –23.8%° Exports: $280.8 Billion +0.1%° Imports: $340.4 Billion –5.1%° Next release: To be determined. Report delayed due to recent lapse in federal funding. (°) Statistical significance is not applicable or not measurable. Data adjusted for seasonality but not price changes Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services,…

futures continue to behave with mathematical precision as the market completes a full mean-reversion cycle from the hyperbolic peak at 4250 down to the 3997 low. This decline was not a trend failure but a highly technical rotation driven by the VC PMI AI model and the synchronized time-cycle structure that remains firmly bullish into late November and December. The high at 4250 aligned exactly with the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement, the Weekly Sell 1 zone ($4,328), and the upper boundary of the 30-day acceleration window. When multiple cycle and Fibonacci structures cluster with VC PMI Sell levels, the market typically…

The product is currently available for a limited number of Wealthfront clients who plan to buy or refinance a home in Colorado. It will expand to Texas, California and additional states in the coming months, a press release from the company confirmed. Clients can join a waitlist to express interest. Full rollout is expected in early 2026. Until then, the company will be focused on adding an improved set of features, including prequalification from the Wealthfront dashboard and preapproval in minutes for most applications. Wealthfront claims its platform reduces the cost of loan origination, allowing it to offer lower mortgage…

Roborock F25 Ultra Wet and Dry Vacuum with Steam ZDNET’s key takeaways The Roborock F25 Ultra possesses a steam function and offers four flexible cleaning modes, complemented by a competitive battery lifeIt’s equipped with top features like lay-flat technology, self-cleaning capabilities, and voice-prompted instructionsIt’s heavy in price and size, and struggles to offer seamless edge control and detail cleaning for grout. more buying choices Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.It seems like everyone’s got a vacuum mop. They’ve inundated our social media feeds, spliced videos showing splashy success — sucking up cereal and milk, ketchup and…

Will Results Revive the Bull Market. This Investor Thinks So. 6 minutes ago Nvidia’s results and outlook might be good enough to re-energize the bull market, one investor said Wednesday. The company is “ground zero for the entire Artificial Intelligence build out,” Northlight Asset Management CIO Chris Zaccarelli said in emailed comments. Amid worries of a bubble, he said, “the largest technology companies in the world are extremely profitable and they are reinvesting billions of dollars into data centers, servers, and chips and the spending is real.” Investors may now have reason to revive their bullish outlooks, he wrote.“While a…

Key Takeaways Alphabet stock rose Wednesday, extending a recent rally that’s made it the best-performing member of the Magnificent 7 so far this year.Google on Tuesday released Gemini 3, the latest iteration of its flagship AI model. And Berkshire Hathaway surprised Wall Street earlier this week when it revealed a $5 billion bet on the tech giant. Alphabet has its groove back.  Shares of Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) were up nearly 4% in Wednesday afternoon trading, pacing the Magnificent Seven as tech stocks found some footing after days of declines. The gains put Alphabet stock up about 55% since the start…

Key Takeaways Plug Power shares tumbled Wednesday after the hydrogen fuel cell maker announced a sale of $375 million in convertible notes.The company said it will use the money to pay off debt.The stock has lost 60% of its value since hitting a 52-week high in early October. Plug Power (PLUG) shares sank Wednesday after the maker of hydrogen fuel cells announced it would sell $375 million in debt that could be converted into stock. The company said the notes would pay a rate of 6.75%, and be sold to qualified institutional investors in a private offering. Plug Power said…