Author: Money Mechanics

A proposed 50-year mortgage could lower monthly payments, but buyers would pay far more interest over time and build equity far more slowly. The Trump administration is considering the idea of introducing a 50-year fixed-rate mortgage as a way to make housing more affordable. But stretching a loan over five decades introduces tradeoffs that aren’t obvious at first glance. Redfin Head of Economics Research Chen Zhao says a 50-year loan can reduce the monthly payment compared with a 30-year loan—but the amount saved depends entirely on how different the mortgage rate is.  “We shouldn’t expect the interest rate for a…

After a year of frenzied dealmaking and rumors of an upcoming IPO, the financial scrutiny into OpenAI is intensifying. Leaked documents obtained by tech blogger Ed Zitron provide more of a glimpse into OpenAI’s financials — specifically its revenue and compute costs over the past couple of years.   Zitron reported this week that in 2024, Microsoft received $493.8 million in revenue share payments from OpenAI. In the first three quarters of 2025, that number jumped to $865.8 million, according to documents he viewed. OpenAI reportedly shares 20% of its revenue with Microsoft as part of a previous deal where the…

(World Oil) – The Trump administration rescinded restrictions on oil drilling in Alaska’s mammoth state petroleum reserve, reversing a move by former President Joe Biden that put limits on an area holding an estimated 8.7 billion barrels. The policy reversal finalized Thursday applies to a 2024 rule that banned drilling on nearly half of the 23 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a rugged landscape of tundra and wetlands roughly the size of Indiana that teems with wildlife. Biden in 2024, designated 13 million acres of the reserve as “special areas,” limiting future oil and gas leasing, while maintaining leasing prohibitions on…

Doctor holds flask with urine sample and takes a patient’s pulse; Abraham Toorenvliet (1620–1692). The Doctor’s Visit. (Photo by Jacob van Toorenvliet/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIt’s been a year since I switched from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage program. How did it work out? For years my wife and I were covered by traditional Medicare and a secondary insurance plan paid by my wife’s former employer. Last year the insurance rates jumped so much that the amount we’d get was not nearly enough to cover the premiums. We would be paying $600 per month for just my premium. The amount the…

In-brief analysis November 14, 2025 Working natural gas in storage in the Lower 48 states ended the natural gas refill season (April 1–October 31) with more than 3,900 billion cubic feet (Bcf), according to estimates based on data from our Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on November 6. U.S. inventories are starting winter 2025–26 at about the same level as last year, the most since 2016. As of October 31, inventories are 4% above the five-year (2020–24) average after above-average injections into storage throughout much of the injection season. Natural gas inventories in the…

Created by Meta AI Prior to the Industrial Revolution, there was virtually no “Middle Class”; there were the Wealthy and the Poor, with little in between. The poor lived miserable subsistence lives while the wealthy had fine clothes, servants, and good food. You may have been taught that the “Middle class” was the result of Unions or Government policies, but before any of that, there was the Industrial Revolution, which resulted in massive productivity improvements.  These new factories needed laborers, and although they paid a pittance compared to today, they still paid much more than you could make as a…

Scott Rechler, RXR Chairman and CEO, and Bill Rudin, Rudin Management Co-Chairman, speaking at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha event in New York on Nov. 13th, 2025.Adam Jeffery | CNBCNew York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s views have sparked fears that there will be an exodus of companies and capital from the city. But two of the city’s top commercial real estate executives say it’s simply not true, based on leasing activity and new building investments being made, with no pullback in plans ever since it became clear Mamdani would win, and through the democratic socialist’s official election.”New York City is back,” said Scott…

Key Takeaways Tech stocks have come under pressure in recent weeks, weighed on by concerns about an AI bubble after a strong rally off April lows. Many analysts on Friday were saying they expect the rally will regain its footing, with some pointing to Nvidia’s earnings report next Wednesday as a possible catalyst. Tech stocks have at times appeared unstoppable this year. Now they’re in a rut. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite soared nearly 60% between April 8, when tariff uncertainty was at its highest, and Oct. 29, the index’s most recent record high. Those gains were driven mostly by the…

Key Takeaways Merck agreed to pay $9.2 billion to purchase Cidara Therapeutics, looking to cash in on the firm’s experimental flu treatment.The $221.50 per share offer is more than twice Cidara’s closing price yesterday. Shares of Cidara Therapeutics (CDTX) more than doubled Friday after Merck (MRK) agreed to buy the biopharmaceutical firm in an all-cash deal worth $9.2 billion to expand its reach in antiviral treatments. Merck said it would pay Cidara investors $221.50 per share, a whopping 109% premium to yesterday’s closing price.  The acquisition gives Merck access to Cidara’s top drug candidate, CD388, which uses a fragment of…

 Can you describe how institutional investors’ appetite for clean, renewable energy has evolved over the years and why solar is an attractive long-term asset?Over a decade ago, renewable energy was viewed as a nascent but promising market. At the time, many investors considered these assets high-risk due to unproven technologies and uncertain demand. As a result, capital flowed primarily from private equity sources, often at higher costs. As the market matured, technologies like solar became more efficient, and consumer demand for clean energy surged. This evolution has steadily increased institutional investors’ appetite in the sector. Solar energy, in particular, has…