Author: Money Mechanics

Your Health Savings Account (HSA) is more than just a medical fund — it’s a powerful investment vehicle for your financial future. But are you clear on the rules that protect its unique “triple tax advantage”? Navigating the rules for eligibility, contributions, and withdrawals is crucial to maximizing its benefits and avoiding penalties.Test your understanding of core HSA concepts, from eligibility to retirement-age withdrawals, with our 10-question true/false quiz. And don’t worry if you miss an answer; you can follow the links below the quiz to brush up on your knowledge.More on Social Security, from the Kiplinger team: From just…

Key Takeaways Households ages 45–54 earn a median income of $91,880—the highest of any group—reflecting peak career years, greater experience, and often two full-time earners.Income levels vary widely across groups, with homeowners and college graduates earning substantially more than renters and those without a college degree.Income is just one piece of the puzzle—tracking your net worth offers a fuller picture of long-term financial health and overall stability. Household income—and wealth—shift significantly with age. Data from the Federal Reserve’d (Fed’s) Survey of Consumer Finances show that families typically see earnings and assets rise through midlife—reaching a peak at ages 45–54. Understanding…

Optimism about a deal in Washington, D.C., to reopen the federal government provided an early boost on Wall Street Wednesday, though questions about valuations continue to dog mega-cap tech names. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, relatively light on tech exposure, added to its impressive run during the shutdown and closed at another new all-time high.The Dow is now up more than 6% over the trailing month. UnitedHealth Group (UNH, +3.6%) led the 30 Dow Jones stocks higher today after Chief Financial Officer Wayne DeVeydt reaffirmed management’s expectation that performance will improve in 2026 before new strategic initiatives begin to pay…

Key Takeaways Two California metros—San Jose and San Francisco—lead the list of areas offering the strongest odds of earning six-figure salaries.ScoutLogic compared nearly 40 U.S. metro areas to identify where high-paying jobs and reasonable costs best align for workers in 2025.Though Boston and Seattle have more six-figure jobs than some peers, they ranked below more affordable metros like Denver, Washington, D.C., and Portland. For many Americans, reaching a six-figure salary marks a significant career milestone—but in addition to your skills, education, and industry, where you live can make all the difference. In some metropolitan areas in the U.S., a $100,000-plus…

If you have a car, you’re probably getting flooded with calls, emails and letters telling you that your car needs an extended warranty. A lot of these are scams, but extended warranties themselves are real and sometimes useful.While you might be reluctant to pay the added cost, some of these sales materials can make it sound pretty scary to drive without one. But, if you don’t check the fine print and make sure to choose a reputable warranty underwriter, you could end up paying for coverage that doesn’t quite live up to your expectations.How do extended warranties work? Do you…

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) ranks among the stocks in Bill Gates’ portfolio that analysts are watching. On October 30, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed its Overweight rating and $639 price target for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) in response to the company’s F1Q26 earnings report, which revealed that the tech giant had surpassed expectations across most divisions. Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com In constant currency, the company’s revenue increased by almost 17%, exceeding Street projections of roughly 14%. Azure cloud services recorded a rise of 39% in constant currency, an increase that was slightly higher than anticipated but steady quarter-over-quarter. As Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) continues to expand…

22% of U.S. home listings are affordable to the typical U.S. military veteran using a VA loan.  Veterans–both those using VA loans and those using conventional loans–can afford slightly more home listings than they could have in 2023, when affordability was at an all-time low. Now, incomes are rising faster than housing payments.  But veterans can afford half as many listings as they could have a decade ago, before the pandemic-driven homebuying frenzy.  Veterans can afford more than half of homes for sale in Detroit and San Antonio, and almost no listings in expensive California metros.  Nationwide, just over one…

Key Takeaways A chipmaker got a boost on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, following its first analyst day, while an AI software darling pared back some of its recent gains. Advanced Micro Devices shares jumped after the company said it’s seen strong demand driven by AI and offered a rosy outlook.Palantir Technologies shares reversed a portion of their recent uptick bolstered by hopes of the government reopening. A semiconductor stock powered higher after the company highlighted strong demand trends and provided an upbeat sales forecast at its first-ever analyst day. Meanwhile, shares of an artificial intelligence software firm gave back some of…

Key Takeaways Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration could adjust tariff levels on products not easily produced in the U.S., including coffee and bananas.Coffee prices are higher by nearly 20% after President Donald Trump cited a national emergency in setting a 50% tariff on Brazil, the world’s leading coffee producer. Your trip to the coffee shop may get a bit easier if White House officials follow through with their latest proposal to adjust certain tariff rates. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that the U.S. could soon lower tariffs on items that aren’t easily produced domestically, some of…

(Oil Price) – The highly focused development of the U.S.’s shale oil and gas sectors from the early 2010s transformed it from one of the world’s biggest importers of both into one of its leading exporters of both. But it did much more than this: it reversed the balance of energy power in the world from where it had been left at the end of the 1973 Oil Crisis. As forecasts for the demand for gas continue to surge on fears of further global conflicts and on the dramatic expansion of data centres around the globe, the Middle East is…