Author: Money Mechanics

It’s a good problem to have: having too much money saved for retirement and having additional money to leave to your heirs. Here’s a look at the types of people who are saving a lot in their lifetimes and how you can be one of them. Who Saves the Most? A National Bureau of Economic Research study reveals what types of people work and save the most. According to the study, married men work in the labor force and save “substantially” throughout their lifetimes. Married women’s time in the labor market peaks in middle age. Single men show a decline…

Key Takeaways Ted Weschler is one of Warren Buffet’s top investment managers at Berkshire Hathaway.Weschler met Buffett when he was a hedge fund manager, paying millions at a charity auction for the chance to have lunch with the legendary investor.It’s been revealed that Weschler grew his retirement savings to more than $269 million, through exhaustive research, investing in stocks only, making concentrated bets, and focusing on long-term value. In a remarkable tale of investment success spanning three decades, Ted Weschler—now one of Warren Buffett’s top lieutenants at Berkshire Hathaway—transformed a modest retirement account into a fortune worth hundreds of millions.…

Key Takeaways Cities like Memphis, Detroit, Lexington, Atlanta, and Kansas City show you don’t have to live in pricey cities like New York and Chicago to enjoy great live music.From blues and bluegrass to hip-hop and jazz, these towns prove that great sound doesn’t have to break your budget, offering vibrant music scenes and affordable homes. If your idea of a perfect night out involves live music, local flavor, and a price tag that doesn’t sting, there are plenty of U.S. cities that hit the right notes. While legends like Nashville, which is in fact becoming pricier to live in,…

I’ve been practicing elder law for decades, and I’ve sat at too many kitchen tables explaining one hard truth: A marriage license isn’t just a piece of paper. It unlocks a long list of legal rights and protections that unmarried couples simply don’t get despite how long they’ve been together.For same-sex couples who aren’t married, the gap between what you think happens and what the law actually says can be huge.When something goes wrong, such as an illness or death, that gap can swallow everything you’ve built together. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better…

Recent tax changes gave many retirees reasons to cheer.The jubilation is limited, though, so take advantage while you can before the opportunity to reduce your tax bill slips away.Changes to certain income tax rules and deductions were included in what President Donald Trump referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), which was signed into law July 4, 2025, and amended the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. 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 best…

Editor’s note: This is part three of a four-part series about how to create and use your own Estate Planning Playbook. Part one introduced the concept and why it matters. Part two focused on the family love letter, a heartfelt guide to end-of-life preferences. In this article, we cover the often-overlooked details that can cause real stress if not addressed: family heirlooms, pet care and day-to-day bills.When most people think of a will, they imagine a formal document that lays out how money, real estate and high-value possessions will be distributed after death.While those financial assets are important, the biggest…

Welcome to Kiplinger’s My First $1 Million series, in which we hear from people who have made $1 million. They’re sharing how they did it and what they’re doing with it. This time, we hear from a 67-year-old retired public school educator/administrator in Greenville, South Carolina, who’s been married for 47 years.See our earlier profiles, including a writer in New England, a literacy interventionist in Colorado, a semiretired entrepreneur in Nashville and an events industry CEO in Northern New Jersey. (See all of the profiles here.)Each profile features one person or couple, who will always be completely anonymous to readers,…

No one is perfect. We don’t always get it right on the first try — on the golf course or in retirement.According to one legend, Canadian golfer David Bernard Mulligan once hit a bad tee shot, re-teed and jokingly called it a “correction shot.” His friends embraced the term, and the “mulligan” was born.Many retirees wish they could do the same. For example, 62% of retirees would like to go back and plan differently for retirement, a Lincoln Financial Group survey found. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The writer is research director of the Centre for Social Justice, a think-tankThe launch of the John Lewis Christmas advert is slowly becoming as much part of the national calendar as Wimbledon and Trooping the Colour, and this year’s tear-jerker is a classic of the genre.Its beating heart is the repairing of a relationship between a father and son. As a father of teenage boys, it hits hard. But it has surprised me how many mothers have sent it to me —…

Key Takeaways Adults are a growing audience for toy and game companies, which are catering to them with products that nod to popular movies and bands from the ’80s and ’90s.Social media and packaging that masks which version of a product a shopper is buying have fueled the phenomen, as have hot markets. Do you remember the good old days? Game and toy makers are counting on it. Companies are embracing their adult customers, announcing releases that evoke nostalgia for cultural touchstones of the ’80s and ’90s. Nintendo is reviving games designed for the tabletop Virtual Boy console. Lego is…