Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Roles in healthcare surged in September. You don’t need to be a doctor to earn a good living in health care, as degrees in biomedical engineering, data science, and health informatics can all lead to six-figure roles in health tech. Look for schools that partner with hospitals, device makers, or major health IT vendors like Epic Systems or Medtronic. The health care sector added 43,000 jobs in September 2025, part of a surge that’s created hundreds of thousands of new health care positions this year. (In contrast, the federal government, the warehousing field, and the transportation sector shed…

(Image credit: Getty Images)If you’ve ever delayed or avoided checking on your finances because you’re afraid of what you’ll find, you aren’t alone.A new survey conducted by Wealth Enhancement in partnership with Wakefield Research found that nearly half (44%) of U.S. adults have purposely avoided checking a financial account in the past year due to stress or fear — and younger generations, specifically Gen Z, are particularly susceptible to this.Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as an avoidant response. When your finances are a source of stress and anxiety, it can often feel better in the moment to avoid them rather…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For many people, charitable giving feels like something to focus on later in life, after retirement, when there’s more time to reflect and plan.But from a financial standpoint, the most powerful time to give is often while you’re still earning.That may sound counterintuitive. After all, retirement is when you finally have clarity about what you can afford to give away. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Taxes are a worry for most retirees, even as they put their working years behind them and ease into what should be a more relaxing time.Taxpayers were expecting to face even more worries at the end of this year, when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was set to expire.Fortunately, many of the act’s provisions became permanent when Congress passed and the president signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special…

The average person might celebrate retirement with a vacation. John Glenn, on the other hand, celebrated his with a trip to outer space.At 77, after announcing his retirement from the U.S. Senate, Glenn joined the space shuttle Discovery, returning to orbit 36 years after becoming the first American to circle the Earth. His late-life mission wasn’t a stunt. It was an expression of who he was and what he believed about meaning in the later chapters of life.“If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet,” he once said, “it’s that the happiest people are ones…

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 self-employed trader who lives in San Francisco. He and his wife are from Austin, Texas, but call both places home.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…

Key Takeaways In an Empower survey, respondents measured financial success with an average annual salary of $270,000 and a net worth of $5.36 million.Younger generations have a higher bar for what they consider financial success.Some of the barriers to success include overspending, debt, the economy, and a lack of financial knowledge. Can you measure financial success? Many Americans say they can. According to a survey by financial services company Empower, the average person’s idea of financial success is a salary of around $270,000, or a net worth of $5.36 million. Financial experts say these expectations are reasonable and can help…

(Image credit: Getty Images)With a home equity line of credit, or HELOC, you can use your home’s equity to cover costs like renovations, education or emergency expenses. With Americans collectively holding about $17.3 trillion in home equity, a level not seen in decades, many homeowners now have more borrowing power than they realize.A HELOC’s flexibility is appealing, but your monthly payment can shift based on your credit, loan terms and interest rate. Understanding how those factors work is key before tapping your equity.Here’s what a $50,000 HELOC may cost each month and how to decide if this type of financing…

Key Takeaways Middle-income shoppers are exhibiting some of the signs of stress that low-income households have for some time, according to the supermarket giant Kroger.Consumers are stretching their budgets by making smaller, more frequent purchases and buying fewer discretionary items, the company said. A trip to the store isn’t as fruitful as it used to be. Many consumers aren’t able to buy as many items on grocery runs, and are making multiple, smaller shopping trips, according to supermarket operator Kroger (KR). Middle-income households are stretching their budget across multiple visits, while pressure mounts on the low-income households who have been…

Key Takeaways Employees without emergency savings are twice as likely to tap retirement funds.Hardship withdrawals and 401(k) loans have surged since 2021.Borrowing from your 401(k) can lead to taxes, penalties, and lost growth.Alternatives like personal loans or emergency savings accounts may be safer. Millions of workers are quietly raiding their 401(k)s just to cover everyday expenses—and it’s fueling a hidden retirement crisis. A 2025 report from Fidelity Investments found that employees without emergency savings are twice as likely to withdraw or borrow from their retirement accounts. In fact, about 5% of employees had taken a hardship withdrawal as of December…