Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways 30-year mortgage rates are more than 9% below their spring peak, offering modest relief to buyers struggling to afford a new mortgage. Predicting mortgage rates is tricky—they respond to a mix of inflation data, bond yields, and investor sentiment, and they can move either direction after a Fed cut. Instead of trying to time the perfect rate, focus on financial readiness and the right home, since refinancing later is always an option. Mortgage Rates Have Eased Since the Spring Though the slide has been bumpy, mortgage rates are considerably cheaper than they were about six months ago. The…

Key Takeaways OpenBank adds an uncommon twist to its high-yield savings account—pairing phone bill discounts with its attractive 4.20% APY.If you’re a Verizon customer, you can earn $5 to $15 in monthly credits for up to 12 months, depending on your savings balance.On a $10,000 balance, your interest earnings and bill credits could total about $540 over 12 months—nicely stacking your overall return. A Savings Account That Pays You Twice It’s rare for a savings account to help you lower a monthly bill, but that’s exactly what OpenBank is offering through a new partnership with Verizon. OpenBank’s 4.20% APY is…

Key Takeaways E.l.f Beauty, which prices 75% of its products under $10, says consumers tend to maintain their self-care routines during times of uncertainty. For now, however, investors are dumping the shares after the company’s full-year revenue outlook came in lower than expected. A big beauty brand thinks uncertain consumers won’t abandon their self-care routines this holiday season—and they might even step them up.  That’s a trend that E.l.f Beauty (ELF), which prices 75% of its products under $10, has seen in previous cycles of macroeconomic uncertainty, CFO Mandy Fields told Investopedia on Wednesday. In the meantime, however, investors are…

Tesla (TSLA) shareholders are voting this week on a new pay package for CEO Elon Musk that could be worth up to $1 trillion. The compensation comes with some fairly steep hurdles that the electric vehicle maker will need to surpass in order for Musk to collect, which could have big implications for the Magnificent 7 stock.While Musk’s 2018 pay package is currently in litigation, Tesla’s board of directors in early September outlined a new 2025 CEO pay package. The board also specified specific targets that must be hit for Musk to earn the full compensation of 423.7 million shares…

Key Takeaways “The Big Short” investor Michael Burry’s investment firm Scion owned put options on Nvidia and Palantir at the end of the third quarter, new filings show.That means Burry was at one point betting, in either the short-term or long-term, that the companies’ stocks would decline.Burry has posted messages on social media in the last week about his feelings on the AI industry, though their meaning is unclear. Michael Burry, an investor made famous by his bets against the U.S. housing market before the 2008-2009 crash and ensuing Great Recession, appears to have a new short target: the artificial…

Stocks rebounded from Tuesday’s sell-off to post across-the-board gains Wednesday, as investors re-embraced the long-term promise of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. The main U.S. equity indexes were choppy early but surged late, and eight of the 11 stock market sectors closed in the green despite murky incoming labor market data.The ADP National Employment Report showed private employers added 42,000 jobs in October, marking the first monthly gain since July, to top a consensus forecast of 30,000. September’s net job loss was revised higher to 29,000.The report divided labor market observers, even those in different parts of the same house.…

Wheat is showing mixed action, with contracts mostly weaker in the hard red contracts. The wheat market closed with strength on Monday, with all three markets closing higher. CBT soft red wheat futures were up another 9 to 10 cents. Preliminary open interest was down 1,142 contracts on Monday. KC HRW futures were 7 to 10 cents in the green at the close. OI showed some short covering, down 9,386 contracts. MPLS spring wheat futures saw 4 to 6 cent gains at the close. Monday morning’s Export Inspections report showed a total of 350,293 MT (12.87 mbu) of wheat shipped…

As November kicks off with a familiar chill of uncertainty, investors are once again grappling with renewed market volatility, fuelled by overblown AI valuations, hawkish signals, and geopolitical jitters around tariffs and supply chains. Source: Investing.com In times like these, the appeal of high-flying growth stocks can fade, replaced by a desire for stability, predictability, and tangible returns. Enter dividend stocks: reliable payers that deliver steady cash flow, acting as a buffer when prices plummet and a reward when calm returns. These aren’t flashy; they’re fortresses. For investors looking to build a moat around their portfolio, here are two dividend…

Surprising no one, and yet shocking many, avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani won the election yesterday to become Mayor of the largest city in the United States.[1] Probably the main reason for Mamdani’s victory is that he pursued the tried-and-true method of giving out free stuff, and a whole generation of Americans who have systematically been poorly educated in history and economics said “that sounds awesome.” So, now we will see whether socialism will work for the first time ever. This is an inflation blog, so I want to review briefly the effects of price controls on inflation – and indirectly,…

T-MobileFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysT-Mobile’s Text to 911 service is now available.The option is available free of charge to anyone with a compatible smartphone.T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T customers can sign up for it.Imagine you need medical help, but you’re in a remote and desolate location without traditional cell service. That’s the sort of scenario T-Mobile’s new Text to 911 satellite-based service aims to address.Launched on Tuesday, T-Mobile’s Text to 911 option is available to anyone with a compatible iPhone or Android phone. Yes, that includes Verizon and AT&T subscribers. The service is designed…