Author: Money Mechanics

Construction on the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMarkets for the first time in the current cycle now think the Federal Reserve’s next move will be an interest rate hike.Following a week of surprisingly high inflation readings, traders in the fed funds futures market are pricing in an increase as soon as December, with a much higher certainty into the early part of 2027, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool.A December hike has a nearly 51% probability, while a move higher by January…

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker pros and cons Pros Great soundNative Android and iOS castingSleek, modern design Cons Pricier than some competitorsFavors Bose’s in-house spatial audio over Atmos Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.The latest from Bose is the Lifestyle Ultra family, which includes a soundbar, a subwoofer, and a smart speaker, and I find the smart speaker to be the most interesting product in the lineup. Smart speakers for the home are increasing in popularity, and more consumers are interested in whole-home audio products with smart home features — Bose is right on time.Also: Sonos Play review: This…

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 52-year-old man who owns a business in New Mexico that sells fire equipment and apparatus. His wife is a school nurse, and he reports they have a combined income of $200,000. 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…

(Image credit: Getty Images)If booking a flight lately feels more expensive and more confusing, that’s because it is.Airfare prices are rising again, driven largely by higher jet fuel costs tied to geopolitical tensions, including the war in Iran. At the same time, airlines are leaning more heavily on dynamic pricing systems that adjust fares in real time based on demand, competition and even browsing behavior.As a result, there are fewer predictable “sweet spots” for booking and more sudden price swings that can leave travelers second guessing whether to buy now or wait. So if you’re planning summer or fall trips,…

(Image credit: Getty Images)If you have ever held on too long to a losing investment, or bought a hot stock at what proved to be exactly the wrong time, or inadvertently kept paying recurring charges for an app or subscription you no longer use, you’ve been tripped up by what behavioral economists call cognitive biases.Plain English translation: Our brains are wired in ways that sometimes cause us to take actions that aren’t good for our financial health.In doing so, you are in good company — Nobel Prize–winning company, in fact. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a…

(Image credit: Getty Images)America’s snowbirds are refusing to let inflation ground their flight. To keep their calendars filled with sunny, warm days year-round, retirees are finding creative ways to offset the rising costs of maintaining two homes.But it isn’t easy, and I should know. Until recently, my wife and I juggled two residences: one in Puerto Rico in the winter/spring months and one in Pennsylvania in the summer/autumn months. Just for starters, keeping track of bills, doctor appointments, and travel budgets proved tough, but it got easier thanks to more precise financial planning. We finally bought a property on the…

(Image credit: Getty Images)As aspirations go, retiring rich with $1 million or more is right up there with winning the lottery. And since hindsight is 20/20, we asked dozens of retired first-time millionaires what they wish they’d known before they walked out the door of their workplace for the final time.Here’s what the millionaires featured in our My First $1 Million series shared with us. You might be surprised to learn that none of the things they wish they’d known has to do with their money. (Image credit: Getty Images)No. 1: You need a purpose and a plan for how…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Not long ago, a client came to me with what sounded like a simple question:”Should I do a Roth conversion?”It’s a question I hear often — and it makes sense. Roth conversions are frequently recommended as a smart tax strategy for retirement.But after walking through this client’s situation together, it became clear that a Roth conversion might not have been the right move at that time. 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…

A $10 billion data center campus in Lebanon, Indiana, will employ about 300 people once it is operational. Meta’s facility, the company announced in February, will represent more than $10 billion in regional investment. At peak construction, the project is expected to support more than 4,000 construction jobs. Once operational, the campus will support about 300 jobs. That works out to one permanent position for every $33 million invested. Compare that to TSMC’s semiconductor complex in Phoenix, Arizona: TSMC’s total investment of $165 billion in the U.S. is expected to directly create 12,000 jobs once all sites are completed and…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. May 15, 2026 Federal Reserve Board announces approval of application by the Stephen M. Calk 2025 Trust For release at 4:30 p.m. EDT The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced its approval of the application by the Stephen M. Calk 2025 Trust, of Houston, Texas, to become a savings and loan holding company by acquiring National Bancorp Holdings, Inc., and thereby indirectly acquiring The Federal Savings Bank, both of Chicago, Illinois, as required…