Author: Money Mechanics

Terry Landers’ pickleball injuries include two concussions, a broken wrist, a shoulder injury, a torn thumb and a black eye. None of those disasters kept her from the court. In fact, she had both knees replaced so she could keep playing.The 69-year-old from Bridgeton, Maine, has always been athletic, playing tennis, soccer and softball. She was drawn to pickleball about a decade ago because it was a sport she could play year-round in Maine, and the community she found on the courts kept her coming back.She blames her shoes for two hospital visits, saying they caught on the surface of…

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 married and retired engineering manager in Chapel Hill, N.C.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, answering questions to help our…

(Image credit: Getty Images)What does the Federal Reserve’s rate-reduction initiative mean in the short run for your fixed-income holdings?You’ll recall that one year ago, the Fed cut three times, starting by hacking its benchmark overnight funds rate by 0.50 percentage point in September. The year ended with bond markets and fund returns in retreat. It’s wishful thinking that cheaper short-term credit and falling money market yields will spark a general bond-buying binge and propel your 2025 total returns toward 10% by year-end.My judgment is that long-dated bonds are expensive and risky and that we are set for an encore of…

It was easy to live off investment income if you retired in the 1970s and early 1980s. After all, interest rates were in the high double digits back then, and pensions were the norm. Even CDs and Treasury bonds gave you a nice return.That’s not the case today. Interest rates are nowhere near that — CDs are yielding around 4% — but it’s still possible to live off investment interest with the “Common Man” rule of retirement spending.Sure, it’s not going to make you rich, but with this approach, your retirement savings pay you regularly and you don’t have to…

(Image credit: Getty Images)The U.S. stock market has been notching new highs, which tends to kick up the likelihood of a market pullback (defined as a drop of 5% to 10%) or even a correction (a 10% to 20% sell-off). That’s where the JPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF (JQUA) comes in.The fund – a member of the Kiplinger ETF 20, our favorite exchange-traded funds, invests in high-quality U.S. companies with robust profit margins and little debt. Over the past five years, the portfolio of 200-odd stocks has consistently held up better than the S&P 500 Index in down markets.In the…

Key Takeaways The new name, image, and likeness (NIL) guidelines allow college athletes to make money from sponsorships, social media, and brand deals.A revenue-sharing lawsuit allows schools to share a percentage of their athletic revenue with players.With money playing a larger role in school sports, athletes will face more pressure. Many people know how well certain professional athletes are paid. But it may come as a surprise to know that now, college athletes are also earning income. Due to the name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules and a revenue-sharing settlement, college athletes are bringing home paychecks. This is changing the…

(Image credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for NYCWFF)Few companies have Coca-Cola’s (KO) track record when it comes to returning cash to shareholders, but as a defensive dividend machine, KO stock hasn’t been able to keep up with the broader market over the past couple of decades.The Buy-rated Dow Jones stock remains one of Wall Street’s favorite names in the consumer staples sector, but truly long-term shareholders would have been better off putting their cash in an S&P 500 index fund.That might come as something of a surprise given Coca-Cola’s global reach and impeccable blue-chip credentials. After all, no less an investing…

Key Takeaways 93% of workers want 401(k) plans to offer lifetime income options, according to a study. Still, lifetime income can come from sources like Social Security, pensions, annuities, and thoughtfully planned withdrawal strategies using bonds, investments, or income-focused funds. A sustainable withdrawal strategy also involves thinking about spending needs and tax implications, as well as building a reliable income floor. You’ve spent decades building your nest egg, but how do you turn that lump sum into a paycheck that lasts? According to a 2025 Nuveen and TIAA Institute study, nearly all 401(k) participants (93%) say they want retirement plans…

Key Takeaways If you’ve worked hard to save $30,000 or more, it’s time to make that money work for you. A high-yield savings account can pay 13 times more than a traditional savings account, which often pays nearly 0% interest. By switching to an account that pays 4.50% APY (or better), you could earn hundreds of dollars more every year, helping to grow your savings faster. Consider high-yield savings accounts, high-yield checking accounts, and even money market accounts, which all pay high rates from 4.00% to 6.75%. For many, saving $30,000 can take years to achieve. In fact, the median…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the UK banks myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.British banks expect their capital requirements to be eased as a result of a landmark review to be published by the Bank of England next week.Pressure has been mounting on the central bank to give lenders some relief on capital, after calls by ministers and City of London executives for a more pro-growth approach to free up more lending and as the US waters down banking regulation.Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week wrote to BoE governor Andrew Bailey welcoming its review of capital…