Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Wells Fargo (WFC) will update its fee-waiver rules for Everyday Checking on Oct. 25, including a higher balance requirement that could make it harder for some customers to keep the account free. In November, Wells Fargo will bump the monthly fee up to $15. If you can’t easily avoid Wells Fargo’s monthly charge, consider switching to a bank with free checking—or explore other options such as high-yield checking accounts. The full article continues below these offers from our partners. What’s Changing Under Wells Fargo’s New Fee Rules Wells Fargo is updating how customers can qualify to have their…

Key Takeaways Apple’s iPhone 17 outsold the prior lineup in the U.S. and China during its first 10 days of availability, according to a report from Counterpoint Research.The base model performed particularly well in China, while many American buyers upgraded to the Pro Max version. Apple shares climbed to an all-time high Monday following a report suggesting strong demand for the company’s new iPhone 17 series in the U.S. and China, which account for the bulk of the company’s phone sales. Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 17 “far outpaces” sales of the company’s prior model, outselling the iPhone 16 by 14% during…

Key Takeaways Outdated return assumptions can distort your 401(k) projections, leaving you underprepared for retirement.Market forecasts for a 60/40 portfolio are lower than many tools assume as a default, often in the 4% to 6% range, not 8% or more.Recalibrating your plan now—by saving more or adjusting your retirement age—can dramatically improve your long-term outlook. If your retirement calculator still assumes an 8% return on your 401(k), your plan may be built on shaky math. Traditional tools often rely on outdated expectations for market performance—numbers that don’t match today’s economic outlook. And if you’re using inflated return assumptions, there’s a…

If you’re like many people, your phone is nearly glued to your hand. You use it all day to check emails, shop, browse the internet and maybe even make a call.But have you ever thought that your device could be used to store and share your identification card or driver’s license? Depending on where you live, you may be able to link your ID to your Google Wallet.We’ll share how and where this technology works. Then, you can decide if you want to go digital or keep it old school and continue using your physical ID. From just $107.88 $24.99…

Key Takeaways The U.S. government shutdown entered its 20th day Monday, lengthening an ever-growing list of skipped economic reports.Investors are increasingly in the dark about everything from job creation to grain exports as statistical agencies stay shuttered.Economists see a growing risk that important economic data for October will never be produced. As the government shutdown drags on, the list of skipped economic reports grows longer by the day, leaving the public and policymakers in a data fog.The government shut down Oct. 1 after Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill couldn’t come to a funding agreement. The shutdown closed much…

Key Takeaways A debt-swap deal left Beyond Meat’s stock for dead—before the meme-stock crowd moved in.The shares jumped Monday, the latest indication of some traders’ penchant for risk even as other pockets of Wall Street are growing more cautious. Whatever the investor appetite for meat alternatives is, plenty have a hankering for risk. Shares of Beyond Meat (BYND) show it. Retail investors are crowding into the name, bidding to revive the plant-based burger and sausage maker’s beaten-down stock as a meme. Trading volumes in its shares and options started to surge last week, and are now at multiples of their…

Key Takeaways Analysts at Oppenheimer updated their targets on shares of Alphabet and Meta this weekend, saying they prefer the former to the latter.They cited what they saw as a friendlier valuation on Alphabet’s shares, as well as more conservative Street estimates. You don’t necessarily have to choose between the stocks of two Big Tech giants—but if you must, Oppenheimer has a pick for you. Shares of both Google parent Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Meta Platforms (META), owner of Facebook and Instagram, have been strong performers this year, outpacing the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS) and the S&P 500. Still,…

Key Takeaways Cleveland-Cliffs shares rocketed higher Monday afternoon after the steelmaker showed interested in mining rare earths, saying that two of its sites show promise.The steelmaker also reported a narrower-than-anticipated quarterly loss. Shares of Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) popped 20% Monday afternoon after it shared some news along with its third-quarter earnings: The steelmaker said it wants to get into the rare earths mining business. CEO Lourenco Goncalves said “the renewed importance of rare earths has driven us to re-focus on this potential opportunity at our upstream mining assets.” He added that after looking at its mines, the company believes sites in…

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose more than 2% on Monday to retake the $110,000 level, giving crypto stocks a boost and lifting hopes that this month’s jolt in markets was a speed bump rather than signaling a broader turn in the cycle. “Bitcoin is currently in a re-accumulation phase following its short-term correction, with market sentiment stabilizing and institutional demand remaining resilient,” Linh Tran, market analyst at online broker XS.com, wrote on Monday. Along with bitcoin’s rise, Strategy (MSTR) stock gained more than 4% after the company disclosed it bought 168 bitcoins at an average price of $112,051 between Oct. 13 and…

In-brief analysis October 20, 2025 U.S. natural gas pipeline exports to Mexico averaged 7.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in May 2025, the most of any month on record as Mexico’s demand for natural gas, particularly in the electric power sector, increases. On an annual basis, U.S. natural gas pipeline exports to Mexico averaged 6.4 Bcf/d in 2024, a 25% increase compared with 2019 and the highest on record in data going back as early as 1975. Total consumption of natural gas in Mexico increased from 7.7 Bcf/d to 8.6 Bcf/d during the same…