Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways If you contribute the 2026 individual retirement account (IRA) limit of $7,500 every year from age 27 to 67, investing fully in an S&P 500 index fund, you could end up with roughly $1.38 million, assuming that past annual inflation-adjusted returns match future ones. A more conservative 60/40 portfolio of U.S. stocks and bonds, respectively, would yield a much smaller nest egg—just over $882,000—with an average annual return of 4.89%. In 2026, you can contribute up to $7,500 to you IRAs, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (If you’re 50 or older, you can contribute $1,100 more…

(World Oil) – Chevron Corp., the only major U.S. oil company left in Venezuela, wants to remain in the sanctioned country for the long-term and sees a role in rebuilding its economy when the time is right. “The kinds of swings that you see in places like Venezuela are challenging but we play a long game,” Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth said at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington DC on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Venezuela’s socialist leader Nicolas Maduro by encircling the South American nation with warships. The show of force designed to combat…

KEY TAKEAWAYS The Grad PLUS program will be sunset starting the next school year. At the same time, some graduate students will see the amount they can borrow at the federal level reduced.Before taking out loans, graduate students should explore grants and scholarships, as well as opportunities to work for their school and federal tax breaks. If those options are exhausted, state-based and private lenders provide alternative options to federal student loans. Starting next school year, graduate students will no longer have access to a key federal loan program to help them pay for their education, and many will need…

Key Takeaways An energy technology firm got a boost from an overseas sale, and a chip giant’s shares rose ahead of its highly anticipated earnings report on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.Shares of GE Vernova powered higher after the company signed its first wind repower agreement outside the U.S.Regulators in Connecticut voted to block Eversource Energy’s sale of its water subsidiary, and shares of the utility company dropped. Major U.S. equities indexes ticked higher Wednesday, with Nvidia (NVDA) rising 2.9% to lead chip stocks higher ahead of the AI darling’s highly anticipated quarterly results after the bell. The S&P 500 rose…

Key Takeaways Walmart is scheduled to share its third-quarter results and discuss its outlook with investors early Thursday.The retailer will weigh in during a time when many are looking for more clarity on consumers’ health. Given its scale, Walmart’s results and outlook are a useful barometer. Walmart’s going through plenty these days—but so are its customers. Both topics are likely to take center stage when the retail giant reports its third-quarter results on Thursday. The update comes during a time of transition for both the company and the economy. Walmart’s (WMT) long-time CEO Doug McMillon will step down at the…

Key Takeaways Chances of a Fed rate cut for December fell after minutes from the most recent Fed meeting revealed more members opposed another rate cut that month than were for it.Fed officials are divided about whether to lower rates to save the job market or keep them higher for longer to fight inflation.FOMC members are working with limited data because the government shutdown delayed or cancelled key economic reports. A Federal Reserve rate cut in December is looking less likely as minutes from the Fed’s most recent policy committee meeting show its members are sharply divided about how to…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Stocks rallied hard to start Wednesday, but the enthusiasm quickly faded as market participants looked ahead to tonight’s highly anticipated earnings report from Nvidia and tomorrow morning’s delayed release of the September jobs report.At the close, the broader S&P 500 was 0.4% higher at 6,642 and the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average had added 0.1% to 46,138 – snapping their four-day losing streaks – while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was up 0.6% at 22,564.Nvidia’s third-quarter results and forward guidance will give Wall Street a better read on demand for artificial intelligence chips, particularly amid growing concerns…

Key Takeaways The U.S. trade deficit shrank by 24% in August, according to a delayed report released Wednesday. The improvement in the trade deficit is expected to boost economic growth, according to forecasts. The U.S. trade deficit fell sharply in August as newly released information showed imports are declining in the wake of President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging tariff policies.  The trade deficit fell by nearly 24% in August, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data. The delayed report showed the difference between imports and exports narrowed by $18.6 billion to a total of $59.6 billion. Why This Matters for the Economy…

The financial professionals who contribute to Kiplinger’s Adviser Intel are always here to make sure you have the information you need to make critical decisions about your retirement planning, estate planning and tax planning.Daniel Goodwin, chief investment strategist at Provident Wealth Advisors, often writes about real estate investing vehicles such as 1031 exchanges and Delaware statutory trusts (DSTs).Recently, he wrote about how DSTs can shift your wealth into a higher gear. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters Profit and prosper with the…

Key Takeaways ChatGPT offered solid guidance about considering your time horizon when deciding where to put $10,000 in savings. But when we we asked ChatGPT for the highest rates it could find, its top pick trailed Investopedia’s in almost every major savings category. Because our team checks rates from 200+ institutions every business day, Investopedia’s savings and CD rankings stay fresher and go deeper than what ChatGPT can quickly surface. What ChatGPT Got Right About Saving $10K When we asked ChatGPT where to park $10,000 in savings, it didn’t give reckless or inaccurate advice. In fact, it started by asking…