Author: Money Mechanics

A 3x leveraged product tied to AMD just went to zero. And investors who bet against the chipmaker have been completely wiped out. The fund, which is designed to deliver triple the inverse of AMD’s daily return, imploded after the stock surged following the announcement of its deal with OpenAI. It’s a textbook example of the risks that investors often unknowingly take when betting on leveraged and inverse ETFs. They can magnify downside risk, decay in value over time and ultimately self-destruct if the markets move in the wrong direction. Many traders don’t fully understand how leveraged products work or…

In-brief analysis October 15, 2025 We expect energy expenditures this winter will vary based on a home’s main space heating fuel: homes heating with natural gas will pay about the same amount for natural gas as they did last winter, but homes heating with electricity will pay more than they did last winter. Homes heating with propane or heating oil will pay less than they did last winter. Trends in retail energy prices account for most of the changes in heating expenditures in our Winter Fuels Outlook, released today. We expect weather this winter will…

Generated by AIThe U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September inflation data release was scheduled to occur on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, but at this point it has been postponed until October 24th, due to the government shutdown. Despite the shutdown, the Labor Department is recalling some employees to finalize the inflation data. Much of the information was already collected before the government closed, meaning it can still be processed and published relatively quickly.September Inflation Data Holds the Key to 2026 Social Security COLAThe Labor Department’s September inflation report is critical because it is used to calculate the 2026 Social Security…

Last Week In A Nutshell Rates ended the week about 10 bps lower following renewed trade tensions with China. Upcoming Attractions  This is a light week, especially if the shutdown continues. CPI report: Originally scheduled for Wednesday, but will be released October 24, regardless of when the government re-opens because the data is used to determine cost of living increases for social security recipients. Fed speakers: Fifteen Fed speaking engagements this week, including Chair Powell’s speech at the NABE conference earlier today, where he predicted an end to the Fed’s balance sheet runoff in coming months. Postponed if shutdown continues:…

Key Takeaways Domino’s posted quarterly earnings that topped analysts’ estimates, thanks in part to promotions and demand for its stuffed-crust pizza.Domino’s also announced a rebranding last week, including a new jingle by Grammy-nominated singer Shaboozey. There’s a cheesy reason for Domino’s Pizza’s better-than-expected earnings. The pizza delivery giant said the popularity of its stuffed-crust pizza and promotions helped drive its strong quarterly results. Domino’s (DPZ) reported earnings per share of $4.08 for the third quarter on revenue that rose 6.2% year-over-year to $1.15 billion. Both figures were ahead of analysts’ estimates compiled by Visible Alpha, with CEO Russell Weiner attributing…

Key Takeaways Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said data show the job market deteriorating, suggesting he and other Fed officials will be willing to cut the central bank’s key interest rate in the coming months to boost the job market.The Fed is tasked with maintaining price stability and preventing a surge in unemployment.Federal officials are attempting to strike a balance between the need to stimulate the job market by lowering rates and the risk that tariffs could spark inflation, all while lacking data that helps their decision-making. Financial markets widely expect the Federal Reserve to cut borrowing costs again later…

Key Takeaways Use flexible rewards cards that allows you to transfer rewards to multiple hotel programs and focus on those offering the best redemption rates. Make the most of your rewards credit card. You may be eligible for a free-night certificate on a hotel stay on your card anniversary. Consider paying with cash and points. You could end up paying a a lower rate on your stay than if you paid with all points or rewards. Want to enjoy the beaches in Thailand or visit the colosseum in Rome, but don’t have the cash on hand to actually book the…

Stock futures pointed higher Wednesday, a day after a tumultuous session that saw major indexes close mostly lower on U.S.-China trade tensions.  Futures associated with the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.9%, 0.7%, and 0.5%, respectively. Yesterday, the tech-heavy Nasdaq and benchmark S&P 500 closed down 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively, while the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.4% higher. Indexes were volatile Tuesday, with the S&P 500 turning lower in the last half hour of trading after President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social network that “I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for…

HSAs or Health Savings Accounts provide a powerful triple tax benefit — on contributions, growth, and withdrawals — but they remain a woefully underused retirement tool.They are so underutilized that Fidelity Investments found that one in two Americans is unfamiliar with the HSA and its triple tax benefits. There’s even a National HSA Awareness Day, which falls on October 15 each year, to spread the word about the benefits of this tax-advantaged savings tool.“It’s drastically underutilized,” says Jessica Nino, a financial advisor at Edward Jones. “Anyone currently not on Medicare on a high deductible qualifying plan can have one.” From…

Defining success in philanthropy depends entirely on the goals an investor is trying to achieve, whether these are social, wealth transfer, personal or tax-deductibility objectives.With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), new tax rules and opportunities are now available to help investors reach their goals.OBBB’s key changes to charitable givingThe OBBB introduced four important changes to tax laws affecting charitable giving: 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 best of expert advice on investing, taxes,…