Author: Money Mechanics

Cash-Back Rewards Card Types  Card Type Reward Structure Pros Cons Flat-rate cards  A single percentage of cash back on all purchases, regardless of type (e.g., 1.5% flat rate), that is automatically earned each billing cycle Simple, predictable, and easy to track No incentive to spend money in certain categories Tiered cards   Higher percentages of cash back on specific fixed categories (e.g., 3% on groceries, 2% on gas, 1% on all other purchases) that are automatically earned each billing cycle Higher rewards for common spending categories May not get the best rewards on your most frequent purchases Rotating category cards   A…

In early July, like they’ve done so often before, investors focused on Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and their latest 13F filing. A 13F is a quarterly disclosure of equity holdings by institutional investors with more than $100 million under management.Most headlines focused on Buffett’s new position in the troubled health care giant UnitedHealth Group (UNH), which was dealing with the assassination of a business unit CEO and a Department of Justice probe.What caught some investors off guard, however, was new exposure to major U.S. homebuilders. The filing revealed roughly $800 million invested in Lennar (LEN) and about $190 million…

Key Takeaways Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s proposal for a $2,000 tariff “dividend” could be paid to families making $100,000 or less a year.Bessent acknowledged in the interview that no decision had been made on the stimulus proposal. New details are emerging over how a stimulus proposal from President Donald Trump could take shape. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday that Trump is considering a stimulus check of $2,000 for families making $100,000 a year or less. Those income levels would be similar to the qualifications for COVID stimulus checks, said…

Major U.S. equities indexes were mixed at midday Wednesday ahead of a vote to fund the federal government and end the 43-day shutdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to a record high but they Nasdaq and S&P 500 were lower.  Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) shares surged 9% to lead the S&P 500 after the chipmaker issued upbeat targets at its first analyst day. Shares of On Holding (ONON) jumped 20% after the Roger Federer-backed Swiss sneaker maker reported better-than-expected results and raised its full-year outlook for a third straight quarter. International Business Machines (IBM) shares gained about 2% when…

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.1 It is an honor and a pleasure to be here with you in Singapore, a crossroads for global trade and finance, to discuss the transformational nature of artificial intelligence (AI). Like other central banks around the world, including the Monetary Authority of Singapore, we at the Federal Reserve have been exploring the use of AI in our operations for quite some time as well as considering the implications of AI’s adoption for the financial sector and the broader economy. At the Fed, we’ve been interested in the effects of AI…

As fears of an AI bubble intensify, smart investors are rotating into steadier, non-tech opportunities with reliable cash flows and attractive valuations. For those looking to diversify away from the froth, here are three such stocks to consider.1. Coca-ColaYear-To-Date Performance: +15% Market Cap: $308 Billion Coca-Cola (NYSE:) remains the ultimate consumer moat, trading at just 23x forward earnings—below its 10-year average (27x)—with a reliable 2.89% dividend yield ($2.04 annual payout) backed by 55 consecutive years of payout increases. Source: Investing.com Coca-Cola’s recent financial performance demonstrates remarkable consistency and growth acceleration across key metrics that validate the company’s strategic transformation. Q3…

An aerial view of a housing development on Aug. 8, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesAs the housing market heads into its traditionally slowest season, homebuyers are making one last gasp, likely due to more supply on the market and softening prices.Mortgage applications to purchase a home rose 6% last week to their strongest pace since September, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Volume was 31% higher than the same week one year ago.This came despite the fact that the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $806,500 or…

MirageC / Moment / Getty ImagesFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Business leaders are discovering that the traditional playbook for sales productivity is failing, and businesses need to shift their focus from raw output to genuine effectiveness. Also: Is AI a career killer? Not if you have these skills, McKinsey research showsTo understand this evolution, SpiceWorks’ Head Brand Ambassador, Jeff Gretler, and Maria Groeschel, Global Head of Commercial Strategy and Operations at Dropbox, discussed the rising challenges and needs for innovation in sales today in a 30-minute Executive 1-on-1 video for SpiceWorks.The problem with fragmentation  One of the top problems…

Key Takeaways Advanced Micro Devices hosted its first analyst day yesterday, where the chipmaker unveiled rosy new targets fueled by booming AI demand.AMD said it now believes its total addressable AI market could be over $1 trillion by 2030, up from a previous target of $500 billion by 2028. Advanced Micro Devices shares are getting a boost from its outlook. The stock was up about 10% in early trading Wednesday, leading gains on the S&P 500 after the chipmaker yesterday unveiled ambitious new targets at its first analyst day. (Read our daily markets coverage here.) Chip stocks were broadly rising, too, with…

Key Takeways Debt in retirement can quickly erode your fixed income, limiting how much you can spend on essentials like healthcare and everyday living. Paying off high-interest debt like credit cards first can help you save more since the interest you’re charged often outweighs investment returns. Balance transfer cards can offer temporary relief from a high APR, but only if you pay off the balance before the 0% APR introductory period ends. Depending on what type of debt and how much of it you have, debt can hamper you financially in retirement, eroding your fixed income. A recent study from…