Author: Money Mechanics

Until recently, lenders that sell mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that guarantee about half of U.S. mortgage debt, could review credit scores only from FICO to help determine whether an applicant qualifies for a loan. But now those lenders also have the option of using VantageScore, a competing score owned by the three major credit-reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion).FICO and VantageScore evaluate many of the same criteria to create scores, including an applicant’s record of on-time loan and credit card payments, but their formulas differ.The version of VantageScore that mortgage lenders may now review,…

Key Takeaways GMO, founded by veteran value investor Jeremy Grantham builds investment strategies on the premise that all asset classes eventually revert to their historical means.Co-head of asset allocation John Thorndike says investors don’t need to “hide out,” but should avoid the most expensive parts of the global market. Last week’s action in stocks illustrated investor worries about high valuations. Those worries are reasons for restraint, a fund manager told Investopedia, but not alarm. “High valuations offer both lower expected returns and higher risk than fairly valued or cheap markets,” said John Thorndike, a portfolio manager at GMO, in an…

Get ready for a four-day trading week—if you trade bonds. With several key economic reports expected to be delayed by the government shutdown, investors will this week focus largely on corporate earnings reports. And some will get a short break: Bond markets, banks and government offices will close Tuesday for the Veterans Day holiday, though stock markets will remain open. Earnings from Walt Disney, CoreWeave, Sony, Cisco, and Applied Materials highlight this week’s corporate calendar. The small business optimism survey for October comes as market watchers are paying attention to how economic pressures are impacting small firms. The monthly federal…

Key Takeaways Warren Buffett made his first stock purchase at age 11. You might set a different target for your child: when they earn their first paycheck. Buffett’s favorite holding period is “forever.” That means buying quality companies and waiting patiently through market ups and downs to let compounding work its magic. Warren Buffett, the “Oracle of Omaha,” made his first stock purchase when he was just 11 years old. Today, his net worth stands at over $140 billion. While most young investors won’t match those gains, Buffett’s core advice remains very straightforward: start early, stay patient, and only invest…

Getty Images Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. IKEA, with its massive global footprint, stands out as a company capable of remarkable growth while consistently keeping prices low relative to inflation. In fiscal year 2025, IKEA reported staggering total revenue of over $51.213 billion. Despite the pressures of inflation that challenge all companies, IKEA’s eccentric leadership team leads by example, steering the company through turbulent economic waters. IKEA’s founder and former CEO, Ingvar Kamprad, was renowned for his extreme frugality. He bought clothes from flea markets, recycled tea bags, and…

As of early Friday morning, (December contract) are trading near $3,999, after a week of volatile but technically structured trading within the VC PMI AI parameters. The market continues to oscillate around the daily pivot point of $3,998, signaling an area of mean reversion equilibrium. The price range between $3,935.7 (low) and $4,059.9 (high) defines the most recent short-term trading corridor as gold prepares for its next cyclical move. The VC PMI AI daily structure identifies:Buy 2: $3,942 Buy 1: $3,966 Pivot: $3,998 Sell 1: $4,022 Sell 2: $4,054Meanwhile, the weekly framework defines Buy 1 at $3,891 and Sell 1…

There are now only three months until Artemis returns to New York on February 6th 2026 for the tenth insurance-linked securities conference in the ILS NYC series. Around one-third of tickets are already sold for ILS NYC 2026, but the Early Bird rate is still available and we wanted to give an idea of who you can meet if you register to attend.The annual New York conference is our flagship ILS industry event of the year and among the biggest events in the world dedicated to the catastrophe bond and insurance-linked securities asset class. ILS NYC is well-known for the…

A Union flag flutters from a pole atop the Bank of England, in the City of London on August 7, 2025. Niklas Halle’n | Afp | Getty ImagesLONDON — The Bank of England on Thursday voted narrowly to hold interest rates steady, exercising caution ahead of the government’s Autumn Budget in November.Out of the BOE’s nine-member monetary policy committee, five members voted to hold the key interest rate, known as Bank Rate, at 4%, while four opted for a 25 basis point cut.The vote was slimmer than expected with economists polled by Reuters expecting a 6-3 split in favor of…

A rough week for tech stocks might signal a loss of investor confidence in artificial intelligence. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Nasdaq Composite Index was down 3% — making this its worst week since President Donald Trump announced his sweeping tariff plan in April. Tech companies that have otherwise performed well this year were among those hardest hit, with Palantir’s stock price falling 11% this week, Oracle declining by 9%, and Nvidia losing 7%. These drops also come after earnings reports in which Meta and Microsoft indicated that they plan to continue spending heavily on AI (both companies…

(World Oil)– Civitas Resources Inc. reported strong financial and operating results for the third quarter of 2025, driven by higher production, lower costs, and continued balance sheet strength. The company earned net income of $177 million, generated $860 million in operating cash flow, and achieved Adjusted EBITDAX of $855 million, exceeding internal forecasts. Oil and total production volumes rose 6% from the second quarter to 158,000 bpd of oil and 336,000 boed overall, while cash operating expenses fell 5% to $9.67/boe. The results came as Civitas advanced key development programs across the Permian and DJ basins, and finalized its previously…