Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways ChatGPT can be a resource for retirement planning questions, but it doesn’t replace the advice of a human financial advisor. When using ChatGPT for research, be sure to check the sources of the information ChatGPT is using to answer your question. Take your ChatGPT answers with you as you discuss your in-depth retirement plans with a human financial advisor. ChatGPT is ready for your retirement planning questions. It can provide answers on subjects such as deciding when to collect Social Security, estimating medical costs, and choosing which retirement accounts to tap first to minimize taxes. But should you…

It’s no secret that Florida property tax bills are on the rise, but that might change in the new year.Gov. Ron DeSantis has repeatedly called for a “concrete proposal” on the state’s 2026 ballot to reduce or eliminate property taxes. After all, voters must approve any major changes to the Florida property tax system with a 60% “yes” vote.However, some local officials argue that eliminating the property tax in Florida is problematic, particularly since jurisdictions rely heavily on property taxes to fund school, health, and other public service programs. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter,…

Key Takeaways Intel shares are trading at their highest level in 18 months, with the latest gains sparked by a report the company is in early-stage talks to manufacture chips for rival Advanced Micro Devices. The relative strength index confirms upward price momentum in the stock, though the indicator sits in overbought territory, which could potentially lead to near-term profit taking.Investors should watch major overhead areas on Intel’s chart around $42 and $50, while also tracking key support levels near $30 and $26. Intel (INTC) shares are trading at their highest level in 18 months, with the latest gains sparked by…

Tesla (TSLA) reported blowout third quarter global deliveries, as the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit in the US likely juiced sales. Tesla said Q3 deliveries came in at 497,099, easily topping Bloomberg consensus estimates of around 439,800 and the 462,890 units delivered a year ago. Tesla said Q3’s total was a new quarterly record for the company. Tesla stock was up 3% in early trade. Read more: How to avoid the sticker shock on Tesla car insurance Tesla also said global production came in at 447,450. The company deployed a record 12.5 gigawatt-hours of energy storage products. Tesla’s…

Pharmaceutical stocks rose sharply on Thursday, boosted by a nearly 7% rally from Pfizer, which reached a key agreement with the Trump administration.Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will sell the “vast majority” of its primary care treatments and some of its specialty products at a 50% to 85% discount on the new government direct drug purchasing website, TrumpRx. Pfizer will also sell lower-cost drugs to state Medicaid programs.The deal has had a profoundly positive impact because it will allow Pfizer to avoid the 100% tariffs on pharmaceuticals that were set to take effect yesterday.At the same time, these…

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that U.S. economic growth could be hurt by the government shutdown.”This isn’t the way to have a discussion, shutting down the government and lowering the GDP,” Bessent said during a CNBC “Squawk Box” interview. “We could see a hit to the GDP, a hit to growth and a hit to working America.”The Cabinet official spoke on the second day of the government closure as the two warring sides in Washington, D.C. have yet to come to an agreement on a continuing resolution that would allow spending and operations to proceed.Growth in the U.S. has…

Key Takeaways The 2026 COLA announcement is expected in October, but the inflation data used to calculate it could be delayed by the government shutdown.The agency responsible for the CPI inflation data had to cease operations due to the shutdown.Millions of Americans count on Social Security as their only source of income. Retirees anxious to learn how much Social Security’s 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will be may have to wait due to the federal government shutdown. The 2026 COLA announcement is expected in October. However, it’s calculated with inflation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the agency said…

KEY TAKEAWAYS Walmart said Wednesday that it is working to remove synthetic dyes from all its private-label products, including Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed, and bettergoods, by January 2027.The retailer also said it plans to eliminate 30 other ingredients, including  some preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes, from its store-brand foods.  The world’s largest retailer is joining the trend of moving away from synthetic dyes to natural alternatives.  Walmart (WMT) said Wednesday that it is working to remove synthetic dyes from all its private-label products, including Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed, and bettergoods, by January 2027. The retailer also said it…

(Oil Price) – Crude oil inventories in the United States increased by 1.8 million barrels during the week ending September 26, after shrinking by 600,000 barrels in the week prior, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released on Wednesday. The increase brings commercial stockpiles to 416.5 million barrels according to government data, which is still 4% below the five-year average for this time of year. The EIA’s data release follows API’s figures that were released a day earlier, which suggested that crude oil inventories contracted by 3.674 million barrels. Crude prices were trading down on Wednesday morning in the…

Whether retirement is a few decades away or a few years, it’s important to start thinking about it and taking action as early as you can. We connected with multiple financial planners and advisors to understand what the best methods were for saving for retirement and developing a spending plan. These were some of the top strategies they recommended to their clients. Start With Online Retirement Calculators Not sure where to start with your retirement planning? Get an estimate of how you’re doing with your retirement plans with online calculators. However, you’ll need to do some research and dig deep…