Author: Money Mechanics

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The stunning success of the liberal D66 party in Dutch parliamentary elections last week is a good outcome for the Netherlands and for Europe as a whole. The pro-EU centrist party won 26 seats, almost triple its tally from the previous ballot in 2023. It is on level-pegging with the far-right Freedom party, which lost nearly a third of its MPs after voters punished its role in one of the most quarrelsome and ineffectual coalition governments in recent times. The final result…

Beth Pinsker is a certified financial planner, MarketWatch columnist and author of My Mother’s Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving, a new book that comes out November 4. She spoke to Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine about how best to manage a loved one’s financial affairs when they become seriously ill — and the importance of talking openly about estate planning before it becomes an emergency.Kiplinger: Your new book is about becoming a financial caregiver for your mother after she grew seriously ill due to complications from spinal surgery. What is financial caregiving? BP: Financial caregiving is when you step into…

Key Takeaways Sebring and surrounding Highlands County offer a lower cost of living than Florida’s larger cities and many other Sunbelt retirement destinations.Famous for its auto racing track, Sebring has numerous other attractions, including museums, art galleries, and a historic downtown.Outdoorsy types will enjoy its parks, lakes, and golf courses.Sebring’s county offers over 200 healthcare establishments and is within driving distance of several larger cities, including Orlando and Tampa. Sebring, Florida, a small city in the center of the state about 90 miles south of Orlando, stands out as an affordable and attractive retirement destination. With a population of under…

Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision, along with expectations that the Fed could cut interest rates again before the end of the year, may put more downward pressure on mortgage rates — finally providing a little relief for would-be homebuyers.A 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.3% for the week ended Oct. 24, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.Although mortgage rates are now at their lowest level since September 2024, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is still significantly higher compared to the under-3% levels near the start of the pandemic.Those relatively high mortgage rates, along with high home prices and uncertainty about…

If you overpay the IRS in taxes during the year, they’ll typically return your money in the form of a tax refund. And the IRS refunds taxpayers to the tune of billions of dollars every year. For the 2025 tax filing season, the IRS refunded more than $311 billion to taxpayers as of October 17. The average refund amount was $3,052. While getting a lump sum of money from the IRS after you file your taxes may seem like a pleasant surprise, it’s actually better to avoid overpaying taxes, as you’re essentially extending the federal government an interest-free loan. So…

Key Takeaways The average retirement savings range widely by age, from just a few thousand dollars in your 20s to several hundred thousand by your 60s. Middle-class Americans have saved a median of $67,000, while Vanguard says the median balance in its defined contribution plans is just over $38,000. Catch-up strategies depend on your stage of life—including boosting contributions, taking advantage of employer matches, and adjusting down your investment risks as you age. While younger generations are starting to save earlier than ever, the typical nest egg still falls short of what’s needed to retire comfortably. Indeed, many may not…

(Oil Price)– The government of Mozambique may not agree with the latest estimate for an LNG project led by TotalEnergies, which said earlier this week the price tag for the facility had gone up by $4.5 billion. The French supermajor attributed the cost increase to the four years, during which work on Mozambique LNG was suspended following a deadly attack by Islamist militants that promoted a force majeure. TotalEnergies lifted the force majeure this week but said the delay had caused a significant cost increase and asked the local government to extend the construction and production timetable for the project…

Key Takeaways Several cloud providers forecast their capital expenditures would continue to grow—possibly at an even faster rate—next year as they build the data centers required to train and run AI models.AI features have unexpectedly boosted business units that, just a couple of years ago, Wall Street thought might be disrupted by the technology.Executives attempted to alleviate Wall Street’s growing concerns about customer concentration. Earnings season kicked into high gear last week when five of the Magnificent Seven members with a combined market value of over $15 trillion reported results. The tech titans—Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN),…

Key Takeaways The 60/40 portfolio no longer reflects modern market dynamics, according to José Minaya of BNY.A better model is a 50/30/20 portfolio that balances equities, bonds, and alternatives, he says.AI-powered investing may help investors manage complexity and improve performance. For decades, the 60/40 portfolio—60% stocks and 40% bonds—was considered the gold standard for balanced investing. It aimed to combine the long-term growth potential of equities with the general stability of bonds. But according to José Minaya, global head of investments and wealth at BNY, that approach may no longer fit today’s complex markets. “The old diversification is … 60/40…

Key Takeaways High income doesn’t guarantee financial stability, as individuals earning six figures live paycheck to paycheck.Among Americans earning $300,000 or more, about 40% report living paycheck to paycheck.As a result of competing financial priorities, higher‑income earners may contribute less to retirement, infrequently save, or delay retirement timelines. When we think of living paycheck to paycheck, we often picture those in lower-income brackets struggling to make ends meet. But Goldman Sachs’ Retirement Survey and Insights Report challenges that assumption.  Data shows that while 57% of earners with an annual income of $50,000 or less live paycheck to paycheck, 40% of…