Author: Money Mechanics

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s annual Economic Policy Symposium bills itself as a “venue for international central bankers, Federal Reserve officials, other policymakers and academics to discuss issues of mutual concern.”But normies really just care about what Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has to say in his speech Friday morning.After all, when the Fed chief speaks, markets listen. And that’s especially true at this particularly delicate time for both the economy and the independence of the Federal Reserve. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free…

The start of summer is a reminder that we’re almost halfway through the year. For investors, the first six months have seen stocks make sharp moves higher and lower. However, for all the ups and downs, the S&P 500 is essentially flat in 2025. That’s because the same issues that were concerns in January (e.g., inflation, interest rates, tariffs) continue to weigh on markets. Add in new geopolitical concerns, and it’s not surprising that stocks are behaving in a choppy fashion. An optimistic view is that even with minimal growth so far in 2025, the S&P 500 stands within 5%…

This week, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the roll out of eGates to speed up the identity verification process travelers do before going through the security screening. Starting at a handful of the country’s busiest airports, the first eGates will be operated by CLEAR, the company behind the accelerated security screening program called CLEAR+.The eGates, currently available exclusively to CLEAR+ members, are the latest in a series of moves by the TSA to make your time spent going through airport security shorter and less tedious as it gears up for an influx of travel during the 2026 FIFA World…

In-brief analysis July 18, 2025 Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2025 (AEO2025) In our recently published Annual Energy Outlook 2025 (AEO2025), we introduce our new Carbon Capture, Allocation, Transportation, and Sequestration module (CCATS), which allows us to model carbon capture in the coming decades. The CCATS module allocates projected supply of captured CO2 across the energy system for either enhanced oil recovery or geologic storage using a network representation of capture facilities, transshipment points, and sequestration sites. In AEO2025, we project CO2 capture at electric power and industrial…

Fed Officials Signal Possible September Rate Cut Amid Labor Softness: Three Fed policymakers — Daly (SF), Cook (Board), and Kashkari (Minneapolis) — expressed concern about a slowing labor market, citing weak July job gains and downward revisions to previous months. Daly noted the labor market has “softened” and said policy “will likely need to adjust” in the coming months. Markets are increasingly pricing in a September rate cut, with some officials now projecting two cuts before year-end. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority – SEPTA Faces Funding Deadline to Avoid Transit Cuts: Philadelphia’s transit authority must secure new state funding by August…

Wine isn’t for everyone, whether for investment or to imbibe, but it certainly has its fans. Sales hit a rough patch in popularity in the early 2020s, however, which has been largely blamed on a declining baby boomer generation available to embrace it. This isn’t to say that you wouldn’t want to put some of your investment dollars into wine, but there are some considerations. Key Takeaways The wine industry has hit a rough patch in the 2020s, but it’s expected to recover after 2031.Investment options include direct bottle purchases, wine funds or managed portfolios, vineyard ownership or shares, and…

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its July 2025 Inflation report on August 12th, 2025. The report showed that Annual Inflation was unchanged at 2.7%.Calculated to two digits, it was  2.67% in June and 2.70% in July. So, although the BLS says it was unchanged it was actually up VERY slightly. The market responded positively with the NYSE up 226.57 points.July’s Inflation Prediction:At 2.70%, July inflation numbers came in between last month’s “likely low” and “extreme low” projections, which is about as good as we could hope for.Go here to view our current MIP projection.July 2025 Inflation Summary:Annual Inflation rose from 2.67%%…

Key Takeaways An uptick in worker productivity bodes well for the future of the standard of living in the U.S., according to a recent analysis.Automation, working from home, and a surge of new businesses have all contributed to an upswing in how much workers produce each hour on the job.Despite a generally positive outlook, tariffs and an immigration crackdown could stifle productivity. How much did you get done at work today? How everyone answers that question determines one of the most important statistics in the economy, and it’s quietly been on the upswing.Non-farm workers’ output per hour rose at a…

Donald Trump’s tariffs are roiling the global trading system. But the president’s tariff-mania is far from unprecedented in American history. The last time tariffs of this scale were in place was after the passage of the Tariff Act of 1930, better known as the Smoot-Hawley tariff. The bill sparked a trade war between America and its allies, deepening the Depression and causing the world to break up into rival blocs. The Economist’s reporting from the time offers a cautionary tale about protectionism. Senator Reed Smoot, “one of the most reactionary of the tariff Bourbons” (left), and Representative Willis Hawley (centre)…

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Wednesday.U.S. stocks settled mostly lower on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq Composite falling more than 100 points during the session.The Federal Reserve indicated that inflation risks remain “considerable” due to the uncertain impact of new trade tariffs, casting fresh doubt over imminent interest rate cuts, according to the July Federal Open Market Committee minutes released Wednesday.President Trump called for the resignation of Democratic-appointed Fed Governor Lisa Cook. U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency director William Pulte alleged in…