Author: Money Mechanics

Foldable phones occupy a niche section of the mobile market. While many have shied away due to their bulky size or huge price tag, some customers are starting to give them a closer look.They have come a long way from the early days of mobile. Now, they feature gigantic screens, rich graphics and functionality that simplifies many things you do online. One phone that illustrates this perfectly is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.I’ll break down the phone’s pros and cons, trade-in incentives and where you can receive the best deal on one. Armed with this information, you can determine whether…

Our nest is now empty.We recently dropped off our youngest child to start his first year of college. It’s been a long journey not just for him and his two older sisters who already earned their bachelor’s degrees, but for us as parents.Our journey to help pay for all our children’s college education began soon after they were born, when we opened 529 savings accounts for each of them, set up automatic monthly contributions and automatically raised the amount we contributed each year. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE…

Key Takeaways Shares of Intel extended their rally Thursday following reports the company is soliciting an investment from Apple after winning a $5 billion pledge from Nvidia last week.Wall Street analysts said they see new developments bringing more gains in the near term, though they still have concerns about the company’s fundamentals. Not long ago, it was hard to find people who were excited about Intel’s stock. But these days, even skeptics are finding it difficult to look away, with President Donald Trump’s recent endorsement, a high-profile investment from Nvidia (NVDA), and rumors swirling about still more deals—leaving some investors…

Key Takeaways Warren Buffett suggests diversified index funds for average investors who lack the time or expertise to deeply research individual companies. Warren Buffett’s concentrated approach works for investors like him because he has decades of experience, vast resources, and the ability to truly understand businesses that most investors lack. Buffett’s most famous quote about diversification seems like an insult: “Diversification is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you are doing.” But here’s what’s easy to miss—Buffett recommends diversification for the vast majority of investors. The Oracle of Omaha isn’t saying that most people aren’t…

Key Takeaways Inflation erodes your money’s purchasing power over time; this happens even as the economy is slowing, creating a particularly challenging environment for investors. Assets like dividend-paying stocks, real estate, and commodities historically deliver better returns during stagflation. Traditional long-term bonds and growth stocks typically underperform amid high inflation and weak growth. Diversifying and reducing reliance on single asset classes helps cushion volatility and preserve wealth. Stagflation makes investing uniquely tricky because rising prices erode purchasing power while economic activity drops. Many strategies that work during normal downturns can backfire, so economists emphasize asset classes that can weather inflation…

Key Takeaways Goldman Sachs reiterated its “buy” rating on Dick’s Sporting Goods as the retailer expands with the acquisition of Foot Locker. Dick’s closed its $2.4 billion purchase of its rival earlier this month.Goldman analysts said the combination should further differentiate Dick’s from its competitors. Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) stock is getting cheers from Goldman Sachs after the retailer’s $2.4 billion purchase of rival Foot Locker closed earlier this month. The analysts wrote in a note to clients that a “strong sporting goods industry backdrop along with the global reach and scale of the combined company should result in even…

Key Takeaways Buffett’s Apple investment demonstrates his complete investment philosophy: the courage to build large positions, patience to hold through volatility, and willingness to sell when circumstances change. While Berkshire has reduced its Apple stake by 69% from 2023 to 2025, the investment still represents Buffett’s most profitable position ever, highlighting how a great investment can withstand significant profit-taking. In late 2016, Warren Buffett started what would become the most profitable investment in his legendary career. Through his company, Berkshire Hathaway Corp. (BRK.A), he began accumulating shares in Apple Inc. (AAPL), first buying about $1 billion worth and soon accumulating…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.First Brands Group, a roll-up of car parts manufacturers, is preparing a bankruptcy filing after amassing as much as $10bn in debt. And last week, Tricolor, a subprime auto loan lender, ran into trouble. Today on the show, Rob Armstrong and Katie Martin ask if we are at a turning point in credit markets. Also they go long collective nouns for groups of canaries. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer.You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie…

On Thursday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman unveiled Pulse, a personalized ChatGPT feature he described as his “favorite feature” so far, but it is launching only for $200-a-month Pro subscribers.Altman Unveils Pulse As ChatGPT’s Next Big StepAltman announced Pulse, a new feature designed to transform ChatGPT from a reactive chatbot into a proactive digital assistant.Altman said Pulse “works for you overnight,” generating five to 10 custom daily briefs based on a user’s interests, data and recent chats.”It performs super well if you tell ChatGPT more about what’s important to you,” Altman said on X, formerly Twitter. He described Pulse as a…

A Fanuc robotic arm moves bins of products during a media tour of the Amazon.com Inc. DAB2 fulfillment center in Daytona Beach, Florida, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. The DAB2 fulfillment center is Amazon’s seventh robotics fulfillment center in Florida. Photographer: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Trump administration has launched national security investigations into imports of robotics, industrial machinery and medical devices, a move that could pave the way for fresh tariffs and raise costs for consumers, hospitals and manufacturers.The Department of Commerce said Wednesday that the probes, opened Sept. 2 under…