Author: Money Mechanics

In-brief analysis July 21, 2025 In 2024, France increased its cross-border electricity deliveries by 48%, from 70 terawatthours (TWh) in 2023 to 103 TWh in 2024. France’s electricity exports to Belgium and Germany increased the most, but France also exported more electricity to Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Italy, according to data from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity. Within France’s electricity generation mix, nuclear energy increased the most, followed by hydropower. Overall, electricity generation in France increased by 45 TWh in 2024, while consumption remained relatively steady. Nuclear energy generation…

Chen ZhaoChen Zhao is the head of economics research, where she produces research on the housing market for public and internal audiences. Previously, she was an executive director leading housing finance and financial markets research at the JPMorgan Chase Institute. Prior to joining JPMCI, Chen was an economics consultant at Analysis Group, Inc., where she worked on financial litigation cases and led teams conducting health economics and outcomes research on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. While in graduate school, Chen was with the Center for Economic Studies and the Social Economic and Housing Statistics Division at the US Census Bureau, where…

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysPreorders are open for Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses.The estimated arrival is as early as Tuesday, Aug. 26Pricing starts at $399.00If you want to be first in line to secure the new Oakley Meta smart glasses, your time has arrived.Preorders are now open for the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, which start at $399.99, on both the Oakley and Meta websites — and you can have them in your hands in less than a week. When I clicked through the purchasing process on Oakley’s site, I was given a shipping estimate of Tuesday, Aug. 26. Meta’s site, however,…

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – OCTOBER 28, 2018: A couple visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico, (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)Getty Images The Social Security actuary projects the 2025 budget law Congress passed in July will accelerate insolvency of the program’s retirement trust fund from early 2033 to late 2032. That may seem like a modest change, but it has enormous political implications. It means the program will go insolvent during the term of the president who succeeds Donald Trump. That soon. And it means that, without congressional action, scheduled benefits would automatically be cut for all recipients by roughly one-fifth…

It takes one to know one, as they say. So explains Nick Leeson’s journey from single-handedly crashing one of the world’s oldest banks to investigating financial misconduct three decades later. After sinking the 233-year-old Barings Bank, Leeson, who was portrayed by Ewan McGregor in the film Rogue Trader, served time in prison and beat cancer. He has also built and maintained a lucrative speaking career on subjects like financial misconduct, risk, and regulatory failure, hosts a podcast, and teaches people how to trade. He’s also a member of the Red Mist Enforcement Unit, helping to sniff out the kind of…

Key Takeaways About half of U.S. employers check your credit history for at least some jobs and may turn you down because of what they find.The version employers see doesn’t include your credit score but does show current and past credit accounts along with other details.Employers must follow strict rules under the Fair Credit Reporting Act when using credit information in hiring decisions.Some states and cities limit or even ban the use of credit checks in the hiring process.If your credit isn’t great, review your reports early, fix any errors, pay down what you can, and be ready to explain…

Starting March 30, 2025, payday and installment lenders must begin complying with important new requirements when they try to collect money from borrowers’ accounts.The CFPB issued a regulation in 2017 adopting a two-strikes-and-you’re-out rule for covered lenders. Under that rule, after two tries to withdraw money from a borrower’s account have failed, covered lenders can’t try again unless the borrower specifically authorizes another attempt. The rule addresses lenders’ unfair and abusive practice of repeatedly trying to withdraw money from an account to pay off the loan, even after the account had been shown to be empty. That practice can trigger…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. August 20, 2025 Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, July 29–30, 2025 For release at 2:00 p.m. EDT The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting that was held on July 29–30, 2025. The minutes for each regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee are generally published three weeks after the day of the policy decision. The descriptions of economic and financial conditions contained in these…

(World Oil)– Global oil markets are on track for a record surplus next year as demand growth slows and supplies swell, the International Energy Agency said. Oil inventories will accumulate at a rate of 2.96 million bpd, surpassing even the average buildup during the pandemic year of 2020, data from the IEA’s monthly report showed. World oil demand this year and next is growing at less than half the pace seen in 2023. At the same time, supplies are booming. The OPEC+ coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, has fast-tracked the restart of halted production, and the IEA has slightly bolstered forecasts…

Key Takeaways Michael Fiddelke is slated to become Target’s CEO in February, disappointing investors who were looking for an external candidate to refresh the retailer’s approach.Fiddelke described his 20 years of experience at the company as a benefit.Investors will look to him to catch up to competitors in the e-commerce space, address tariffs, and stock merchandise that appeals to more of its core customers. Target veteran Michael Fiddelke won’t become CEO for months, but the stock market is already disappointed with his appointment. Investors hoped Target (TGT) would replace CEO Brian Cornell with an external hire, with most of 50…