Author: Money Mechanics

Insurance-linked securities (ILS) is the “best asset class from a diversification perspective,” according to private bank and asset manager VP Bank AG, with the current level of compensation for taking on catastrophe risk still seen as more than adequate even as hurricane season begins.Liechtenstein-based private bank and asset manager VP Bank believes that while the insurance-linked asset class (ILS), such as catastrophe bonds, lacks a typical distribution of returns given the randomness of catastrophic events and gains can be limited compared to equities, ILS as a portfolio component bring significant benefits through the diversification they offer to investors. VP Bank…

Key Takeaways Best Buy’s third-party marketplace went live in the U.S. on Tuesday.Customers can now purchase cookware, decor, and musical instruments through Best Buy’s app and website.The electronics giant is one of several retailers trying to tap into the third-party marketplace business model. You can now go to Best Buy’s website for everything from a statue of Ganesh playing the flute to a set of champagne flutes. Best Buy (BBY) doubled the number of products available through its website and app while launching a U.S. marketplace Tuesday that’s open to hundreds of brands not carried in its stores, such as…

Trinity Debt Management (www.trinitycredit.org) is a nonprofit Christian-based debt relief organization offering services like Debt Management Plans (DMPs), Credit Counseling, Budgeting Assistance, and Financial Education. Their mission is to help individuals get out of debt through faith-based support and personalized repayment programs. While Trinity offers a compassionate and educational approach, their services might not suit everyone—particularly if you’re looking for more aggressive options like debt settlement or forgiveness. #1 Rated Debt Relief Company in 2025? Looking for the #1 Rated Debt Relief & Settlement Company in 2025? Make sure to check out our in-depth review of New Era Debt Solutions.…

Key Takeaways Viking Therapeutics reported a large number of patients dropped out of a study of its experimental weight-loss pill.Overall, 28% of those taking VK2735 left the Phase 2 trial early compared with 18% among placebo subjects.The research showed the pill reduced the weight of patients who took it for 13 weeks by up to 26.7 pounds. Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) shares cratered nearly 45% Tuesday when the biopharma firm reported study of its experimental weight-loss pill raised concerns about side effects. The company said a Phase 2 trial of its VK2735 tablet found that patients lost up to 12.2% of…

Imagine someone who found secondary-school maths difficult being grilled about logarithms. That is how a lot of equity investors look if you ask them about currency risk. It is not because the question is novel: any client can spot that the share price of an overseas company, or one doing business across borders, ought to depend on foreign-exchange (FX) rates. It is because it is easy to pose, but maddeningly hard to answer. Forecasting earnings is already a pain. It becomes much worse when the task is to make forecasts for each company in a portfolio, before splitting costs and…

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Tuesday.U.S. stocks settled mostly lower on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq Composite falling more than 300 points during the session as the absence of fresh bullish catalysts prompted investors to take profits after the recent months-long rally.The retreat came as peace talks between President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders failed to deliver a breakthrough. Investors are now turning their focus to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech later this week for clearer signals…

First Quarter The U.S. net international investment position,the difference between U.S. residents’ foreign financial assets and liabilities, was –$24.61 trillion at the end of the first quarter of 2025, according to statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (chart 1). Assets totaled $36.85 trillion, and liabilities were $61.47 trillion (chart 2). At the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, the net investment position was –$26.54 trillion (revised). The net investment position and components of assets and liabilities are presented in table 1.   The $1.92 trillion change in the net investment position from the fourth quarter of…

In-brief analysis July 23, 2025 We expect U.S. coal-fired power plants will remain relatively well-stocked through the end of next year in our latest Short-Term Energy Outlook. We estimate power plants in the United States had 124 million short tons of coal on-site at the end of June for them to consume that coal at a rate of about 1.3 million short tons per day, meaning they had about 93 days’ worth of fuel on-site. This metric, also called days of burn, is calculated by dividing coal inventories held at power plants by a seasonal…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Shine Turbine kit is on sale for $279, while the Essentials Kit is on sale for $342.The kit includes everything you need to turn wind into electrical energy, and the turbine features a 12,000 mAh battery.There are limitations, which include the weight of the kit and the 40W of power it taps out at. Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers.I cover a lot of solar generators here, and they are all the rage. I’ve tested dozens of devices over the past few years and seen the…

Home Nurse is in Visit to an Elderly Woman with Physical Disabilities. getty Three things are true about long-term care, though many Americans don’t want to believe it: You are very likely to need it in old age. It will cost a lot more than you think. And, no, Medicare won’t pay for it. Two recent studies help explain how Americans think about the financial aspects of their long-term care needs, and why they are so poorly prepared. But the results also may hold a key to future policy solutions to the challenges of funding personal care in old age.…