What NextEra and Dominion’s Giant Utility Merger Means for Your Electric Bill
NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy announced a merger that would create the nation’s largest utility conglomerate. The deal, valued at roughly $70 billion, combines NextEra’s renewable portfolio with Dominion’s extensive gas‑fired assets. Analysts see the combined entity positioned to capture soaring electricity demand driven by AI‑focused data centers. Regulators and consumer groups warn the scale could translate into higher residential rates as the merged firm leverages market power.
The Oil Market Is Reaching a ‘Tipping Point’ that Could Create Problems for Stocks, According to This Wall Street Legend
Wall Street veteran Roger Altman warned that a rapid rise in oil prices could spark a second decade‑long inflation shock, threatening the equity market’s recent resilience. Brent crude jumped 1.4% to over $110 a barrel and WTI rose 1.3% to...
U.S. Stock Futures Slip, Oil Prices Push Higher as Iran War Remains Stuck in Stalemate
U.S. stock‑index futures slipped modestly on Sunday as West Texas Intermediate crude surged toward $107 a barrel, reflecting heightened tension in the Iran‑Hormuz standoff. The conflict has pushed U.S. gasoline to $4.51 per gallon, stoking inflation worries that rose to...
I Have $500,000 in Retirement Savings. Is It Wise to Invest It with a Single Firm?
A 68‑year‑old retiree with $500,000 in a 403(b) is considering moving the balance to a rollover IRA at a single brokerage, which would push the account above the SIPC protection limit. The Securities Investor Protection Corporation insures up to $500,000...
All-You-Can-Eat Deals Are Back at Restaurants Like Red Lobster and Applebee’s. Here’s How to Get Your Money’s Worth.
All‑you‑can‑eat bottomless deals are back at chains like Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and Red Lobster as diners grapple with inflation‑driven budget constraints. Restaurant sales rose 2.7% year‑over‑year in April, trailing the 4.9% gain in total retail, prompting promotions such as...
Trump’s Best China Trade Deal Is the One He Doesn’t Make
The article argues that President Trump should forgo a new China trade deal, citing three decades of ineffective engagement that never compelled Beijing to honor commitments. It highlights the limited success of the 2020 Phase One agreement and points to the...
AI Is ‘Absolutely Useless’ at Forecasting Inflation. This Proven Model Is 12 Times More Accurate.
A new study titled “ChatMacro” finds that ChatGPT’s inflation forecasts are dramatically less accurate than the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s nowcasting model, with error rates up to twelve times higher. The research highlights that generative AI often leaks forward‑looking...
As Airfares Soar 21%, These Are the Cheapest Cities to Fly Into
Airfare jumped 21% year‑over‑year in April, far outpacing the 3.8% overall U.S. inflation rate, as higher jet‑fuel costs and steady passenger demand tighten the market. The collapse of budget carrier Spirit removed a key low‑cost option, prompting airlines to raise...
Social Security’s COLA Could Rise as Much as 4.2% in 2027, Boosted by Iran War Impact and Inflation
Social Security’s cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) for 2027 may climb to 4.2%, up from the 2.8% slated for this year. The surge reflects a three‑year high in inflation, driven largely by higher gasoline, energy and grocery prices after the Iran war...
Your Parents’ Rules for Getting Rich Don’t Work Anymore, Mrs. Dow Jones Says — but This Does
Haley Sacks, known as Mrs. Dow Jones, argues that traditional wealth‑building rules—like buying a home early, maxing out 401(k) contributions, and relying on a single employer—are losing relevance in today’s gig‑driven, high‑inflation economy. In her new book "Future Rich Person,"...
This Hidden Cost of the Iran War Hits the Stock Market Even Harder than Inflation
The Iran conflict is creating more than higher oil prices; it is generating sustained price volatility that undermines business confidence. While a stable $100‑a‑barrel market can be managed through hedging, swings between $95 and $130 freeze capital‑allocation decisions. Prolonged uncertainty...
Did Rents Really Surge in April and Boost Inflation? Here’s the Real Story.
U.S. consumer prices rose 3.8% year‑over‑year in April, the strongest pace in three years. The increase was driven largely by a sharp jump in oil prices linked to the Iran conflict, while the shelter component – especially rents – showed...
Why Intel’s Stock Is Falling and Guiding the Chip Sector Toward Its Worst Day of the Year
Intel’s shares plunged 6.8% on Tuesday, making the chipmaker the second‑largest loser in the S&P 500 after Qualcomm. The broader semiconductor sector slipped 3% as analysts cite buyer exhaustion and fresh inflation data that could dampen data‑center spending on AI workloads....
‘I’m Not an Extravagant Spender’: I’m in My 70s with a $90,000 Income. Can I Afford My Dream Home with...
A 70‑year‑old retiree earning $90,000 annually wants to buy a dream home with a pool, preferring a cash purchase. The Moneyist advises that the size of the retiree’s investment portfolio, not just income, determines affordability, suggesting a target price of...
As Trump Heads to China, Here’s How Much the Dollar Is Overvalued, According to Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs says the Chinese renminbi is about 20% undervalued versus the dollar. The firm expects the upcoming Trump‑Xi summit and China’s expanding trade surplus to push the yuan toward 6.50 per dollar within 12 months, implying roughly 4.5% appreciation...
‘I Nearly Made a Major Misstep’: I Claimed My Social Security Benefits at 64 Instead of 70. Here’s Why.
A retiree chose to claim Social Security at age 64 rather than waiting until 70 after realizing his teenage daughter would receive two‑thirds of his benefit for five years. Incorporating that dependent benefit shifted his break‑even point from the low...
U.S. Stock Futures Fall, Oil Surges as Trump Calls Iran’s Latest Offer to End War ‘Totally Unacceptable’
U.S. stock‑index futures slipped on Sunday after President Donald Trump labeled Iran’s latest response to a U.S. peace proposal “totally unacceptable,” reviving concerns over Middle‑East tensions. The comment coincided with West Texas Intermediate crude climbing above $100 a barrel, while...
Powell’s Legacy as Fed Chair Is Fighting Inflation and Trump. He May Lose the Battle Against Both.
Jerome Powell’s tenure as Federal Reserve chair will be judged by two intertwined battles: taming the post‑pandemic inflation surge and defending the central bank’s independence from political pressure, especially from former President Donald Trump and his allies. After a series...
Just Graduated? Here’s Your Financial Cheat Sheet for Building Real Wealth.
MarketWatch’s Gen Z‑focused cheat sheet advises new graduates to treat their first paycheck like a strategic investment. It highlights that only 39 % of Gen Z feel financially secure, according to a 2026 Northwestern Mutual study, underscoring the urgency of disciplined money habits....
These Long-Distance Couples Are Mourning the Airline America Loved to Hate
Spirit Airlines’ ultra‑low‑cost fares have become a lifeline for long‑distance couples, exemplified by New York‑based Amanda Turen and Fort Lauderdale‑based Will Mason, who flew weekly on $39 tickets to nurture their relationship. The airline’s sub‑$100 pricing, once dismissed as cheap and unreliable,...
Can One Bad Week Ruin Your Retirement Savings? How About Three Bad Years?
A new MarketWatch column warns that early retirees who face a market slump and overspend can permanently diminish their nest egg. Research shows that a single bad week may not be catastrophic, but a prolonged downturn combined with high withdrawals...
Gold Has Climbed Back Above a Key Trend Line. Are More Gains on the Way?
Gold futures surged past the 21‑day moving average on Friday, marking a technical bounce after weeks of sideways trading. The front‑month contract settled at $4,720.40 an ounce, delivering a fourth straight daily gain and a 1.95% rise for the week....
AMD, Micron Shares Surge on a Big Day for Chip-Sector Outperformance
The PHLX Semiconductor Index surged 5.5% on Friday, outpacing the S&P 500 by 4.66 points—the strongest spread since April 2025. AMD, Intel, Micron and Qualcomm saw shares jump between 8% and 15% as AI data‑center optimism returned. AMD’s rally is linked to...
This Hedge-Fund Legend Just Warned Investors Not to Chase Stocks Higher. Why He Is Investing in AI Anyway.
Paul Tudor Jones warned investors not to chase higher stock prices but said the AI‑driven rally still has room to run, forecasting up to 40% more upside over the next year or two. In a CNBC interview he disclosed recent...
Block Earnings Show a Growth Pickup, in a Potential Validation of the Massive AI Push
Block, the parent of Square and Cash App, posted quarterly results that topped Wall Street forecasts, signaling a rebound in growth after a tumultuous year. Revenue climbed roughly 12% year‑over‑year while net income surged 45% from the prior quarter. The...
Ageism Is Corporate Self-Sabotage — America’s ‘Brain Drain’ Is Costing Shareholders Billions
The opinion piece warns that corporate ageism is creating a "brain drain" that costs shareholders billions annually. It argues that dismissing experienced workers undermines productivity, mentorship, and long‑term value creation. The author contends that AI cannot substitute the tacit knowledge...
The Year’s Best Tech Trade Is Hiding in Plain Sight — and No, It’s Not the Nasdaq
South Korea’s KOSPI has surged 75% in U.S.‑dollar terms through early May, dwarfing the Nasdaq’s roughly 11% gain. The rally is driven by the country’s AI‑focused chipmakers, especially Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which dominate the high‑bandwidth memory market. A...
McDonald’s Chicken Is Having a Moment as Americans Balk at High Beef Prices
McDonald’s announced a strategic push toward chicken as beef prices climb to near‑record levels. The fast‑food giant said higher beef costs are driving consumers to seek cheaper poultry options, prompting menu expansions of chicken sandwiches, nuggets and premium tenders. CEO...
Middle Managers Are on the Chopping Block Thanks to AI in the Workplace. Here’s How to Save Your Job.
Artificial intelligence is accelerating a wave of organizational flattening, putting middle managers at heightened risk of redundancy. High‑profile tech firms such as Coinbase, Block and Meta have announced staff cuts that disproportionately affect managerial layers, citing AI‑driven efficiency gains. Gartner...
Oil Futures Fall 8% on Report U.S. and Iran Are in Talks on Memo to End the War
Oil futures plunged after a report that the United States and Iran are drafting a memo to end the war. Brent fell 7% to $101.87 per barrel and WTI dropped 8% to $94.32. The price slide followed President Donald Trump’s...
Michael Saylor Said He Would Never Sell Bitcoin. Now He Says He Might.
Michael Saylor, long‑time champion of Bitcoin, told investors that Strategy could sell a portion of its 818,334‑coin treasury to fund a dividend, a stark contrast to his earlier vow never to sell. The comment came after Strategy reported a $12.5 billion...
I Am 56, Single and Renewing My $400,000 Term Life Policy. The Agent Says I Can’t Name My Brother as...
A 56‑year‑old policyholder is renewing a $400,000, 10‑year term life policy and was told by an agent that he cannot name his brother as the beneficiary. The article clarifies that the insurable‑interest rule applies only to the policy owner, not...
This Chart Tells the Story of the Hottest Stock Market as Samsung Values Hits $1 Trillion
Samsung Electronics broke the $1 trillion market‑cap barrier on May 6, 2026, propelled by soaring demand for AI‑driven chips. The milestone helped lift South Korean equities, with the Kospi index jumping 6% and posting a 75% gain year‑to‑date, nearly tripling its value...
Bill Cosby Cuts the Price of His New York Townhouse to $5.99 Million
Actor Bill Cosby has reduced the asking price of his Manhattan townhouse to $5.99 million, a cut of roughly $750,000. The price drop comes weeks after a California jury ordered him to pay nearly $60 million in damages to a waitress who...
Amazon Is Taking on FedEx and UPS. That May Not Be so Simple.
Amazon announced the launch of Amazon Supply Chain Services, a platform that opens its freight, distribution, fulfillment and parcel‑shipping capabilities to businesses of any size. The move, dubbed an “AWS of Logistics,” sent UPS shares down more than 10% and...
‘He Is Constantly Criticizing Her’: My Son-in-Law Told My Daughter to Give up Her Job. Do I Intervene?
A mother writes to MarketWatch about her son‑in‑law pressuring his wife, the writer’s daughter, to quit her part‑time job and limiting grandparents’ babysitting because he wants uninterrupted piano practice. The couple own their home outright thanks to his parents, yet...
The Silent Crisis Taxing Your Grocery Bill Could Get a Lot Louder
U.S. farmers face their steepest cost surge since the 1980s as global fertilizer prices hit 2026 highs, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and lingering effects of the Ukraine war. A Farm Bureau survey shows 70% of...
Why This Bullish Stock-Market Timer Is About to Flip to Bearish
Tom McClellan, editor of the McClellan Market Report, switched his outlook from bullish to bearish after the NYSE recorded over 1,000 net decliners on Monday, far surpassing his 241‑decliner threshold. The shift occurred despite the S&P 500 and Nasdaq‑100 closing at...
Investors Appear Skeptical as Trump Touts New Plan to Partially Reopen Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump announced a U.S.-led effort to partially reopen the Strait of Hormuz, promising naval escort for neutral merchant vessels. The announcement sparked brief market volatility, with Dow futures gaining 0.1% before slipping and oil prices easing modestly after...
The Market Is Riding High on an AI Spending Boom — but What Could Crack This Rally?
U.S. equity markets are soaring as companies accelerate AI investments, prompting analysts to lift 2026 profit forecasts. First‑quarter earnings have already outpaced expectations, reinforcing the bullish narrative. However, the optimism is heavily weighted toward a handful of large firms, creating...
Private Credit Isn’t Safer than Banks — It’s Just Better at Hiding Losses
Private‑credit funds, which manage a $2‑$3 trillion market, often sell loans at deep discounts to meet quarterly redemption caps. Under ASC 820, secondary or continuation funds instantly mark those loans up to their NAV, inflating reported returns without reflecting true economic value....
These 3 Companies Are Keeping the Lights on for AI’s Energy Demand — and Cashing In
AI’s soaring compute needs are creating a $85 trillion infrastructure demand, dwarfing the $120 trillion global economy. The article highlights three companies that profit from the energy backbone: Williams Companies moving natural gas, Eaton providing data‑center power equipment, and Cameco supplying uranium...
3 Questions to Ask Before Raiding Your 401(k) for a Hardship Withdrawal
A record 6% of Vanguard‑administered 401(k) participants took hardship withdrawals in 2025, up from a pre‑COVID average of 2%. The 2022 law broadened qualifying emergencies to include domestic‑abuse victims, disaster losses and terminal illnesses, but withdrawals still incur ordinary income...
Software Stocks Are Finally Priced for a Comeback, This Veteran Strategist Says. He’s Buying.
Fundstrat’s Tom Lee has turned bullish on software, adding the iShares Expanded Tech‑Software Sector ETF to his top‑sector list. He points to the S&P 500 Software Index, which is down about 18% YTD versus a 5% gain for the broader market,...
Berkshire’s Stock Has Suffered in a Post-Buffett World. Why That’s Actually a Good Thing.
Berkshire Hathaway’s stock has fallen 5.8% since Greg Abel took over as CEO, marking its weakest four‑month start since 2015 and lagging the S&P 500’s 5.3% gain. The company disclosed a slowdown in its insurance segment and said it will pause...
‘We Are Old School’: I’ve Been Married for 40 Years. Should I Have Kept My Money Separate?
The Moneyist notes that joint accounts remain common but are declining, with 77% of married couples now sharing checking, savings and CD accounts versus 85% in 1996. Separate accounts have risen to 25% of couples, up from 15% three decades...
‘There Is an Imbalance of Power’: My Husband Has Cancer. Why Must We Wait Two Hours for a 10-Minute CT...
A patient’s letter to a prominent cancer‑care center highlights chronic, multi‑hour waits for brief CT scans and infusion appointments, a pattern she attributes to systematic overbooking aimed at offsetting 40‑50% no‑show rates. The letter proposes that providers waive fees when...
‘The Numbers Don’t Lie’: If I Had Invested My Social Security in the S&P 500 I’d Have $4 Million. Is...
An 64‑year‑old retiree calculated that if his Social Security contributions had been invested in the S&P 500, his account would now exceed $4 million, allowing a $30,000‑per‑month withdrawal. The article explains that Social Security funds are instead placed in special‑issue Treasury securities,...
These Workers Are Allowed to Save $35,000 a Year in Their 401(k)s. Here’s How Many Actually Do It.
The Secure 2.0 law lets workers aged 60 to 63 add a "super" catch‑up contribution of $3,750 on top of the standard $23,500 limit and the $7,500 catch‑up for those over 50, pushing the total possible 401(k) contribution to $34,750 per...
‘I’m Not Interested in Long-Term Care Insurance’: I’d Like to Retire at 55. How Much Will I Have to Pay...
A 55‑year‑old planning early retirement faces steep ACA marketplace premiums, roughly $950 per month, and high out‑of‑pocket limits that can exceed $9,000 annually. The recent expiration of the ACA premium tax credit under the One Big Beautiful Bill is expected to push premiums...