Author: troyashbacher

As the holidays approach and the year begins to wind down, it’s tempting to shift into cruise control. Between family gatherings, end-of-year deadlines and gift shopping, financial check-ins often fall to the bottom of the list. But before you officially switch into vacation mode, carving out just a little time to take care of a few smart money moves can make a big difference.Think of this as a quick financial reset (not a full overhaul). The goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress. By reviewing where your money went this year and making some intentional decisions before December 31, you can lower…

The Brumate tumblers are on sale for 20% off today.  This isn’t a huge discount but I checked and the Black Friday sale will likely only be 25% off from Brumate directly.  I am assuming that won’t include free shipping and it is $6 so the 20% off might actually be a better deal.  You can choose from a few sizes and styles and colors at the 20% off price.  Click here to take a look.

(Bloomberg) — Quant firm Dimensional Fund Advisors has received formal approval to adopt a fund structure that for two decades has been used exclusively by Vanguard Group to save investors billions of dollars in taxes.Dimensional, founded by David Booth, said on Monday that regulators had granted it so-called exemptive relief to offer dual share class funds. Dimensional had applied to add exchange-traded fund share classes to 13 of its US equity funds, and said in a press release that it will continue to evaluate “subsequent candidates.” The US Securities and Exchange Commission in September had indicated that the approval was coming.The decision…

Getting cash for opening a new bank account and meeting a few requirements can be an effortless money grab. But it could also present missed opportunities if you ignore the finer details.I’m a bank bonuses expert and a consumer who’s taken advantage of bank promotions. Here’s what to know about the best and worst things about bank account bonus offers.Best thing: Discovering a provider that works well for youTrying out a new financial institution can provide a fresh start. You might discover that you can do banking tasks more easily within the institution’s mobile app, or have access to more…

Blue Owl has decided to call off the merging of two of its private credit funds after the deal caused some angst among investors, according to people familiar with the matter. The firm had planned to merge its smaller, nontraded Blue Owl Capital Corporation II (OBDC II), into the larger, publicly traded fund Blue Owl Capital Corporation (OBDC). In doing so, the firm restricted investors in the $1.7 billion OBDC II from redeeming until the deal closed, even as the merger would have meant about 20% paper losses, based on where the $17.1 billion OBDC has been trading. News of the…

Key Takeaways Shares of the chipmaker at the heart of the AI boom pulled back from their early gains Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, while strong earnings results helped boost a retail giant.Nvidia shares turned lower to end the session, a day after the chipmaker posted better-than-expected earnings. Walmart’s quarterly results came in ahead of analysts’ forecasts, and shares of the retail giant pushed higher. Shares of the world’s most valuable company lost hold of their early gains after a blowout earnings report, while a big-box retailer soared after its latest quarterly results surpassed expectations. Major U.S. equities indexes finished Thursday’s…

If you’re among the nearly one in four Americans who are providing financial support to an aging parent, chances are you’re feeling the squeeze — emotionally as well as financially.That’s the conclusion of two recent surveys, which found that the cost of lending parents a hand is making it tough for many adult children to reach their own money goals and leaves some of them feeling conflicted about the help they’re giving.About three-fourths of those helping out parents, a partner’s parents or both with expenses such as groceries, housing and medical bills said that doing so prevents them from paying…

Key Takeaways Abbott Laboratories has agreed to acquire Exact Sciences Corp. in a deal worth $21 billion, paying shareholders $105 per share.Exact Sciences makes a variety of cancer screening tests, including Cologuard, and expects to generate about $3 billion in revenue this year.Many pharmaceutical companies are spending billions to develop screenings and treatments for a variety of cancers, as millions of people are diagnosed with cancer every year. Shares of cancer screening test maker Exact Sciences Corp. (EXAS) surged Thursday after Abbott Laboratories (ABT) announced a deal to acquire the company for about $21 billion. Abbott said Thursday it will…

Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, covers over half of eligible Medicare beneficiaries. Initially, one of the goals of having Medicare contract with private plans was to generate savings for the Medicare program by introducing competition between private plans. However, private plans have never generated savings for Medicare, in part because the way Medicare pays private insurers has never sufficiently accounted for the differences in health status between beneficiaries in traditional Medicare and those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. In addition, the payment system was designed to attract insurers to the Medicare Advantage market, providing payments sufficient…

If you have an individual retirement account (IRA), you may have considered converting it into a Roth account at some point. But you might not know the best time to do a conversion, or even if doing so would benefit you.The immediate tax trade-off from an IRA to a Roth is relatively clear: With a traditional retirement account, you pay taxes when you take a distribution; with a Roth, you pay taxes now on the funds you contribute.Converting to a Roth means you must pay the income tax on contributions in the year of conversion. Still, the potential tax benefits…