Author: troyashbacher

Key Takeaways Advanced Micro Devices hosted its first analyst day yesterday, where the chipmaker unveiled rosy new targets fueled by booming AI demand.AMD said it now believes its total addressable AI market could be over $1 trillion by 2030, up from a previous target of $500 billion by 2028. Advanced Micro Devices shares are getting a boost from its outlook. The stock was up about 10% in early trading Wednesday, leading gains on the S&P 500 after the chipmaker yesterday unveiled ambitious new targets at its first analyst day. (Read our daily markets coverage here.) Chip stocks were broadly rising, too, with…

January 20Presidential Executive Orders precipitate removal of some HHS websites and health data. – In the first days of his second term President Trump issued a number of Executive Orders (EOs), including EOs that revoked many Biden administration orders and programs, and instituted new federal guidance related to “gender ideology,” “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI),” and “merit-based opportunities.” These EOs have implications for public health, particularly related to the collection and presentation of data and websites by the federal government. For example, in response to the EOs, HHS began to remove thousands of websites and numerous federal databases with public…

In early July, like they’ve done so often before, investors focused on Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) and their latest 13F filing. A 13F is a quarterly disclosure of equity holdings by institutional investors with more than $100 million under management.Most headlines focused on Buffett’s new position in the troubled health care giant UnitedHealth Group (UNH), which was dealing with the assassination of a business unit CEO and a Department of Justice probe.What caught some investors off guard, however, was new exposure to major U.S. homebuilders. The filing revealed roughly $800 million invested in Lennar (LEN) and about $190 million…

Your Health Savings Account (HSA) is more than just a medical fund — it’s a powerful investment vehicle for your financial future. But are you clear on the rules that protect its unique “triple tax advantage”? Navigating the rules for eligibility, contributions, and withdrawals is crucial to maximizing its benefits and avoiding penalties.Test your understanding of core HSA concepts, from eligibility to retirement-age withdrawals, with our 10-question true/false quiz. And don’t worry if you miss an answer; you can follow the links below the quiz to brush up on your knowledge.More on Social Security, from the Kiplinger team: From just…

Thought about spicing things up with a date night subscription box? Here are our personal date box reviews for monthly date nights at home. You might be wondering why a personal finance blog is breaking out the date night subscription box reviews. Hear me out on this one: I’m a parent, and I’m always trying to figure out how to plan at-home date nights without it feeling like so much work. I am ALL about having money dates with your spouse (I call these mini marriage financial planning sessions “money quickies”), and one way to make these a whole lot…

Charlie Munger, the former Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A, BRK.B) vice chair and Warren Buffett’s long-time right-hand man, argued that investors must be prepared for a brutal reality: If you can’t stomach a 50% decline in your portfolio, you’ll never achieve exceptional results. While many hope for an easy path to wealth, Munger’s rule remains one of the most straightforward and most challenging tests for anyone serious about investing in stocks over the long term. The 50% Drop Test That Separates Winners From Losers “You can argue that if you’re not willing to react with equanimity to a market price decline…

“Once the check clears, the buyer will send a trailer to pick up the car.”

This is a thought that has popped into my brain more than once over the last 3.5 years of living in my little rental home. In fact, when my brain starts to calculate the rent amount from the last three years, I mentally look away because the thought is so unpleasant. In addition to the “Renting is throwing away money!” thought, there’s also a slightly nagging feeling that you have somehow not quite arrived as an adult if you are renting. Before I left my marriage, I’d been a homeowner since the year 2000! So when I rented this house,…

Brett Arends is an award-winning financial writer with many years experience writing about markets, economics and personal finance. He has received an individual award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for his financial writing, and was part of the Boston Herald team that won two others. He has worked as an analyst at McKinsey Co., and is a Chartered Financial Consultant. His latest book, “Storm Proof Your Money”, was published by John Wiley Co.

Mortgage rates have had an uneventful couple of days as, like the rest of us, bond markets and mortgage lenders are waiting to see if the government will reopen this week.The average interest rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6.17% APR, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow. This is one basis point higher than Monday and nine basis points higher than a week ago. (See our chart below for more specifics.) A basis point is one one-hundredth of a percentage point.A government reopening would be a major market-moving event and good news for basically everyone except…