ZINGER KEY POINTS:
For many workers nearing retirement, one question keeps coming back: how can you get the most from Social Security?
In 2026, the maximum monthly Social Security benefit stands at $5,251. That number grabs attention, and for good reason. The gap between an average benefit and the maximum one can significantly shape financial security in retirement.
You may want to have a Plan B when it comes to collecting Social Security benefits.
That’s because a lot of Americans are in for a shock.
According to CBS News, Social Security’s trust fund could run out a year earlier than expected, according to a new projection from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
» Read more about: Social Security’s Lifeline Might Be Shorter Than You Think »
Austan Goolsbee, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, speaks to the Economic Club of New York in New York City, U.S., April 10, 2025.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee said Tuesday that interest rate cuts aren’t appropriate until there’s more evidence that inflation is on its way down.
Jensen Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia, attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2026.
Denis Balibouse | Reuters
It’s been a tough start to the year for technology investors. Shares of seven of the eight trillion-dollar tech companies have notched losses so far.
» Read more about: Nvidia earnings report collides with Wall Street skepticism over AI spending »
Tesla bull Ross Gerber has warned the company’s investors to closely watch how employee stock compensation could affect the company’s share value. Gerber, who runs investment firm Gerber Kawasaki, raised concerns about the impact of issuing large amounts of stock to employees and executives.
When Jeff Bezos said that one breakthrough technology would shape Amazon’s destiny, even Wall Street’s biggest analysts were caught off guard.
Fast forward a year and Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy described generative AI as a “once-in-a-lifetime” technology that is already being used across Amazon to reinvent customer experiences.
» Read more about: Is Viper Energy (VNOM) Among the Best Crude Oil Stocks to Invest in? »
DeepSeek Shock: The DeepSeek AI model is expected to launch within weeks, and early market signals suggest the move could rattle Nasdaq stocks tied to artificial intelligence. In the past 12 months, the Nasdaq Composite has surged more than 30%, largely driven by AI-related gains.
Three key things to consider right now: AI fears driving real damage in software and tech stocks, which is spreading across stock and bond markets; macro uncertainty from the tariff mess and possible risks of an escalatory trade war again.
All of that combined means gold is up and stocks are down this morning as investors scramble for safety,