Author: Smart Wealthhabits

S&P 500 Index (^GSPC +0.42%) Today there is a measly 1% yield. Novo Nordisk (NVO +1.25%) Is offering 3.5% yield. realty income’S (O +0.30%) The yield is 5%. And Enterprise Product Partners’ (EPD 0.05%) The yield is even higher at 5.9%. Here’s why you’ll find each of these high-yield stocks attractive as the second half of 2026 begins. Novo Nordisk is betting on volume Novo Nordisk’s trailing 12-month dividend payout ratio is a solid 40%. This is important as the drugmaker is currently facing some headwinds. Or, more importantly, its business is in transition. It was the first to come…

If your Forever Stamps are in short supply, you may want to restock now as the price of the stamps will soon become even higher. The U.S. Postal Service is raising the price of the Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents on Sunday, July 12. Overall, the Postal Service is increasing product prices for mailing services by about 4.8%, according to the USPS. When Forever stamps were introduced in 2007, they were worth 41 cents. The price has been rising regularly, with the Postal Service raising the price of the Forever Stamp from 73 cents to 78 cents…

How long does it take to make friends in retirement?gettyMost investors understand that wealth grows over time. What fewer people appreciate is that friendships do, too, and the returns on that investment can be just as consequential as those for a fulfilling retirement.As a money manager and retirement researcher, I spend a lot of time analyzing what separates the happiest retirees from those who struggle. The answer is not always a larger portfolio. This often reaches the community. The data is clear, the anecdotal evidence from retirees I have studied is consistent, and yet it is one of the most…

Cases of the parasite-borne disease, which causes explosive diarrhea-like symptoms, continue to rise across the United States, with investigators looking for the source so far coming up empty-handed. For years, cyclosporiasis, a stomach-churning disease caused by the Cyclospora parasite often found on produce, has been largely treated as a food safety problem. But as health officials struggle to identify the source of the growing outbreak, some experts believe the focus on food may be obscuring the bigger picture. Cases of the massive seasonal disease reached at least 843 people in 31 states as of July 9, according to CDC numbers,…

Retirement planning often seems like a search for answers, when in reality it is a process of managing tradeoffs.gettymost people think retirement plan It’s about finding the right answer.What is the right amount to save? What is the right investment mix? What is the right age to retire?The longer I work with clients, the more I have come to believe that the purpose of retirement planning is not to achieve perfection. answer And much more about managing tradeoffs.Everyone financial Decisions involve giving up one thing to gain another. The challenge is not to eliminate those tradeoffs. It’s about understanding them…

As an explosive diarrhea-inducing disease called cyclosporiasis continues to spread across the US, government agencies are offering advice to help people take steps to prevent it. Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic food-borne disease caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora catenensis. As of July 9, there have been 843 confirmed cases of the disease in 31 states and 86 people hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No death has been reported. The number of illnesses is likely higher as the CDC works with states to update the numbers as cases are confirmed. Michigan alone has reported more than…

strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR)’s business model was simple; It originally issued stock, preferred stock, and debt, and used the proceeds to buy Bitcoin (Crypto:BTC). It held Bitcoins and acted as a “Bitcoin treasury”. This model appears to have broken down after the massive drop in Bitcoin price, and investors should be concerned about its implications. Right decision for business and shareholders To be fair, the strategy is making the right move by shifting from a buy-and-hold model to a more dynamic model, given that it could sell up to $1.25 billion in Bitcoin. The purpose of the sale is to finance stock…

Census data shows that a record number of adults under 35 are choosing to live with their parents rather than consider the increasingly tricky math of living alone. More than 25 million adults under the age of 35 lived with their parents in 2025, according to a June report from Realtor.com drawn from census data. That’s the highest number on record, including the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which sent millions of young Americans back into the parental nest. “That means one in three 18 to 34-year-olds is back home, living with their parents,” said Hannah Jones, senior economist at…

United States President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the NATO summit at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on July 8, 2026. (Photo by Claudia Radecka/Nurfoto via Getty Images)Nurfoto | Nurfoto | getty imagesPresident Donald Trump threatened to “destroy and destroy” Iran if Tehran follows up on threats to assassinate him, as the US Treasury Department sanctioned an alleged Iranian financier.Iran on Saturday said the new financial measures violate a preliminary agreement reached between the two warring nations last month as its foreign minister reportedly arrived in Oman for talks.”1000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed…

Retirement planning often seems like a search for answers, when in reality it is a process of managing tradeoffs.gettymost people think retirement plan It’s about finding the right answer.What is the right amount to save? What is the right investment mix? What is the right age to retire?The longer I work with clients, the more I have come to believe that the purpose of retirement planning is not to achieve perfection. answer And much more about managing tradeoffs.Everyone financial Decisions involve giving up one thing to gain another. The challenge is not to eliminate those tradeoffs. It’s about understanding them…