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“I plan to start collecting my Social Security of $4,100 at 68.”

Don’t expect us to stay upset. Consumer sentiment actually rose slightly in March.

For the second consecutive season, Duke was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament but blew a double-digit lead to get eliminated. Duke finished 35-3.

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealAny season can be a good time for DIY projects, but spring reigns supreme when it comes to setting up in the garage to get creative. It sure beats doing the job in a bulky coat, and the more comfortable you are, the more likely you are to get more done on a project. If the change of season has you ready to get back to work on your DIY to-do list, you might want to check out Walmart’s Flash sale on Milwaukee and DeWalt tools, which can save you up to 30% off the retail price of popular tools.From cordless drills and wrench kits to portable batteries and cordless grinders, this sale includes an impressive selection of core tools that will make a major difference in your DIY projects. If you’ve been saving to invest in one or several, this is the perfect time to shop.Milwaukee and DeWalt tools are 30% off at Walmart

Courtesy of Unsplash (@Anton Savinov)

Shop at WalmartDetails to knowManufacturers included in the sale: DeWalt, Milwaukee, Workpro, and more. Items included in the sale: Cordless drills, wrench kits, portable batteries, wet/dry vacuums, shelving, and more.How long does the sale last?: It ends on Saturday, April 4.DeWalt and Milwaukee have both manufactured tools for more than a century, which is why so many people trust the products. Whether you’re just starting out with DIY projects or you’ve gotten into it enough that you want to upgrade your tools, this sale is a great opportunity to stock up. Here are a few of our favorite picks from the sale.DeWalt 20V Rotary Hammer, $139 (was $249) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at WalmartIf you’re working with dense materials like concrete or brick and your typical cordless drill can’t get the job done, a rotary hammer will be your best friend. This sturdy tool is equipped with 2.6 joules of impact energy to maintain speed as it works, and it features a D-handle configuration to make sure your grip stays firm. Shoppers praise this rotary hammer, saying, “This tool made drilling all those holes almost fun. I don’t know how I have lived without it.”Milwaukee M12 12V Cordless ⅜-Inch Ratchet Tool Kit, $145 (was $219) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at WalmartMost jobs you do will require you to tighten some sort of fastener, which is where a ratchet tool comes in handy. This one from Milwaukee is cordless and delivers 35 foot-pounds of torque and 250 RPM in a compact package that only weighs 1.9 pounds. It also comes with a battery, a charger, and a carrying case, so you can easily travel with it and always have backup power at the ready.DeWalt 20V Max Lithium-Ion Battery and Charger Kit, $107 (was $119) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at WalmartBoth DeWalt and Milwaukee offer a wide assortment of cordless tools, which means it’s always a good idea to have some backup batteries on hand. This set comes with two DeWalt 5Ah batteries, as well as a charger. The LED indicators on each battery make it easy to tell how much juice it’s got, which will make swapping between batteries painless. These are a must-have for any DIY workshop. Shoppers love the convenience of these batteries, with one saying, “We purchased these batteries to go with the handheld pressure washer. So far, so good. Batteries lasted. I love the quality of DeWalt.”Milwaukee 250-Pound Capacity Rolling Toolbox, $160 (was $282) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at WalmartOnce you acquire all the key tools you need for a job, you need a place to store them. This is especially important if you need to travel with your gear. The Milwaukee rolling toolbox is built for that very job. The modular storage system has metal reinforced corners, a fully collapsible handle, and can carry up to 250 pounds. It’s the definition of a workhorse, and thanks to Walmart’s sale, you can get one for $122 off the full price.Milwaukee 1.6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac, $109 (was $149) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at WalmartCleanup is a necessary part of every job, but as anyone who’s spent time on a worksite can tell you, household vacuums aren’t up to snuff for it. You’ll need a shop vac to get the job done, like this 1.6-gallon wet/dry vac from Milwaukee. This one has a brushless motor, features both low and high power modes, and is twice as quiet as the typical shop vac. It’s also battery-operated, so you won’t need to worry about being tethered to a cord. Related: Craftsman’s $119 V20 battery is on sale for just $50 during the final hours of Amazon’s Big Spring SaleWalmart has some excellent deals on high-quality tools, but they won’t be reduced to this price for long, so take advantage of the discount while you can.Shop more deals Workprox 20V Hedge Trimmer, $56 (was $119) at WalmartMilwaukee Cordless Two-Tool Combo, $289 (was $399) at WalmartDeWalt 20V Backpack Sprayer Kit, $239 (was $269) at Walmart

The perpetual preferred yield holds at 11.5% for April as the 30-day volume weighted average price stabilizes near $100.

Macy’s has spent the better part of a decade trying to prove it still has a place in modern retail. Now, a new AI chatbot may be the clearest sign yet that the turnaround is real.The company recently launched “Ask Macy’s,” a shopping assistant powered by Google’s Gemini AI. Before the full rollout, it was quietly tested with about half of the website’s visitors. The results were striking. Shoppers who engaged with the chatbot spent roughly 4.75 times as much as those who didn’t, according to Bloomberg.It indicates a structural change in how customers shop and could be a key driver for Macy’s future dividend growth. What Macy’s dividend investors should knowFor income-focused investors, Macy’s (M) has quietly been doing the right things with its cash. Over the last five years, despite slowing growth, Macy’s has raised its quarterly dividend to $0.192 per share in 2026 from $0.15 per share in 2021. Currently, Macy’s offers shareholders an attractive forward yield of 4.3%. Macy’s annual dividend expense is about $200 million. Comparatively, Macy’s is forecast to report free cash flow of more than $700 million in fiscal 2027 (ending in January), indicating a payout ratio of less than 30%. The FCF is projected to surpass $900 million by fiscal 2029, which should support consistent dividend hikes. Here’s a snapshot of Macy’s key dividend metrics:Dividend per share (FY2027E): $0.75Shareholder returns in FY2026:$448 million total, including $197 million in dividends and $251 million in buybacksDividend payout growth since 2021:Up 27% since the quarterly dividend was reinstatedShare buyback authorization remaining: Approximately $1.1 billionBalance sheet: No material long-term debt maturities until 2030; leverage ratio below 2.5x targetThe free cash flow picture is what makes this dividend stock credible. Generating more than $700 million in free cash flow while funding store reinvestments, the AI rollout, and shareholder returns is not something a struggling retailer does.”For the year, operating cash flow was $1.4 billion versus $1.3 billion last year, and free cash flow was $797 million versus $679 million last year,” said Macy’s CFO Thomas Edwards.What the Macy’s AI bot doesThe AI tool isn’t just a search bar dressed up in new clothes. Its most popular features include a “complete the look” suggestion engine that recommends accessories to pair with outfits and a virtual try-on function. Customers can also use the try-on feature in stores, which is useful when the fitting room line is long.Macy’s Chief Customer and Digital Officer Max Magni told Bloomberg that users tend to shop with purpose. Someone looking for a specific outfit for an event, rather than just browsing, is already primed to buy. The bot meets them there. Magni also suspects the tool is drawing in younger shoppers: a demographic Macy’s has been actively courting.

Macy’s beat estimates in fiscal Q4 of 2026.Boston Globe/ Getty Images

Macy’s broader turnaround storyThe AI launch doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It sits atop a business that has consistently improved. In fiscal 2026, Macy’s posted adjusted diluted EPS of $2.32, well above the $2.00 to $2.20 guidance range.Q4 alone delivered EPS of $1.67, beating the high end of guidance by $0.12.Comparable sales grew 1.8% in the fourth quarter. That marked the third consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales growth across the go-forward business: a milestone the company has been working toward for years. More on dividend stocks:Energy Transfer stands out as high-yield dividend stockIs Realty Income the best monthly dividend stock to buy nowVerizon remains a top dividend stock for passive incomeBloomingdale’s led the charge with a standout 9.9% comparable sales gain in Q4, its best holiday result on record. Even Bluemercury, the smallest nameplate, posted 1.3% growth.CEO Tony Spring credited the Reimagine store program, which has now been rolled out to 200 locations — roughly 60% of Macy’s go-forward store base, covering about 75% of go-forward store sales. Those stores have posted positive comparable sales in seven of the past eight quarters.The digital side is healthy, too. Online now accounts for roughly one-third of annual sales and continues to grow, with modernized site design reinforcing what’s working in stores.The road ahead for Macy’sManagement is guiding fiscal 2027 net sales to $21.4 billion to $21.65 billion, with comparable sales down 0.5% to up 0.5%. Adjusted diluted EPS is expected to be $1.90 to $2.10 — down from $2.15 in 2026, largely due to a $0.10 to $0.20 tariff headwind.That’s a conservative guide. Macy’s has beaten expectations in all four quarters of fiscal 2026. Out of the eight analysts covering Macy’s stock, one recommends “buy,” six recommend “hold,” and one recommends “sell.”The average Macy’s stock price target is $18.33, indicating an upside potential of 4% from current levels. With the AI chatbot now fully live, the Reimagine 200 program at scale, and Bloomingdale’s running on all cylinders, the setup for the year is better than the numbers on paper suggest.For dividend stock investors who’ve been waiting for a real reason to look at Macy’s again, the “Ask Macy’s” chatbot might be exactly that.Related: Is Macy’s dividend safe after massive store closures?

Broadcast Retirement Network’s Jeffrey Snyder discusses the differences between Home Care and Home Healthcare and who pays for what with the Association of Healthcare Journalists’ Liz Seegert.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkJoining me now is Liz Seegert. She’s a contributing editor for the Association of Healthcare Journalists. Liz, so great to see you.Thanks for joining us this morning.Liz Seegert, Association of Healthcare JournalistsMy pleasure, Jeffrey.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkI am really excited to talk to you because I know the work that you do, you do spend a lot of time educating people. And we’re gonna talk about home care versus healthcare. I guess my first question is, how do you differentiate between the two?What is home care versus healthcare? Or are they similar or analogous to one another?Liz Seegert, Association of Healthcare JournalistsThey’re analogous, I would say, but most people get home care and home healthcare mixed up and are unsure who pays for what. So the best way I can describe it is home healthcare, which is often covered by Medicare, which most people over 65 have some form of, involves more skilled care. And it’s done or given often in conjunction with things like wound care or being discharged from a rehabilitation facility.If you break your hip, they might send a physical therapist to your house. Those are considered health related. So recovering from an illness, an injury, that requires skilled nursing care.And that’s covered by Medicare. Home care is what many older people and people with disabilities rely on. Those are things like the personal care assistants that might help you get dressed in the morning or might help you with shopping or cooking or just making sure you take medicine.at the right time. They are not licensed RNs. They are not licensed paraprofessionals, but they are often skilled and trained in related issues like dementia care or pediatric care.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkThat’s- Really important. Sorry, go ahead. Finish your thought, I’m sorry.Liz Seegert, Association of Healthcare JournalistsThat’s often paid for by Medicaid, which is the low income healthcare program for both older adults and people who don’t meet the federal poverty level. The difference is that people think they’re entitled to home care and they’re not. You have to qualify either financially or you’re stuck paying for it out of your own pocket.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkMy apologies for interrupting you, Liz. Let me follow up on that. In your experience, and you know the market better than I do because you write about it each and every day, are more seniors looking to age in place, stay in their homes, their townhouses, their condos, and therefore they fall into this category potentially of needing home healthcare and home care potentially?Liz Seegert, Association of Healthcare JournalistsAbsolutely. Most people, according to surveys I’ve seen from AARP and from other organizations, say that somewhere between 85 and 90% of people want to age in place. And if they can’t stay in their own home because of stairs or other limiting issues, then they want to move into perhaps an apartment, but in the same community they’ve always lived in.That’s where their friends are, that’s where their dry cleaners is, that’s where their pharmacist is, and it’s just a much more comfortable environment.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkAnd I can understand that. I mean, why would you want to pick up, sell off things? You know, presumably you’d have to downsize, live in a smaller area.And again, there’s so much disruption. But let me ask you, are there enough societal resources? And by that I mean, you mentioned Medicare, you mentioned Medicaid in terms of paying for some of these or not paying for some of these, but do we have the caregiving, the long-term care, the home care resources available for what, you know, is a large swath of people retiring and maybe looking for these services?Liz Seegert, Association of Healthcare JournalistsThe short answer is no, we don’t. Some of this depends on what state you’re in and some of this depends on even where within that state. For example, where I live in the Hudson Valley in New York, it’s very car dependent.So you immediately need people who are able to drive as opposed to somebody in, let’s say, New York City where they could take public transit. So there is some modest barriers like that. But the biggest problem is recruitment and retention of home care workers.Most of them make less than $20,000 a year. Many of them are on Medicaid themselves because they don’t meet the poverty guidelines for health insurance. Many of them work two or three jobs because it’s often a part-time gig with a home care agency.So they have to work double shifts. And there just is a big problem among home care agencies retaining skilled workers. You want somebody that’s done this before.You want somebody that knows how to lift somebody out of a chair or help them take a bath without hurting the person or themselves. And people are leaving for jobs at Target or McDonald’s or places where it’s not as physically demanding. And quite frankly, the hourly wage is a lot better.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkWith that being said, does technology at all play a role in helping to ease some of these challenges or supplement or complement some of the work being done? Because there’s been a lot of, I’ve been reading a lot of stories in your publication and in others about robots, artificial intelligence, even specialized canes, for example, that can help people get, they have GPS is built in, absolutely amazing. But short question, does technology play a role here or can it play a role?Liz Seegert, Association of Healthcare JournalistsYes, it absolutely can play a role. Personally, I don’t believe it can substitute for a human, but it can augment it. For example, there are basic things like fall detection systems that can be put in the house that would automatically alert a caregiver, family member or 911, similar to the life alert, but it would be put through the house.And a lot of people have the life alert and don’t wear them. My own father was one, but there are smart homes. There are stoves that automatically turn off.There are devices like Alexa that can call a virtual doctor, for example. But I don’t think it takes the place of somebody in the home helping you to get dressed in the morning or making sure that you eat your meals. That being said, there are also some robots like Elecube that kind of act as a companion that can interact with an older person, that can have a conversation, play some simple games, take the vital signs like blood pressure or heart rate and share that with a physician.But I think we’re a long way off yet from that Jetsons kind of vision that many of us might have about what robots can actually do.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah, I was actually thinking about the movie I, Robot with Will Smith, and I think his grandmother had a robot that helped her. Anyway, as I digress, but I think your point is well made. Let me ask you about pricing, because you talked about Medicare and Medicaid and what they do and don’t cover, but is home care pricing different?Is it then healthcare pricing that’s in home? I mean, is it more? Sounds to me it’d be more expensive if you need someone to kind of sit with you and help you out in person.Liz Seegert, Association of Healthcare JournalistsIt absolutely is expensive. And again, those prices vary based on honestly what kind of insurance you have. Some Medicare Advantage plans, for example, will pay for limited home care.They may direct you to certain agencies, home care agencies that they work with. So they may authorize say 10 hours a week. Honestly, 10 hours a week isn’t a lot if you need help every morning.And often they have a minimum of let’s say four hours a day. So you’re stuck then if you want the home care paying for the difference out of pocket, and that can quickly get expensive because while the workers themselves may be making 12 or $15 an hour, the family may be paying the home care agency 30 or $40 an hour. So unless you have some wealth stashed, it can add up very quickly.As I said, if you’re on Medicaid, then you qualify for a whole different range of services depending on the state you’re in, even depending sometimes on the county you’re in, but that can provide more consistent care. Medicaid reimburses these home care agencies at a rate even lower than Medicare, which is not very high to begin with. So a lot of agencies don’t wanna take Medicaid patients.So it becomes this conundrum of even if the services might be paid for, you can’t find the workers. And it’s a real catch-22 and it puts a lot of burden on the family.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah, I’ve been reading stories about caregivers basically having challenges keeping jobs because they’ve had to take care of a loved one and even having some form of anxiety and depression, which obviously can have a major impact not only on your psychology, but also your health. Liz, we’re gonna have to leave it there. Great article and look, this is an ongoing challenge.We’re all gonna have to figure it out because this is not going away. And we look forward to having you back on the program again very soon. Thanks for joining us.Liz Seegert, Association of Healthcare JournalistsMy pleasure.

Exchanges and custody platforms must obtain financial services licenses within six months under the new framework.

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