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Netflix is in a better position to raise subscription prices now that it is out from under the shadow of M&A and regulatory scrutiny, Citi analyst Jason Bazinet says

Jensen Huang walked off the GTC stage on Monday having just projected at least $1 trillion in chip revenue through 2027. Wall Street analysts spent Tuesday calling it a floor, not a ceiling. And Nvidia (NVDA) stock sat there, barely moving, trading right where it was before the whole thing started.That disconnect tells you something important about where the Nvidia story stands right now.The bull case is not in dispute. What analysts are now zeroing in on is the next battle Nvidia has to win, one it has never had to fight before. Training AI models was the first war. Inference, running those models at scale in the real world, is the next one. And unlike training, inference has real competition.Why inference changes everythingFor three years, Nvidia owned AI because it owned training. Its market share in AI training chips sits at roughly 90%, and that position remains largely intact heading into 2026.But the industry is shifting fast. As AI moves from the lab into production, the workload that matters most is changing. Inference is where the bulk of future compute demand will land. And it has a fundamentally different economics profile than training.Inference requires lower peak performance but much higher volume, and it operates on tighter margins. That makes it an easier target for cheaper alternatives. AMD’s MI400, Amazon’s Trainium3, and Google’s TPU are all positioning themselves as lower-cost options for inference workloads, aiming at hyperscalers under intense pressure to cut the cost per AI token.What Nvidia unveiled at GTC to fight backHuang addressed this directly. Nvidia unveiled Dynamo, an intelligent inference engine that dynamically routes workloads across GPUs, ASICs, and CPUs depending on which is most efficient. The company also confirmed that Vera Rubin is in full production and on track for a second-half 2026 ramp, per Nvidia.More Nvidia:Nvidia stock gets major reality check on ‘$100B’ numberNvidia CEO delivers blunt 7-word rebuttal on software stocksBank of America resets Nvidia price target after earningsThe Rubin platform delivers a 10x reduction in inference token costs compared to Blackwell, which would make the economics of AI deployment substantially cheaper for every company running models at scale.Wolfe Research analyst Chris Caso called the Rubin ramp the key catalyst. He noted that Rubin delivers a 5x inference improvement over Blackwell and that Nvidia’s updated outlook implies at least $40 billion in upside to current consensus revenue estimates for calendar year 2026, per Investing.com.”Blackwell is now ramping fully, and Rubin is on time for 2H26 ramp,” Caso wrote, adding that resumed H200 shipments to China could add further upside beyond that figure.Where the major analysts standBank of America’s Vivek Arya reaffirmed his Buy rating and $300 price target after the keynote. BofA sees more than $1 trillion in data center sales visibility for 2025 through 2027, up from a prior estimate of $500 billion through 2026.Goldman Sachs, also maintaining a Buy with a $250 target, called the $1 trillion figure something that “can help resolve investor concerns around peak CapEx in 2026,” per Investing.com. Citi and JPMorgan both reaffirmed $300 targets.Wolfe Research reiterated its Outperform rating with a $275 price target post-GTC, noting the revenue disclosure suggests meaningful upside to 2027 estimates. Wells Fargo, at $265, said Nvidia’s updated order visibility simply “beats the bogey.”Where analysts stand post-GTCBank of America: Buy, $300 target, $1 trillion-plus data center visibility confirmedGoldman Sachs: Buy, $250 target, called $1 trillion outlook “above the Street”Wolfe Research: Outperform, $275 target, $40 billion upside to CY26 consensusCiti: Buy, $300 target, tens of billions in additional upside not yet in estimatesJPMorgan: Buy, $300 target, $50-70 billion upside to 2026-2027 data center consensusWells Fargo: Overweight, $265 target, order visibility beats expectationsWhy the stock barely movedDespite the bullish analyst chorus, NVDA has traded in a narrow $180-$190 range for months. The muted reaction to GTC continues a pattern. After Nvidia’s October 2025 GTC event, the stock fell 2% the following day.

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The issue is timing. Much of the upside analysts are projecting is backloaded into the second half of 2026, with Rubin not meaningfully contributing to revenue until late in the year.There is also the China wildcard. Nvidia’s Q1 guidance of $78 billion explicitly excludes China data center revenue, following the export restrictions that forced a $4.5 billion H20 charge earlier in 2025. Analysts estimate resumed China sales could add $10 billion to $15 billion to calendar year 2026 revenue, but that depends entirely on policy decisions outside Nvidia’s control.The execution risk is realNvidia is trading at roughly 38 times trailing earnings, a significant premium to the broader semiconductor sector. At that valuation, execution risk leaves almost no room for errorAny stumble in the Rubin ramp, further China restrictions, or meaningful inference share loss could compress the stock sharply. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are all deploying more custom silicon for inference workloads, which could limit Nvidia’s addressable market even as the overall inference opportunity grows.Nvidia’s counter is Dynamo, designed to act as a software routing layer on top of heterogeneous infrastructure, keeping Nvidia relevant even when a competitor’s hardware is in the rack. Whether that strategy holds as custom silicon matures is the question investors are waiting to see answered.The consensus on Wall Street is clear. The roadmap is credible. The $1 trillion target is real. The stock will follow when the revenue does.Related: Nvidia bull drops shocking take on upside

Which states have the highest & lowest average gasoline price and gas tax? How much has the price at the pump changed since the Iran war? Read to learn more.

When a serious complaint hits your business, the difference between chaos and control comes down to how prepared your team is in that first moment.

Arizona has filed 20 criminal counts against Kalshi, a prediction market platform, accusing it of operating an illegal gambling business and offering election wagering in the state.

Most people retire without a pension. But you can build one — or at least something that works like one — by converting a portion of your savings into a guaranteed income stream that pays you for life, no matter how long you live.

Of all the annuity products on the market, money expert Clark Howard recommends only two: the single premium immediate annuity (SPIA) and the deferred income annuity (DIA).

Both offer straightforward, guaranteed lifetime income without the high fees and commissions that come with more complex products like variable or indexed annuities. With a SPIA, you hand an insurance company a lump sum and income starts right away. With a DIA, you pay now but income starts at a future date you choose — which typically means a higher monthly payment in exchange for waiting.

The Core Trade-Off

When you keep money invested and draw it down yourself, you carry two risks:

Running out of money if you live longer than expected.

Making poor decisions under pressure when markets drop.

When you convert a portion of savings into a lifetime income annuity, you give up control and liquidity in exchange for eliminating both of those risks (at least for that slice of your money).

Neither choice is obviously right. The question is whether the certainty of the annuity is worth what you’re giving up, relative to what you could reasonably earn on your own.

See What the Income Could Look Like for You

Before you can evaluate the trade-off, you need an actual number to work with. Here are two Team Clark-approved options:

Schwab Fixed Income Annuity Calculator gives you a quick Schwab quote based on age, premium, and income start date.

ImmediateAnnuities.com runs quotes from multiple insurers at once, so you can see the spread. Also lets you model inflation adjustments, period-certain guarantees, and joint life options if you want to cover a spouse.

Payout rates vary more than most people expect across insurers. Getting multiple quotes is worth the five minutes it takes.

The key figure to pay attention to is the payout rate (the annual income divided by the premium). A 65-year-old might see around 6–7% today. An 80-year-old might see 9–10% or more, because the insurer is pricing in a shorter expected payment period. A deferred income annuity will show a higher rate than an immediate one at the same age, since the insurer holds your money longer before paying out.

Run the Numbers

Once you have a quote, plug it into our Annuity Breakeven Calculator. Enter your premium, the monthly income you’ve been quoted, your current age, and when your income would start. Then set a realistic return assumption for what you’d earn if you kept the money invested instead.

Two numbers in the output tell you most of what you need to know:

Principal recovery age is when your cumulative payments equal the premium you paid in. Before that age, you’ve received less than you put in.

Portfolio exhaustion age is when a self-managed portfolio — earning your assumed return and making the same monthly withdrawals — would run out of money. Past that age, the annuity wins. A portfolio that depletes at 88 while the annuity keeps paying to 100 is the whole longevity argument in a single number.

If portfolio exhaustion happens at 84 and your family tends to live into their mid-90s, the trade-off looks compelling. If it doesn’t happen until 96 based on your return assumptions, the case is weaker.

The Deferral Question

If you’re in your 60s and don’t need income yet, a deferred income annuity can shift the math. You pay the premium now, income starts at a date you choose — say, age 80 or 85 — and the monthly payment is substantially higher than a SPIA at the same age because the insurer holds your money longer.

The flip side: During the deferral period, your alternative portfolio also keeps growing without any withdrawals. The calculator models this — the alt portfolio gets a compounding head start during those years. Whether that head start is enough to outlast the higher deferred payout is what you’re evaluating.

A common approach is to treat a DIA starting at 80 or 85 as longevity insurance — a floor that kicks in if you live well past your life expectancy. You fund your early retirement years with your portfolio and Social Security, and the DIA handles the tail risk.

Questions To Work Through Before Deciding

How much guaranteed income do you already have? If Social Security plus any pension already covers your basic expenses, the case for an annuity is weaker — you already have a floor. If your only guaranteed income is a modest Social Security check, converting some savings into additional guaranteed income gives you something to anchor your budget to.

What return assumption is realistic for your alternative portfolio? The calculator defaults to 5%. If your actual allocation is conservative (heavy in bonds or CDs), use a lower number. The portfolio exhaustion age arrives faster than most people expect, at 3–4%.

Are you factoring in your health? Annuity pricing is based on average life expectancy. If your health suggests a shorter-than-average lifespan, the math tilts toward keeping the money invested yourself. If longevity runs in your family, it tilts toward the annuity.

What happens to the money when you die? A standard single life annuity pays nothing to heirs after you die. If leaving assets matters to you, that’s a real cost. You can buy riders that guarantee a minimum payout period — 10 or 20 years — but they reduce the monthly income. Run the numbers both ways.

Should you add an inflation adjustment? A fixed monthly payment that feels comfortable at 70 may cover a lot less ground at 85. If you’re buying an annuity partly because you expect to collect for a long time, a COLA rider — which increases your payment by a set percentage each year — is worth pricing out. The catch is that inflation-adjusted annuities start with a lower monthly payment than fixed ones, sometimes meaningfully lower. Whether the trade-off makes sense depends on how long you expect to collect and what your other inflation-protected income sources look like. ImmediateAnnuities.com lets you compare fixed and inflation-adjusted quotes side by side.

How much liquidity do you need? Once you hand the premium to an insurer, that money is gone. You can’t get it back if an emergency arises. Keep a meaningful cash reserve before annuitizing any significant portion of savings.

How Much To Convert

There is no universal right answer, but a reasonable starting framework is to cover your essential expenses with guaranteed income. Add up what your fixed monthly costs actually are — housing, food, utilities, insurance, medication — and see how far your guaranteed income gets you. If there’s a gap, that gap is the income an annuity could fill.

The rest of your savings stays invested, available for discretionary spending, healthcare surprises, and as something to pass on.

Converting everything to an annuity is rarely the right move. Neither is ignoring them entirely if you have a meaningful longevity risk and no pension. Covering the floor with guaranteed income and leaving the rest to grow is how most people arrive at a sensible balance.

Final Thoughts

A lifetime income annuity isn’t about maximizing returns — it’s about removing one of retirement’s biggest risks: outliving your money. You’re trading some flexibility and upside for a predictable paycheck that never stops.

That trade-off works best when it solves a real need. If your guaranteed income already covers essentials, you may not need an annuity. But if there’s a gap, converting part of your savings into lifetime income can create a reliable financial floor.

Clark’s advice: Keep it simple and limited. Use straightforward options like SPIAs or DIAs, compare quotes, and only annuitize what you need. The goal isn’t to replace your portfolio — it’s to protect it.

Done right, you end up with two buckets: guaranteed income for needs, and invested assets for growth and flexibility. That balance is what gives many retirees the confidence to spend and enjoy their money.
The post How To Turn Part of Your Nest Egg Into a Pension appeared first on Clark Howard.

A subscription fee here and an impulse buy at the grocery store there may not seem like big purchases, but even small expenses add up. And over time, those can weigh on your savings.
While some expenses are necessary, others have more affordable alternatives that offer similar value.
Everyday costs you can cut today
Here are nine everyday costs you may be able to easily eliminate.
1. Unused streaming services
Subscription and services fees can be easy to forget, since they often pull from your bank account automatically. Check your credit card statement to see which services showed up last month and consider which ones you can cut without missing. Getting rid of streaming accounts that you aren’t using, for example, can save you hundreds of dollars each year.

Where People Are Investing Right Now

Motley Fool’s monthly stock recommendations — get expert advice and portfolio strategies
Earn a 1% match when you transfer your portfolio to Public
‘The Higher the Balance, the More You’ll Earn’: Open a savings account with CIT Bank and get 3.75% APY

2. Food delivery fees
Takeout via delivery apps like DoorDash can save you time — but they’re probably not saving you money. Review your spending to see how much you’re paying food delivery platforms each month and see if you can cut down, like from three or four meals to one or two. And don’t forget to check your credit card rewards to see if a premium subscription for a delivery app is included, since those often result in lower delivery fees.
3. Expensive cell phone plans
Once you have a cell phone plan that works, it can be tempting to stick with it. However, you should check to see if there are more affordable cell phone plans available. Compare companies to see which lower-cost plans have the offerings you need.
4. Bottled water and coffee shop runs
The convenience tax refers to things that people pay for for the sake of convenience, and buying bottled water or drinks from a coffee shop just because you don’t want to filter your water or make coffee at home are a good example. Compare how much you’re spending on bottled water and coffee out to the cost of a water filtration system or coffee machine that you can keep at home.
5. Gas at full price
Gas can take a big bite out of your budget, especially if you drive regularly. But there are ways to trim your gas bill. Apps like GasBuddy can help you find the cheapest stations near you, and loyalty programs and credit cards with gas-related rewards can also result in savings.

Where People Are Investing Right Now

Motley Fool’s monthly stock recommendations — get expert advice and portfolio strategies
Earn a 1% match when you transfer your portfolio to Public
‘The Higher the Balance, the More You’ll Earn’: Open a savings account with CIT Bank and get 3.75% APY

6. Impulse items in the check-out line
Check-out lines are usually full of low-priced items that you don’t really need, but that can attract plenty of customers. Before reaching for items in the check-out line, consider whether purchasing it will actually make your day better. You can tell yourself that if you decide in 10 minutes you still want the item, you can always return to the store. That barrier is often enough to make us realize we don’t need to make the purchase.
7. Out-of-network ATM fees
Having at least a small amount of cash on you can allow you to be less reliant on ATMs and any of the out-of-network fees that come with them. When opening a new bank account, do some research to make sure that the ATM network includes machines where you live or often travel to.
8. Annual credit card fees
To be clear, some annual credit card fees are worth the money, especially if you take advantage of the rewards programs. But if you aren’t using enough of the card’s perks to make up for the cost of the card, you may want to downgrade. The annual fee adds up over time, especially if you signed up for multiple credit cards that have annual fees.
9. Bank overdraft fees
While many banks have eliminated overdraft fees — which are a fee you have to pay when you spend more money than you have in your account — policies still vary from one bank to another. You can mitigate the risk of having to pay this fee by keeping a cash cushion in your checking account and choosing banks that have overdraft fee protection.
How to start cutting costs
You don’t have to cut all these costs in one day. Making incremental changes every few weeks or months can make a difference for your budget without stress.
Start by reviewing your bank statement and cancel one or two items, such as subscriptions that you never use. Then, you can switch one service, such as your cell phone plan, if you find a cheaper option. Ideally you’ll start feeling enough progress to encourage you to continue cutting costs.

Where People Are Investing Right Now

Motley Fool’s monthly stock recommendations — get expert advice and portfolio strategies
Earn a 1% match when you transfer your portfolio to Public
‘The Higher the Balance, the More You’ll Earn’: Open a savings account with CIT Bank and get 3.75% APY

As with many things in London, a given building in the city usually comes with a layered past of owners and people who have passed through it.Located at 160 Piccadilly next to the famed Ritz Hotel, The Wolseley restaurant gets its name from a past British vehicle manufacturer that hired architect William Curtis Green to design it for their new showroom in 1921.For more than 70 years, the building also operated as a major branch of Barclays Bank while a renovation in 1999 turned it into an upscale Chinese restaurant in 1999. While The Orient at China House did not last more than a few years, restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King eventually repurchased the building in 2003 and turned it into a dining hall inspired by the grand hotel restaurants of Europe from previous decades.The Wolseley to open brand’s first hotel near Bryant Park by 2027While not nearly as historic as countless other restaurants in London, The Wolseley has benefited from its proximity to The Ritz and over the ensuing decades has become sought out by travelers for quintessentially British dining experiences like afternoon tea and English breakfast as well as European classics like Schnitzel.According to statistics from the restaurant, it sold 45,750 afternoon teas in 2025 while the wider parent Wolseley parent company is behind eight other high-end restaurants in different parts of London.Related: Mexico just crushed the US when it comes to luxury hotelsAs part of its plans to expand far beyond the original restaurant location, The Wolseley is branching out into the hotel space with the launch of its first brand location in New York City by 2027. Minor Hotels, which took control of the London restaurant in 2022 after a post-pandemic bankruptcy bidding war, will build the 76-room hotel in a building that was constructed in 1905 (making it older than the London location!) as a clubhouse for the Lambs Club theatre and social club.

An early rendering shows what the new Wolseley Hotel in New York City is expected to look like.The Wolseley

“Architectural character and a sense of occasion”: Minor CEO on new Wolseley hotelThe 130 West 44th Street site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and had for the last 15 years been home to The Chatwal hotel.The new hotel site will also have a restaurant to mirror the original one in London with a menu of British and European dishes as well as a hidden speakeasy on an underground level of the property for guests looking for something wetter.The restaurant is, however, envisioned as “the social centre of the hotel” that both serves as a particularly grand centrepiece for guests and introduces the brand to those coming in for dining only.More Travel News:Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.Iranian strike hits major airport, injuries reportedUnexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026U.S. government issues sudden warning on Switzerland travel”Inspired by the enduring success of The Wolseley in London, our vision is to create hotels anchored in culinary excellence, architectural character, and a genuine sense of occasion,” Minor International CEO Dillip Rajakarier said in a comment on the opening that also promises guests “that same sense of timeless glamour and lively hospitality.”While everything from room rates to the design details of the hotel remain under wraps during the early periods of planning and construction, Minor has floated the idea of Dubai as the site of the next Wolseley hotel prior to a wider expansion in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.Related: Mandarin Oriental is betting big on Egyptian travel

Analysts anticipate Fed officials pointing to economic uncertainty from the Middle East conflict.

Bitcoin remained sharply lower for the session following the expected decision by the U.S. central bank.