Amy Dowden has credited her best friend and fellow Strictly Come Dancing professional Carlos Gu with convincing her not to "hang up her dancing shoes" following her cancer treatment.
The 35-year-old told The Mirror she was at an "ultimate low" after being forced to quit the show in 2024 because of illness.
The Welsh dancer said she was able to regain her confidence after receiving some "tough love" and "motivation" from Gu and her husband Ben Jones.
Dowden and Gu participate in the latest series of Celebrity Hunted in which pairs go on the run as they are pursued by an elite team of hunters.
Strictly's Amy Dowden unsure 'if I'm able to be a mum' after cancer

#able #strictly #come #jones

In hall three at the SEC Centre, the Bee Gees were telling us we should be dancing before 9am.
It wasn't some early morning disco, but instead the venue for the para mixed pairs B2-B3 final.
This Commonwealth Games has lamped a real focus on inclusiveness. Few sports are more inclusive than bowls.
And with this new format - two five-end sets - plus the addition of a DJ and a big glitter ball, bowls is trying to captivate a new audience.
Those boogieing along to the beat early on Tuesday were treated to a highly-competitive, nail-biting showdown between Scotland and England, with the Scots winning after a tie-breaker.

#early #centre #Scotland #scots

Americans spend over $600 billion per year on remodeling their homes. Upgrading and repairing your home can protect its market value and make your living ******* e more comfortable. But it can also be expensive, and figuring out a way to pay for it isn't always straightforward.
Let's pretend, for example, that Bethan needs to make some major repairs to her home that cost around $25,000. She has a $27,000 emergency fund, but she's not sure if she should wipe out her rainy day account or finance the fixes.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going

#home #actually #bethan #bezos

It's another busy day at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow for Team Northern Ireland athletes.
It's an early start for bowler Gary Kelly, who faces Liam Hill from Tonga in the men's single sectional play at the SEC Centre at 08:30 BST as he aims to make it three wins from three.
Shauna O'Neill and Chloe Wilson will get under way at 17:50 when they take part in the women's pairs selection play against Isle of Man as they also aim for their third victory.
Kelly's final session of the day is at 19:15 as he takes on Singapore in the men's singles.
At the Tollcross Swimming Centre, it is a second morning full of heats from 10:30.

#commonwealth #glasgow

Jason Banks made it two wins from two in the men's singles on a mixed day for Team Scotland in the bowls at the SEC Centre.
Former world number one, Banks, backed up his first group game win on Thursday with another straight sets victory, this time against Pakistan's Mohammed 'Chico' Qureshi - who runs an Indian restaurant in Glasgow.
The 30-year-old stormed to a 16-2 win in the first set, scooping up two full-houses of four bowls in a single end along the way, before a tighter 7-3 victory in the second set.
Banks faces Fiji and Wales over the weekend, before rounding off his Group C campaign against England on Monday morning.
The women's pairs endured the mixed emotions of the tie-break on their first day of action.

#jason

Our **** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
JD Wetherspoon issued another profit warning after sales came in weaker than expected and costs kept rising across food, labor, repairs, energy and business rates. Like-for-like sales rose 4% in the 12 weeks to July 19, but that was not enough to offset margin pressure or satisfy investors hoping the World Cup and warm weather would deliver a bigger pub rush. Shares fell sharply. The punters are still showing up. The profits are not keeping pace.
Wetherspoons warned that full-year profits are likely to come in below market expectations when it reports results in October. The company blamed "marginally lower sales than anticipated" in the final quarter and higher costs across food, labor, repairs, energy and business rates.
Like-for-like sales rose 4% in the 12 weeks to July 19. Year-to-date like-for-like sales were up 4.2%. That is growth, but not enough for a pub chain that investors hoped would benefit from the FIFA World Cup, warm weather and customers heading out to watch matches.
Shares fell around 9% to 10% after the update.

#shares

Icahn Enterprises on Tuesday announced that the company reached a deal to sell Pep Boys to Mavis, one of the largest independent tire and service providers in the country, in a $700 million deal.
Pep Boys has nearly 800 locations around the country and offers auto services including tires, repairs, oil changes and maintenance.
The deal will expand Mavis' presence in new and existing markets, particularly in the western U.S., where Pep Boys has a significant presence, and will increase Mavis's network to over 4,400 service centers around the U.S. and Canada.
Millions Of Car Owners Are Delaying Maintenance Repairs As Costs Rise
"Today's announcement marks a significant milestone as Mavis continues to execute its growth strategy. Pep Boys is one of the most well-respected names in the automotive aftermarket, and we look forward to welcoming it into the Mavis family of brands," said Mavis co-CEO David Sorbaro.

#repairs #maintenance #country #around

Bowler Ross Owen kicked off the Team Wales campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a comfortable 2-0 men's singles victory against Mohammed Ayub Qureshi from Pakistan.
Owen, 32 from Merthyr Tydfil, won the two sets 12-5 and 17-0 and is next in action against England's Sam Tolchard on Friday.
This is Owen's third Games having won a bronze medal as part of the men's triples in Birmingham in 2022.
The bowlers were the first Welsh competitors in action in Glasgow as they competed on Thursday before the evening's opening ceremony at the Hydro.
Amy Williams and Lauren Gowen will compete in the women's pairs against Canada at 15:10 BST on Thursday.

#commonwealth #mohammed

Husband and wife Ian and Alison Merrien will lead out Guernsey at the 2026 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
The pair both made their debuts at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, with Alison going on to win a number of World Indoor ***** les.
The pair have returned to the Commonwealth Games this year, having last represented Guernsey in 2010.
This will be their fifth games, having also competed in 1998, 2002 and 2006 - the latter year of which Alison reached the quarter-finals of the women's singles.
This year, Ian will partner Jason Greenslade in the men's pairs while Alison will compete in both the women's singles and pairs events.

#pairs

Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch on Tuesday, July 22, for all Five Boroughs, plus Nassau County and parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

According to the National Weather Service, a tornado watch means "tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area" and advises those in the affected area to "be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching."

While some tornado damage is minor, like broken windows or snapped tree branches, a Category F5 tornado can have wind speeds over 300 mph and tear a home right off its foundation.
A tornado can wreak havoc on a home, and one way to be ready is by having adequate insurance coverage. A homeowners insurance policy can help cover the cost of repairs and replace items damaged in the storm, but not all wind damage is treated equally, and there are some caveats to what a policy will and won't cover.
Most standard homeowners insurance policies include coverage for wind-related damage, like tornadoes. Here's a breakdown of what's usually covered.
Dwelling coverage. This part of the policy helps cover damage to a home's actual structure. So, whether a tornado rips off a few shingles or levels the entire house, dwelling coverage can pay for repairs or a rebuild (up to policy limits).

#coverage #watch

Right now, the twin forces of the artificial intelligence (AI) build-out and relentless demand for connectivity are lifting some of the strongest names in technology and telecom. Here are five compelling stocks worth buying more of, starting with the one everyone is watching.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) has quietly become one of the most important companies in AI. It designs the custom chips that giants, including Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Meta Platforms, use to run their own AI systems, and it dominates the networking gear that ties thousands of those chips together inside a data center. On top of that, its infrastructure software business, anchored by VMware, throws off steady, high-margin revenue that cushions the more cyclical chip side. With a massive AI order backlog and a clear path toward much larger AI sales, Broadcom pairs explosive growth with a diversified base most chipmakers lack.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) is the company that builds the world's most advanced chips, including those designed by Broadcom and Nvidia. Its management recently called AI demand "extremely robust" and raised its growth outlook, while pouring another $100 billion into its Arizona campus and ramping its cutting-edge 2-nanometer technology. Because nearly every leading chip company depends on its factories, Taiwan Semiconductor sits at an irreplaceable chokepoint in the AI economy. That is about as wide a moat as you will find.
Alphabet combines the cash machine of Google Search with a fast-growing cloud business and its own leading AI models. The company is investing enormous sums, including a plan to raise tens of billions to fund its AI infrastructure, and it is weaving AI across its products rather than being disrupted by it. Notably, Berkshire Hathaway built a large stake in Alphabet, a vote of confidence from the most famous value investor's company that this is a wonderful business at a fair price.

#broadcom #alphabet #taiwan

Right now, the twin forces of the artificial intelligence (AI) build-out and relentless demand for connectivity are lifting some of the strongest names in technology and telecom. Here are five compelling stocks worth buying more of, starting with the one everyone is watching.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) has quietly become one of the most important companies in AI. It designs the custom chips that giants, including Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Meta Platforms, use to run their own AI systems, and it dominates the networking gear that ties thousands of those chips together inside a data center. On top of that, its infrastructure software business, anchored by VMware, throws off steady, high-margin revenue that cushions the more cyclical chip side. With a massive AI order backlog and a clear path toward much larger AI sales, Broadcom pairs explosive growth with a diversified base most chipmakers lack.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) is the company that builds the world's most advanced chips, including those designed by Broadcom and Nvidia. Its management recently called AI demand "extremely robust" and raised its growth outlook, while pouring another $100 billion into its Arizona campus and ramping its cutting-edge 2-nanometer technology. Because nearly every leading chip company depends on its factories, Taiwan Semiconductor sits at an irreplaceable chokepoint in the AI economy. That is about as wide a moat as you will find.
Alphabet combines the cash machine of Google Search with a fast-growing cloud business and its own leading AI models. The company is investing enormous sums, including a plan to raise tens of billions to fund its AI infrastructure, and it is weaving AI across its products rather than being disrupted by it. Notably, Berkshire Hathaway built a large stake in Alphabet, a vote of confidence from the most famous value investor's company that this is a wonderful business at a fair price.

#NVIDIA #NASDAQ #business

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss
July 17 (Reuters) - Videogame retailer GameStop owns nearly 10% of e-commerce company eBay, the company said in a regulatory filing late on Friday, signaling its intent ‌to push ahead with plans to buy eBay even after its unsolicited offer was rejected.
GameStop ‌said it owns 43.4 million outstanding shares of eBay, or 9.8%, marking a dramatic increase in ownership from early May when GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen told eBay's board chairman it wanted to buy the company for roughly $56 billion.
At that time he said GameStop had "accumulated a 5% economic stake" through derivatives and beneficial ownership.
Over the last weeks GameStop turned its economic stake into common shares. Last month it bought 3.5 million eBay shares for ‌roughly $381 million and on Friday it ⁠settled 39 million eBay shares from put/call pairs, the filing said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The newly drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's bottom surface has noticeably faded since it was lined with a protective coating in a color President Donald Trump called "American flag blue" this spring.
An **** ociated Press reporter and photographer viewed the fenced-off Reflecting Pool on Wednesday from the top of the Washington Monument. The new liner appears grayer than when the pool was repainted and refilled with water in early June. Debris that had been visible earlier this week after the pool was drained is now largely gone, after work crews removed it.
Trump's problem-plagued effort to revamp the landmark has stretched well past his initial goal of having the Reflecting Pool ready by July 4 for the nation's 250th birthday.
The president at first suggested his renovations would cost $1.5 million, but the bill ballooned to more than $16 million by June.
Trump had said the repairs would last a century, but within days of the project's initial completion last month, the water was beset by an algae bloom and pieces of the new coating appeared to be peeling off the bottom.

Just days after Texas A&M's first-round loss to Miami in the 2025 College Football Playoff, it was abundantly clear that starting quarterback Marcel Reed needed to improve in several areas, starting with eliminating "mental mistakes" against elite defenses, while the Aggies were set to transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion to the NFL Draft.
Entering his third season, coach Mike Elko was set to lose second-year OC Collin Klein, now Kansas State's head coach, and instead of pursuing an outside hire, Elko elevated WR coach Holmon Wiggins as the new OC and playcaller, while Lyle Hemphill was promoted as the Aggies' new defensive coordinator after Jay Bateman departed for Kentucky.
After Marcel Reed announced his official return, Elko and his staff went to work in the transfer portal, adding 17 players, including former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton, whose 6'4" frame pairs well with junior star wideout Mario Craver, who reeled in 59 receptions, 917 yards and four touchdowns during his first season in College Station.
In the backfield, former five-star prospect and redshirt junior running back Rueben Owens will be tasked with replacing Le'Veon Moss as the starter, but sophomore Jamarion Morrow, who looks like the best one-cut back on the roster, is still in contention for the starting job heading into the preseason.
After completing 62% of his passes for 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, paired with 493 rushing yards and six scores, Marcel Reed is equipped with the necessary speed and size at wide receiver to thrive in the pocket, and while four new starting offensive linemen could result in some early blocking issues, the expectations remain high for the Aggie offense.

AMLP trades near $53, up 17% year to date, with every major holding raising distributions to support its ~8% yield heading into 2027.
EPD extended its 27-year distribution growth streak while MPLX delivered a 13% raise, though leverage climbed to 3.7x after three acquisitions.
AMLP's C-corp tax structure drags on total return, with its 5-year gain of 117% trailing WES at 216% and MPLX at 198%.
Many financial professionals are salespeople paid on what they push, not whether you end up wealthier. A fiduciary is the opposite. The SEC legally requires them to put your interests first. Advisor.com's free matching tool pairs you with vetted fiduciaries from major national firms, all in under three minutes. See who you match with today.
The Alerian MLP ETF (NYSEARCA:AMLP) is having one of its best years in a decade. AMLP trades near $53, up roughly 17% year to date and roughly 17% over the past year, while the quarterly distribution stepped up to $1.03 from $1.01. With a $4.12 forward annualized payout, AMLP yields roughly 7.8%. The question for income investors: is the uptrend a signal the distribution is safer than it has been in years, or a warning that midstream is running hot?

Claiming Social Security at 62 permanently cuts monthly benefits by roughly 30%, shrinking a $3,000 check to $2,100 with no recovery ever.
Delaying Social Security past 62 grows benefits by 8% per year up to 70, making a cash bridge the most valuable retirement move.
Treasuries currently yielding between 4% and 4.5% let forced early retirees fund living expenses without selling stocks during a downturn and locking in losses.
Many financial professionals are salespeople paid on what they push, not whether you end up wealthier. A fiduciary is the opposite. The SEC legally requires them to put your interests first. Advisor.com's free matching tool pairs you with vetted fiduciaries from major national firms, all in under three minutes. See who you match with today.
Picture a project manager who circled his 65th birthday on the calendar years ago. That was the day. Pension paperwork ready, a modest travel plan, a portfolio that had ridden the bull market to a comfortable number. Then at 58, his role was eliminated. Severance covered a few months. The plan he had built for seven more years of paychecks stopped existing.

Texas A&M's No. 1-ranked 2027 recruiting class is all but wrapped up after third-year coach Mike Elko and first-year linebackers coach Travis Williams landed another key commitment from four-star linebacker Makahi Allen on Saturday afternoon, as the well-rounded defender joins five-star linebacker Kaden Henderson and rising three-star LB commit Aston Whiteside.
On paper, Texas A&M's future linebacker rotation is all but set with Henderson and Allen in the fold, though transfer Ray Coney and senior Daymion Sanford, who will likely miss the first half of the regular season after sustaining a lower-body injury, are set to depart after the 2026 season. Combined with the Aggies' four freshman linebackers, including Tamarion Watkins, whose 6'4" frame and physicality are highly intriguing.
Before landing Kaden Henderson, Texas A&M had not secured a five-star LB commit in over 20 years, while Makahi Allen's background as a former safety who is already an established off-ball linebacker, who has shown the ability to shoot gaps and cover the corners in coverage pairs well with Henderson's elite athleticism and NFL-level speed/quickness.
Other freshman linebackers to note include DaQuives Beck, Storm Miller, and Tank King, who will likely sit and develop during the 2026 season. Given the lack of depth behind Ray Coney and sophomore Noah Mikhail, DaQuives Beck is a name to watch during preseason practice. Every player listed is at least 6'0" or more, providing plenty of size to stop the run and face larger offensive linemen in pass rush situations.
Mike Elko's focus on situational awareness and football IQ forces every current and future player on the roster to adapt and not take their foot off the gas on any play, especially at linebacker, which, as many know, serves as the quarterback of the defense.

Texas A&M's No. 1-ranked recruiting class was further strengthened after coach Mike Elko and his staff landed five-star linebacker Kaeden Henderson, considered one of the top athletes in the cycle, and he will likely compete for a starting job during his first season. After landing four linebacker commitments in the 2026 recruiting class, Elko and new LB coach Travis Williams had their sights set on 2027 four-star linebacker Mikahi Allen.
One of the top-ranked players in New Jersey, Allen is among the more underrated defensive prospects with high NFL upside and pairs well with Henderson's speed and pass-rush potential. Coming down to Texas, South Carolina, and Texas A&M, the Aggies came out on top during his announcement on Saturday, landing their 26th commitment in the top-ranked 2027 cycle.
Consistent linebacker play has been an issue for Texas A&M going back to the Kevin Sumlin years, and while former three-year starter Taurean York was certainly productive, his lack of size was an issue, and heading into the 2026 season, only senior Daymion Sanford is listed below 6'0", as projected starters Ray Coney and Noah Mikhail are both 6'2" and over 220 pounds.
Mikahi Allen is currently listed at 6'2" and 235 pounds, and according to 247Sports' Director of Scouting, Andrew Ivins, the New Jersey-based prospect can simply do it all, providing Elko and Williams another versatile athlete who will compete for a starting role in his second season.
"Can do a little bit of everything as he can attack the corner while playing on the ball, shoot gaps when positioned off the ball and impact passing lanes in coverage."

Karson Kerce, SS, Georgia Tech
Age: 21
Bats/Trows: R/R
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200 lbs
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 35 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45
Throughout this series of draft articles, one theme has been that the third tier of players was massive enough to blanket multiple rounds. In that vein, I present to you, Carson Kerce. For the most part, Kerce ranks in the top 100-150 range on most boards, but is not truly that much different than many players ranked 40-50 spots higher.
Baseball America
#121 overall
Kerce has been a three-year starter for Georgia Tech, and he made significant offensive strides as a sophomore and junior. He started the 2026 season as something of an afterthought at the back of Georgia Tech’s potent offensive lineup, but his consistent performance in the box ultimately moved him into the team’s leadoff role in April. He finished the 2026 season with a .384/.473/.679 slash line, a career-high 11 home runs and 29 doubles—good for the second-most among DiI hitters. Kerce is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound righthanded hitter who pairs excellent pure contact skills with an advanced, all-fields approach. He has a level, direct swing that yields plenty of hard line drives to both gaps and has cut his strikeout rate consistently throughout college. He managed a 13.3% strikeout rate and standout 90% in-zone contact rate in 2026. While Kerce’s power output has also increased year-over-year, he doesn’t have exceptional over-the-fence pop, the swing or the approach to envision anything more than fringe-average game power with a wood bat. He’s an above-average runner who gets out of the box quickly, but hasn’t been much of a base-stealing threat in college, and has experience all over the infield. Kerce moved from third base to shortstop in 2026, but his actions, range and hands might all be a tick light for an everyday shortstop role in pro ball. He could be better suited for either second or third, or continue playing a bit of everything in a utility infield role.

Norway vs. England free live stream: How to watch World Cup quarterfinal online without cable originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Norway and England meet in a quarterfinal that pits one of the tournament's most battle-tested sides against a squad enjoying the best World Cup run in program history.
England ground out a wild 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca, holding on after a second-half red card thanks to a first-half Jude Bellingham brace and a Harry Kane penalty in the 60th minute. Norway punched its ticket to the final eight by upending Brazil, powered by a second-half Erling Haaland double that keeps him in the thick of the Golden Boot chase alongside Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.
England is chasing its first World Cup **** le since 1966, having reached the quarterfinals in 2022 and the semifinals in 2018. Norway, appearing in just its fourth World Cup, has never advanced this far before.
The strikers headline the matchup, but both sides run deep — England leans on Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon, while Norway pairs Martin Ødegaard and Alexander Sørloth with Haaland up top.

Delaying Social Security past full retirement age adds roughly 8% per year up to 70, making the claim timing an irreversible longevity bet.
Three recurring pitfalls each punish inattention with steep, often-delayed financial costs: missed RMDs, the tax torpedo on Social Security, and IRMAA surcharges above $109,000 income.
Spreading Roth conversions across multiple years lowers future RMDs and provisional income, protecting Social Security from taxation and Medicare premiums from IRMAA tier jumps.
Many financial professionals are salespeople paid on what they push, not whether you end up wealthier. A fiduciary is the opposite. The SEC legally requires them to put your interests first. Advisor.com's free matching tool pairs you with vetted fiduciaries from major national firms, all in under three minutes. See who you match with today.
She is 68, single, manages her own brokerage and IRA accounts, and reads the fine print on her Medicare statements. She has watched friends drift into their mid-seventies with sharper opinions but slower instincts about money, and she does not want to make her biggest financial decisions on a day when she is tired or distracted. So she is using this year to lock in the choices that are hardest to reverse, while putting the rest on autopilot.

For all of the attention Erling Haaland gets for his goals, one of the most underrated parts of his game is how consistently he wins individual duels. Whether it is battling center-backs in the air, shielding the ball with his back to goal, or simply overpowering defenders in a foot race, Haaland gives his team a physical advantage that few strikers in world football can match.
At 6-foot-4 with elite strength and remarkable acceleration, Haaland is uniquely built to dominate defenders in multiple ways. He is not just a target man who thrives on crosses. He wins shoulder-to-shoulder battles, fights through contact inside the penalty area, and frequently turns seemingly lost ***** into scoring opportunities by refusing to give up on a play. His combination of size, balance, and explosiveness often forces defenders into mistakes because they know they have almost no margin for error.
For Manchester City in 2025/26, Haaland won 126 ground duels and another 87 in the air. His presence can make a difference and it is being felt for Norway at the World Cup.
What makes Haaland especially dangerous is that he pairs those physical gifts with excellent timing and movement. He understands when to attack ***** e, when to hold up play, and when to challenge for aerial ***** . Even when he does not score, his ability to win duels creates second-ball opportunities for teammates and helps his side maintain possession in advanced areas.
As defenders continue to become faster and more athletic, winning individual battles remains one of the most valuable traits a striker can possess. Haaland has turned that skill into one of the foundations of his success. Goals will always define his career, but the relentless way he competes and wins duels is a major reason why he continues to rank among the most feared forwards in the game.

Mortgage recasting permanently lowers your monthly payment by applying a lump sum to principal while keeping your original rate and skipping closing costs.
FHA, VA, and USDA loans cannot be recast. Only conventional Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and most jumbo portfolio loans qualify for re-amortization.
A recast lowers your payment but not your loan term, and the lump sum immediately becomes illiquid equity, so you should only use funds you won't need.
Many financial professionals are salespeople paid on what they push, not whether you end up wealthier. A fiduciary is the opposite. The SEC legally requires them to put your interests first. Advisor.com's free matching tool pairs you with vetted fiduciaries from major national firms, all in under three minutes. See who you match with today.
If you have a conventional mortgage, your lender is probably sitting on a ***** on that can shrink your monthly payment permanently. It is called a mortgage recast (or re-amortization), and it lets you lower your mortgage payment without refinancing, without closing costs, and without a credit check. Most banks will do it for a flat fee, often a few hundred dollars, and they almost never advertise it.

Teachers can stack a 403(b) and 457(b) under separate IRS ceilings, sheltering roughly $49,000 annually from federal income tax.
Teacher pensions erode via COLA caps as low as 1%, vesting cliffs up to 10 years, and geography gaps that gut purchasing power.
The 457(b) uniquely allows penalty-free withdrawals at any age after separation, letting early-retiring teachers bridge income before Social Security begins.
Many financial professionals are salespeople paid on what they push, not whether you end up wealthier. A fiduciary is the opposite. The SEC legally requires them to put your interests first. Advisor.com's free matching tool pairs you with vetted fiduciaries from major national firms, all in under three minutes. See who you match with today.
Your state pension check looks like a safety net until you stack it against real retirement costs. Average annual household expenditures hit $78,535 in 2024, and the Consumer Price Index sits at 333.979 as of May 2026, up 1.6 points in a single month. Most teacher pensions replace a fraction of final salary, and many have weak or capped cost-of-living adjustments. That gap is exactly what the double-stack in your benefits packet was designed to close, and most teachers never open the envelope.

By Exec Edge Editorial Staff
AZA Law Firm opened its Dallas office at the Trammell Crow Center on January 1, 2026. The launch ended 32 years of Houston-only practice. Six months in, the office is tracking the public timeline managing partner John Zavitsanos set when the lease was signed: from five lawyers at launch to ten by year-end.
The expansion is intellectual property-led. Patent cases drive more volume in Dallas than in Houston because of the Eastern District of Texas docket, and AZA Law Firm's IP practice had grown to the point where opening a North Texas office was a logical next step. "At least for patent cases, there's more going on in Dallas than there is in Houston," Zavitsanos said in an interview with The Texas Lawbook. "It made sense to have a Dallas office because our IP practice is blowing up."
Warren McCarty, formerly a partner at Caldwell Cassady & Curry, runs the Dallas office as managing partner. McCarty spent 11 years at Caldwell before briefly launching his own firm in June 2025. Several months later, he joined AZA Law Firm to take on the Dallas role. He is a graduate of Illinois State University and the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a law school classmate of Jason McManis, who leads AZA's intellectual property group.
Kyle Poelker, an AZA partner from Houston, runs commercial litigation in the new office. Poelker was on the trial team for the firm's $25.9 million Fondren Orthopedic v. HCA verdict in 2024, the largest 2024 Harris County jury verdict in three commercial categories. His move to Dallas pairs commercial litigation experience with McCarty's patent-trial background and gives the new office practice coverage on both sides of AZA Law Firm's caseload.

Crystin Liboma's childhood dream was to own a home. At 26 years old, she moved out of her parents' house into her first home purchase in Delaware. Then, she was slammed with major home repairs that left her struggling to pay her mortgage and several thousand dollars in credit card debt.
Three years after buying her first home in 2017, Liboma found relief in the form of a mortgage refinance. By refinancing from a mid-4%, 30-year mortgage to a 3.38%, 20-year mortgage, Liboma set herself on stronger financial footing.
Now 35 years old, the healthcare consultant has learned a few lessons about dealing with unexpected costs, along with one thing you can control but might not realize — your mortgage rate.
There are many uncontrollable costs when it comes to homeownership, including maintenance, rising property taxes and high utility bills. Naomi Peden, a housing counselor at Money Management International, helps people who are struggling to pay their mortgage. But financial stability begins before move-in day.
"One of the benefits of being a homeowner is the fact that you're stabilizing a portion of your housing cost," she tells clients during pre-purchase counseling. "That portion is the principal and interest payment."

In a taxable brokerage account, holding stock more than one year slashes your gains tax rate from 37% to as low as 0%.
Selling gains during a low-income year such as a sabbatical, gap year, or early retirement can reduce your federal capital gains tax to 0%.
Miss the one-year mark by even one day and the IRS taxes the entire gain as ordinary income, up to 37%.
Many financial professionals are salespeople paid on what they push, not whether you end up wealthier. A fiduciary is the opposite. The SEC legally requires them to put your interests first. Advisor.com's free matching tool pairs you with vetted fiduciaries from major national firms, all in under three minutes. See who you match with today.
If you own individual stocks in a regular taxable brokerage account, the IRS quietly hands you one of the biggest tax breaks in the code: hold a winner for more than 365 days, and the tax rate on your gain can collapse from as high as 37% all the way to 0%. Same stock, same profit, same you. The only thing that changed is the calendar. This is the short-term vs. long-term capital gains split, and most retail investors treat it as an afterthought while leaving thousands on the table.

ULTY distributes between $0.34 and $0.52 weekly by selling calls on high-beta names like Coinbase and Rocket Lab, with payouts directly tracking VIX movement.
JEPQ delivers covered call income on the NASDAQ 100 with significantly less NAV volatility, making it the steadier alternative for income-focused investors.
Covered calls cap upside recovery in a drawdown, and ULTY's 1.24% expense ratio drags returns on a strategy already tied to volatile premiums.
Many financial professionals are salespeople paid on what they push, not whether you end up wealthier. A fiduciary is the opposite. The SEC legally requires them to put your interests first. Advisor.com's free matching tool pairs you with vetted fiduciaries from major national firms, all in under three minutes. See who you match with today.
YieldMax's Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF (NYSEARCA:ULTY) has become one of the most talked-about weekly income vehicles on the market, and the pitch is straightforward: sell options on the most volatile stocks in tech, crypto, and speculative growth, then hand the premiums to shareholders every Friday. ULTY has been distributing roughly $0.34 to $0.52 per share each week in 2026, funded almost entirely by option premium capture on a $2.5 billion book of high-beta names. The question every ULTY holder should be asking is whether that weekly check is durable, or whether it's slowly cannibalizing the principal that funds it.

AI memory stocks have been the loudest trade of 2026, as the scramble for the chips behind every AI server pushed prices and profits to records. But the three names below share the same strange split. The business has never looked stronger, yet the money flows are quietly turning cautious.
Each pairs a blockbuster fundamental; a record profit, elite margins, or a monster rally with clear signs that big investors are stepping back. That gap between great numbers and nervous positioning is exactly what makes these 3 AI memory stocks worth watching through July 2026.
Samsung, one of the biggest AI memory stocks, sent a mixed signal on July 7. Its preliminary second-quarter guidance showed a record 89.4 trillion won ($58.4 billion) in operating profit, about 19 times higher than a year ago, as demand booms for the chips that power AI servers.
The good news is that business is booming. The bad news is that the stock fell anyway, dropping almost 7% to 296,000 won (about $194) even as profit jumped and nearly 10% at the low near 286,000 won ($187).
The reason is that big money is leaving. Foreign investors sold Samsung for six straight sessions, about 26 million shares, led by JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and UBS.