For the first two games of the World Series, the average viewership in Japan was almost as high as in the United States, despite a population one-third that of the U.S., and the average viewership in Canada was 10 times greater than it was last year.
The average in the three countries, through two games: 30.5 million, MLB said Tuesday. The average for the World Series last year: 28.6 million.
The Game 1 audience for those three countries: 32.6 million, the highest for an MLB game in the U.S., Canada and Japan combined since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians.
When the Dodgers and Yankees played in last year’s World Series — a clash of the two biggest markets in the United States — the average game attracted 15.8 million viewers in the U.S. For the first two games of this year’s World Series, the average game attracted 12.5 million viewers on Fox platforms, so Canadian markets are not included.
However, even without a U.S. team to oppose the Dodgers, Fox said this year’s ratings are better than any other World Series since the pandemic, besides last year’s.
This year’s NBA Finals — a small-market matchup between Oklahoma City and Indiana — attracted a U.S. average of 10.3 million viewers.
This year’s World Series features Japan’s team — the team of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki — against Canada’s lone major league team. The average viewership in Japan: 10.7 million, despite the games starting there at 9 a.m.
The average viewership of last year’s World Series in Canada: 720,000. That number through two games this year: 7.2 million. The U.S. population is 10 times greater than that of Canada.
According to Experian data, the average American driver pays roughly $2,328 per year for full coverage auto insurance in 2025. If you carry only the minimum coverage required by your state, that drops to about $1,546 annually.
Of course, those are just averages. Your actual rate might be far higher or much lower. It all depends on personal factors, like where you live, what kind of car you drive, and your claims history.
So how do you stack up?
My personal rate
For example, my current full-coverage policy runs about $1,047 a year here in California. I’ve got a clean driving record, great credit, a family minivan (yep, full dad mode), and I only rack up around 6,000 miles a year.
I pay less than half the national average — but it didn’t happen by luck. I make it a habit to compare quotes every so often and keep my profile in top shape.
Insurance companies use dozens of factors to gauge your risk and determine your policy rate.
Some of these factors you can control, others not so much.
Here are the biggest ones that matter:
Location: Rates differ wildly by state and even ZIP code. Drivers in Maryland, for instance, might pay more than double what drivers in Vermont do.
Driving record: Tickets, accidents, and DUIs can raise your rate for years.
Vehicle type: Minivans and sedans generally cost less to insure than luxury or sports cars.
Credit score: In most states, a higher credit score can help lower your premium.
Annual mileage: Driving less typically means less risk — and lower rates.
Coverage level: Full coverage offers stronger protection but costs more.
Deductible: Choosing a higher deductible can reduce your monthly premium.
Knowing which levers you can pull gives you real control over your rate.
Why it pays to compare
Every year, your car gets a little older, your driving record gets a little longer, and your situation changes. Maybe you’re driving less, moved somewhere safer, or finished paying off your car.
Meanwhile, most insurance companies raise your rate each renewal — even if nothing about your risk has changed. It’s just how the system works.
That’s why checking rates once a year can pay off big.
In fact, Consumer Reports found that nearly 1 in 3 drivers switched auto insurers in the past five years. And those who did saved an average of $461 a year.
Since it only takes a few minutes to shop around, it’s always worth checking if better rates are available out there.
Personally, I like to check insurance prices once a year. Most of the time, I find I’m already getting the best deal. But every so often, I stumble across a lower rate for the exact same coverage!
As someone who’s lived in and visited family throughout the Inland Empire for years, I have seen firsthand the rapid growth that has changed the region.
When I travel to Yucaipa nowadays, the orange groves of my youthful weekend visits have long since been replaced by housing developments as the town has nearly doubled in 30 years.
My colleague Terry Castleman has been analyzing the demographic changes taking place in California but he recently took a deep dive into the explosive growth of income in the Inland Empire, in particular the south desert portion of Riverside County.
Castleman, a data reporter, noted that two of the top three communities that saw the greatest growth in average income in the state between 2017 and 2022 were in the Coachella Valley, perhaps best known for hellish summer temperatures, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.
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For this analysis, The Times considered only communities with more than 3,000 tax returns. I’ll address the cities with fewer returns shortly.
Thousand Palms saw average incomes rise more than 3.5 times over that span, from $12,700 in 2017 to nearly $45,000 three years later. In nearby Indian Wells, incomes nearly doubled, from $139,000 to $256,000.
The Coachella Valley is experiencing a desert bloom
Income levels in Thousand Palms were far lower than in Indian Wells — but each is getting richer from a regionwide perspective, said Kyle Garman, an agent for Keller Williams who has sold real estate in the Coachella Valley for eight years.
Part of the story is attributable to remote work, he said, but the valley has also undergone a shift from being primarily a tourist destination to a place to settle down.
“It’s not just Palm Springs, it’s not just people coming for the festivals, it’s the whole valley,” Garman said.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, home prices were much lower and only about 35% to 40% of residents stayed for the hottest months of the year, he said. As more attractions and infrastructure have become available to residents, though, “people are sticking around more.”
So, who is moving in?
The average California household has a net worth between three and six times their adjusted gross income, meaning that the average Indian Wells resident probably became a millionaire between 2017 and 2022 as average household income skyrocketed to $256,000 from $139,000.
In the Coachella Valley, “the money’s coming from all over,” Garman observed. When the housing market was most competitive, around 2022 and 2023, cash buyers flooded in.
Now, they’re high earners who have relocated to towns that were formerly less tony. “This is the new norm,” he said.
Garman pointed to a number of new Coachella Valley attractions that were drawing families — the Firebirds professional ice hockey team and Disney’s Cotino housing development.
Thousand Palms is unincorporated, drawing homeowners because, as one businessperson there put it: “Taxes are more reasonable, you have fewer regulations when you want to build.”
Notes that didn’t make Castleman’s cut
When Castleman looked at the income changes in smaller towns, he found some intriguing data.
He discovered staggering income jumps in towns like Helm, an unincorporated Fresno County village that has about 200 residents.
Between the 2017-2022 period, Helm saw incomes grow by 10 times, reaching near $200,000.
Castleman said many smaller towns throughout the state are disproportionately impacted by the moves of one or a handful of “big fish.”
“The experts told me that there was likely a big farm owner who reported huge losses one year and then huge gains the next year,” he said. “So, these towns can have wild fluctuations.”
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
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BRYAN ROBSON has told Manchester United chiefs to back Ruben Amorim for the long haul and slammed the club’s recent history of signing flops.
The United legend says the revolving door of managers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 has wrecked any chance of stability, and insists under-fire former Sporting Lisbon boss must be given at least THREE years to fix the mess.
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Robson moved to United for a British record transfer fee of £1.5 million in 1981Credit: Getty
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Robson has backed Amorim to get things right at UnitedCredit: AFP
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Manchester United stars are under-performing despite Amorim being in charge for the last eight monthsCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Speaking to The Telegraph, Robson said: “We’ve changed managers that many times since 2013.
“I feel you have to stick and say, ‘No, we are not sacking the manager. We are not blaming.’
“When you have a little bit of money and the club are going to allow you to change your squad, you need three years to get the team right.
“For me, three years at Manchester United should be enough.”
Amorim, 40, has had a disastrous start to life as United boss, winning just eight of his first 31 games.
But Robson is urging the board to give him more time, despite fans on social media calling for his sacking.
Robson didn’t hold back when reflecting on the transfer blunders of the Ed Woodward era, suggesting too many signings simply weren’t up to scratch.
He fumed: “Look at the money we spend. It’s up to you to go around the world and get top players who are going to improve you.”
“I think five years ago some of the players we bought were just not good enough to be Manchester United players. It’s an accumulation of that.”
And Robbo, who captained United through some of their most hard-fought years, believes the club lost its way by ignoring experienced Premier League stars in favour of flashy foreign names.
How Arsenal can beat Man City by exposing Rodri issue
“The other thing I think we went away from is getting good, experienced Premier League players.
“So when they get to 28, you bring them on board if you can. There have been loads of players who have left clubs.”
And his message to United’s decision-makers couldn’t be clearer.
He added: “When I was in management, I believed that if you bought average players, you got an average team.”
Fabio Carvalho scored a late equaliser for Brentford against Chelsea from a long throwCredit: Getty
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There have been 130 long throw-ins so far in the Premier League so far this seasonCredit: Getty
And the statistics show that the Bees are not the exponents of old-fashioned Pulis-ball.
In the 40 Prem games so far this season, there have been 130 long throws, at an average of 3.3 per match.
That compares to last season’s average, over the 380 games, of 1.5 per match – a doubling of the frequency.
And senior figures believe the return of the long throw has been a factor in a significant shortage of actual playing time.
Figures provided by Stats Perform show that across the 40 top flight games the ball has only been in play for an average of 54 minutes and 21 seconds, down 133 seconds from last season’s average.
The analysis by Prem insiders suggests that one major reason is that the extra number of long throws has seen more teams sending their centre-backs up into the opposition box.
A similar amount of positioning, by both attacking and defending sides, at corner kicks, has also been noticed, with many sides now having specialist set-piece coaching teams.
And with goalkeepers unable to hold onto the ball for more than eight seconds under the new Laws, also taking longer at goal kicks when the ball goes out of play, fans are getting less value for their ticket prices.
Social Security was never intended to cover all of your expenses in retirement. Investing in growth stocks like Nvidia today could help you bridge the gap in your budget down the road.
Many retired Americans rely heavily on Social Security checks for their income, but often, those payments don’t stretch far enough to cover all of their expenses. According to government data, in 2025, the average Social Security benefit is just $1,976 per month.
If that doesn’t sound like much, that’s because it isn’t. A recent study projected that by 2040, 32.6 million U.S. households with retirement-age individuals could have an average cash shortfall of more than $7,000 annually. That gap between retirement income and retirees’ needs is a big reason why many Americans will need to do more to build their own portfolios of investments, rather than trying to rely on Social Security benefits alone.
If you’re on the hunt for stocks that could help you build wealth over the long haul that you can eventually tap in retirement, there are a few compelling reasons to make Nvidia(NVDA 0.43%) one of your picks.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why Nvidia could continue to be a good long-term investment
Nvidia has become a common go-to investment among both tech enthusiasts and average investors over the past few years, as the company is benefiting from a steep increase in spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure. Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) dominate the artificial intelligence (AI) data center market — it sells an estimated 70% to 95% of all AI chips for infrastructure.
In Q2, the company’s data center revenue jumped 56% year over year to $41 billion, and its non-GAAP earnings per share jumped 54% to $1.05. Eventually, Nvidia’s customers could slow their spending on its hardware — particularly if AI doesn’t deliver the results those companies are hoping for — but that day hasn’t come yet. Nvidia CFO Colette Kress estimates that tech companies will invest up to $4 trillion into AI data centers over the next five years.
And it’s not just AI data centers that could fuel Nvidia’s future growth. The company’s tech is already being used in autonomous vehicles, and advances in the robotics industry could create another expanding new market for it in the coming years. Some estimates forecast that the global autonomous vehicle market will grow to more than $2 trillion over the next five years, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said recently that robotics (including autonomous vehicles) and AI represent a “multitrillion-dollar growth opportunity” for his company.
Though Nvidia stock has already soared by more than 1,100% over the past three years, the combination of its dominance in AI data center processors and its emerging opportunities in robotics and autonomous vehicles suggests it will remain a good long-term investment.
More growth could be ahead for Nvidia, but keep this in mind
While no single stock should make up the majority of your portfolio, investing in Nvidia could give future retirees a way to benefit from the massive transition toward AI systems that’s currently underway. While the chipmaker doesn’t currently pay a meaningful dividend, investors can eventually sell their holdings in retirement to supplement their incomes.
Planning for retirement can be challenging, and as you approach retirement age, it’s generally a good idea to reduce your exposure to stocks and other higher-risk investments. While Nvidia’s share price may continue to climb in the years ahead, it’s important to remember that it’s still a tech company, and tech stocks often go through periods of unusual volatility.
This shouldn’t be too much of a concern if you’ve got a long way to go before retirement, but remember that as you age, you’ll want to shift the balance of the allocations in your well-diversified portfolio toward less risky holdings.
Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The three worst-performing Dow stocks of August are still up over 17% each in 2025.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 1.36%) moved 3.2% higher in August, with five of its 30 constituent stocks rallying over 10% each. While the laggards didn’t decline as sharply, the fall in two of the three worst-performing Dow stocks of August was hard to justify.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Microsoft: Down 5%
Shares of Microsoft(MSFT 0.20%) fell 5% last month because investors booked profits after the tech stock soared to all-time highs of $555.45 on July 31, and its market capitalization briefly surpassed $4 trillion for the first time ever.
On July 31, Microsoft posted 18% revenue and 24% net income growth for its fourth quarter, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. Its cloud computing unit Azure logged the biggest revenue jump of 39% among all products. Microsoft projects double-digit growth in revenue and operating income for fiscal year 2026 (ending June 30, 2026).
2. Caterpillar: Down 4%
Shares of Caterpillar(CAT 2.04%) hit all-time highs of $441.15 on July 31. But unlike Microsoft, Caterpillar’s numbers sent the stock 4.3% lower in August.
Caterpillar’s second-quarter revenue declined 1%, and earnings per share slumped 16% year over year on unfavorable pricing. Although the construction and mining equipment giant expects higher revenue in 2025, it sees tariffs as a significant headwind to profitability. It projects free cash flow from its machinery, energy, and transportation businesses to be around $7.5 billion in 2025, versus $9.4 billion last year.
3. International Business Machines: Down 3.8%
International Business Machines (IBM 0.06%) stock dropped sharply on July 24 after releasing Q2 numbers and continued to fall through August, losing 3.8% in the month. Ironically, IBM’s revenue rose 8% year over year, and management now expects 2025 free cash flow to exceed its guidance of $13.5 billion, driven by growth in software.
Software alone made up 43% of IBM’s revenue in Q2. Last year, IBM generated $12.7 billion in FCF.
IBM shares fell because its software revenue growth missed analysts’ estimates. Investors know better, though, as the tech stock has recovered 5.5% this month, as of this writing.
Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends International Business Machines and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Good news and some surprise investments fueled Dow winners in August.
August 2025 was a big month for a handful of stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. While the index, which tracks 30 of the most influential publicly traded companies in the U.S., was up 3.8% on the month, there were some outliers that drove the component’s overall performance even higher.
UnitedHealth Group(UNH 1.53%) stock has been a disappointment in 2025, down 50% heading into August. But it made a massive turnaround on a couple of key investments.
First, Berkshire Hathaway, led by famed CEO Warren Buffett, disclosed a $1.5 billion position in UnitedHealth, pocketing 5.04 million shares. It was a big move for Berkshire, which also operates an insurance company in GEICO, and signaled to investors that the beaten-down insurer was ripe for the picking.
Second, investor Michael Burry disclosed his own investment through his Scion Asset Management hedge fund. Burry, who’s best known for his bet against the housing market that was dramatized in The Big Short, disclosed that Scion bought 20,000 shares of UnitedHealth stock and another 350,000 call options.
The company’s second-quarter earnings were also solid, with revenue of $111.6 billion up $12.8 billion from a year ago. UnitedHealth issued full-year guidance for revenue between $344 billion and $345.5 billion, which would be up 15% from 2024.
Apple: Up 14.7%
Buffett’s cash to fund his UnitedHealth purchase came from his sale of Apple(AAPL -0.16%) stock. The Oracle of Omaha trimmed Berkshire’s stake by 20 million shares. But Apple had some other positive things going for it, so it still had a very good August.
First, Apple had a better-than-expected earnings report. Financials for its fiscal 2025’s third quarter (ended June 28) showed revenue of $94 billion, up 10% from a year ago. Earnings per share totaled $1.57, which was a 12% increase from last year.
Apple badly needed a quarter like that because the company’s revenue has been flat since 2023. While some investors were expecting more of the same, Apple was able to report double-digit growth in its iPhone, Mac, and Services segments.
American Express: Up 12.6%
American Express (AXP -1.30%) is a credit card company that has distinct advantages over competitors Mastercard and Visa. While it has a smaller market share, American Express caters to corporate accounts and affluent customers who crave the American Express gold or platinum card perks.
In addition, the company operates its own payment network and extends loans, giving it another income stream from the interest charged.
Although there remains some concern about the strength of the economy, American Express reported revenue that was up 9% in the second quarter to $17.8 billion. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $4.08, up 17% from the second quarter of 2024.
American Express isn’t sitting on its laurels, though. CEO Steve Squeri indicated that the company is looking to upgrade its Platinum card in an effort to draw Generation Z and millennial customers.
Amazon: Up 6.6%
Amazon(AMZN -1.46%) has multiple growth engines with its lucrative Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing segment and its powerful e-commerce division. Both had good news to report in August, pushing Amazon shares higher.
First, the company’s second-quarter results showed strong performance from AWS, with revenue in the segment coming in at $30.87 billion and operating income of $10.16 billion. AWS is by far most profitable segment for Amazon, and its cloud computing division is essential for companies that are looking to operate artificial intelligence-infused programs without spending massive amounts of money to create their own data centers.
Image source: Getty Images.
Amazon also is seeing greater success with advertising. Its advertising-services segment brought in $15.69 billion in the second quarter, up 23% from the previous year.
Finally, the company’s Amazon Prime Day shopping event in July brought in billions. The company said it was the biggest Prime Day event in its history. While Amazon didn’t release sales figures yet, Adobe Analytics projected $23.8 billion in overall sales from the three-day event.
Home Depot: Up 8.8%
Home Depot(HD 1.69%) had a good August after reporting solid earnings of its own. As home sales are struggling in 2025, more people seem to be putting work into their existing properties, according to CEO Ted Decker, who cited “smaller home improvement projects” as driving the company’s successful quarter.
Home Depot said it saw sales of $45.3 billion in the second quarter, up 4.9% from a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share of $4.68 were $0.01 per share higher than a year ago. The home-improvement retailer reaffirmed its 2025 guidance for sales growth of 2.8%.
American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Patrick Sanders has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Home Depot, Mastercard, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
People approaching retirement should consider whether delaying benefits is worth the monthly increase.
For 90 years, Social Security has provided millions of Americans with a financial lifeline in retirement, helping to keep many Americans above the poverty line. That’s why deciding when you want to claim benefits is such a crucial decision because it permanently affects how much you’ll be receiving in monthly benefits.
As of the end of 2024, the average monthly benefit for someone aged 70 was $2,148.12, or approximately $25,777 annually. For men, the average benefit at that age is $2,389.95, and for women, it’s $1,909.42 (the difference is due to the disparity in lifetime earnings).
Image source: Getty Images.
How claiming at 70 affects your monthly benefit
For anyone born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age (FRA) is 67. This is the age at which you can receive your full monthly benefit amount, known as your primary insurance amount (PIA). Starting at your PIA, the Social Security Administration calculates your monthly benefit based on whether you claim before or after your FRA.
By delaying benefits past your FRA, you increase your monthly benefit by 2/3 of 1% monthly, or 8% annually. You can delay benefits and receive this increase until you reach age 70; after that, your monthly benefit is no longer increased, so that’s realistically the latest age you should claim benefits.
For example, if your PIA was $2,000 at your FRA (assuming it’s 67), delaying benefits until 70 would increase your monthly amount by 24%, taking it to $2,480. This increase, along with the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), is why the average benefit is higher at 70 than at younger ages.
A 401(k) is a common type of retirement account that employers offer to their workforce.
The 401(k) account is one of the most common retirement savings accounts that employers offer their workers. Employees are able to contribute pre-tax dollars to these accounts and invest them tax-deferred. Only when withdrawals are made do the account holders pay taxes at their ordinary tax rate.
Employers have the option to offer some kind of matching contribution, usually up to a set percentage of each employee’s salary. Employer contributions are deductible up to a certain point.
With everyone making different salaries and employers having different policies for their 401(k) plans, it’s natural for workers to wonder how much they should save as they approach retirement. While there is no single right answer, available data can help you gauge where you stand.
Image source: Getty Images.
The average 401(k) balance for retirees age 60 and older
While several companies provide data on the average 401(k) balance, I like to use Fidelity when I can, given the company’s size and reputation in the space.
At the end of 2024, Fidelity looked at 401(k) data from 26,700 corporate defined contribution plans that included 24.5 million participants. The company found that the average 401(k) balance was $246,500 for ages 60 to 64, $251,400 for ages 65 to 69, and $250,000 for ages 70 and over.
Fidelity actually recommends saving much more than this amount. In prior articles, the company has suggested having eight times your annual salary by age 60 and 10 times your annual salary by age 67. With median annual earnings for a full-time U.S. worker above $50,000, Fidelity’s recommendation is far higher than the approximately $250,000 average balance for its plan participants near retirement.
But again, there’s always a difference between advice and reality. Retirees should also understand that an average number among tens of millions of people captures so many different scenarios. Ultimately, retirees should think about the lifestyle they want in retirement and work with a financial advisor or on their own to determine how much they need to support that lifestyle.
