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Is Insider Trading Part of the Fabric on Wall Street?
Saturday, May 19, 2012 9:36:02 PM CST
The Securities and Exchange Commission has been getting tougher on insider trading on Wall Street, but its potential target may be too wide.
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In Facebook Stock Rush, Fanfare vs. Realities
Sunday, May 20, 2012 7:51:01 AM CST
The small gain for Facebook’s stock on its first day of trading suggests that many professional money managers viewed all the hype as just that.
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Strategies: Facebook’s Swings Are Ho-Hum to a Nobel Laureate
Saturday, May 19, 2012 5:37:18 PM CST
To Harry Markowitz, the father of modern portfolio theory, the Facebook stock hubbub is a yawn. He’d rather focus on a rigorously diversified mix of stocks and bonds.
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Economic View: How National Belt-Tightening Goes Awry - Economic View
Saturday, May 19, 2012 5:34:25 PM CST
An overextended family can solve its problems by cutting spending, increasing savings and paying down debts. But such belt-tightening doesn’t work as a metaphor for the national economy.
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The Haggler: E-ZPass, and the Cash Lane That Wasn’t — Haggler
Saturday, May 19, 2012 9:13:01 PM CST
What happens when your car doesn’t have E-ZPass, but you’re forced to use the “E-ZPass Only” lane at the tollbooth? A reader asks the Haggler to help resolve the resulting mess.
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Your Money: Managing Risk in Your Nest Egg - Your Money
Saturday, May 19, 2012 1:03:02 AM CST
In light of JPMorgan Chase’s multibillion-dollar loss, a look at how individuals can manage risk in their own investments with trade-offs and moderation.
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Wealth Matters: Franchise Success Means Doing Things the Franchiser’s Way
Friday, May 18, 2012 11:10:01 PM CST
Investing in an franchise can seem like a sure bet, but success requires an ability to run a business the franchiser’s way, as well as some luck.
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Shortcuts: Avoiding Robocalls, Telemarketers and Other Phone Annoyances
Friday, May 18, 2012 11:10:01 PM CST
The Do Not Call registry can cut down on the dreaded calls from telemarketers, but wouldn’t getting rid of the landline altogether be better?
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Degrees of Debt: Student Loans Weighing Down a Generation With Heavy Debt
Thursday, May 17, 2012 9:00:36 PM CST
Nearly everyone pursuing a bachelor’s degree is borrowing money, and as prices soar, a college degree often comes with an unprecedented financial burden.
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States Diverting Mortgage Settlement Money to Other Uses
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:00:02 PM CST
Some states are diverting their share of $2.5 billion they were awarded in a mortgage settlement, money intended to help homeowners and mitigate the effects of foreclosures.
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Mortgages: Mortgages - Shopping for Loans Online
Friday, May 18, 2012 10:01:02 AM CST
Experts suggest that would-be borrowers begin the process by reading the fine print of each site they choose to work with.
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Strategies: Investors’ Flights to Safety Can’t Hide the Danger
Thursday, May 17, 2012 2:00:40 PM CST
Amid more economic upheaval in Europe, investors have again turned to havens like Treasury bonds. But how long can the patterns repeat?
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Economic View: Slippery-Slope Logic vs. Health Care Law - Economic View
Thursday, May 17, 2012 12:57:58 PM CST
The court debate over the new health care law offers yet another example of worrying about imaginary risks.
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Bucks Blog: Managing the Risk in Your Investment Portfolio
Friday, May 18, 2012 4:39:24 PM CST
JPMorgan's trading debacle offers lessons for small investors about risk management.
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Bucks Blog: The Caveats of Franchise Investing
Friday, May 18, 2012 3:57:07 PM CST
Bucks readers tell of their experiences in investing in franchises.
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Bucks Blog: Friday Reading: Does Facebook Make You a Narcissist?
Friday, May 18, 2012 6:42:35 AM CST
Does Facebook make you a narcissist, tracking your smartphone data usage, revived by music and other consumer-focused news from The New York Times.
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Bucks Blog: Problems With Online Bill Paying at Big Banks
Thursday, May 17, 2012 11:18:07 AM CST
Customers of at least two big banks reported problems with online bill payment services this week.
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Wealth Matters: A Tip for Restaurant Investors: Study the Demographics
Tuesday, May 15, 2012 10:00:46 AM CST
The most successful investors in restaurants consider how a style fits an area and track who their customers are, said Hudson Riehle of the National Restaurant Association.
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Your Money: Path to Same-Sex Marriage Probably Runs Through Courts
Tuesday, May 15, 2012 10:00:46 AM CST
Efforts by gays and lesbians to overcome the legal obstacles faced by same-sex couples, notably the Defense of Marriage Act, may best be fought in courtrooms.
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Credit Conditions Improving In U.S., Fed Chairman Says
Sunday, May 13, 2012 12:00:40 PM CST
Companies are selling bonds at low interest rates and people with strong credit have “ready access” to credit card and auto loans, Ben S. Bernanke, said.
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Consumer Agency to Propose Curbs on Origination Fees
Thursday, May 10, 2012 10:06:03 AM CST
The rules are designed to tackle origination fees, which vary widely depending on the amount of a loan.
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Fundamentally: Another May, Another Stock Market Decline? Maybe Not
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 10:00:41 AM CST
Investors have pulled back in May in recent years, but there are forces working against a repeat.
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The Haggler: Class Actions Face Hurdle in 2011 Supreme Court Ruling
Friday, May 18, 2012 4:52:11 PM CST
Last year, the Supreme Court said that corporations could write contracts that blocked class-action lawsuits. Now we are seeing that ruling’s effects.
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Mortgages: Mortgages - When to Refinance Again
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 3:00:13 PM CST
If you’re considering refinancing, financial planners suggest you first delve into your financial goals — specifically, how long you expect to live in your home.
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Your Money: How to Raise a Financial Guru
Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:00:44 PM CST
Several young authors of financial advice books say they were taught at an early age to be mindful about money.
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Wealth Matters: Investing in a Racehorse Without Losing Your Shirt
Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:00:44 PM CST
For novice investors in racehorses, buying into a syndicate with several horses is a good way to learn an unpredictable business without huge financial losses.
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Medical Debts Can Leave Stains on Credit Scores
Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:00:44 PM CST
As patients assume more of the responsibility for costs, complex billing and more aggressive collection by providers are resulting in negative credit report data that lingers for years.
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DealBook: Small Investors May Get to Own a Bit of Facebook
Tuesday, May 15, 2012 2:57:50 PM CST
While shares of the hottest initial public offerings go almost entirely to Wall Street banks that oversee the stock sale, Facebook has discussed raising the number of shares that will go to retail investors.
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Your Money: Why Passengers Should Have a Voice in Airline Mergers - Your Money
Thursday, May 3, 2012 6:00:38 PM CST
As the potential merger of US Airways and American Airlines percolates, one interested party is left on the sidelines: the consumers.
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Wealth Matters: Filmmaking as an Alternative Investment
Thursday, May 3, 2012 5:52:48 PM CST
Although movie studios lose million of dollars almost every week, investors can profit in ways that have little to do with the box office.
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Chasing Fees, Banks Court Low-Income Customers
Thursday, April 26, 2012 9:21:02 AM CST
More large banks are aggressively pursuing low-income customers with products that can carry high fees and are largely untouched by consumer protections.
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Debt Collectors Take Places Alongside Hospital Staffs
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 1:00:05 PM CST
One of the United States’ largest medical debt-collection companies is under fire in Minnesota for placing employees in hospitals and demanding patients pay before receiving treatment, documents show.
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DealBook: MF Global Trustee Calls for Fund to Protect Customers
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:22:29 AM CST
James W. Giddens, the trustee tasked with returning missing funds, suggested establishing an insurance fund for commodities customers to safeguard assets in the event of a future collapse.
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Economic View: Preschool Tuition Race Is No Joke - Economic View
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 2:12:03 PM CST
A faux news story on April Fool’s Day tackled the intense competition for acceptance into elite preschools. But the topic offers an important lesson about the limits of market forces.
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Mortgages: Mortgages — Avoiding Mortgage Relief Scams
Friday, April 27, 2012 12:00:55 PM CST
An alert from the Federal Trade Commission warns against so-called mass joinder lawsuits from businesses purporting to be law firms.
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Wealth Matters: Self-Directed I.R.A.’s in Real Estate Need Investor Effort
Friday, April 27, 2012 2:00:42 PM CST
A self-directed I.R.A. investing in real estate is one way to earn more money for retirement, but it requires more work by the investor and close attention to tax rules.
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Your Money: Home-Sharing? Don’t Overlook Your Liability - Your Money
Friday, April 27, 2012 1:38:36 PM CST
If you are temporarily renting your home to out-of-town guests, check on your liability with your insurer should someone get hurt.
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Shortcuts: What to Think About Before You Hit ‘Send’
Friday, April 27, 2012 2:00:42 PM CST
Just because e-mail is commonplace doesn’t mean we know how to use it properly and productively.
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Fundamentally: Corporate Profits Have Stalled. Has the Market?
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 10:00:52 AM CST
The only real hope for additional stock gains this year, many investment strategists say, is expansion in the market’s price-to-earnings ratio.
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Wealth Matters: Requests for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Friday, April 20, 2012 10:00:50 AM CST
Suggestions for the new bureau include improvements to force-placed insurance, which banks buy at a price that is almost always higher than the market rate.
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Your Money: RelayRides Accident Raises Questions on Liabilities of Car Sharing
Friday, April 20, 2012 9:00:51 AM CST
A fatal accident in Boston has exposed the liability car owners can face when they offer to rent their cars through companies like RelayRides.
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On the Road: Travel Credit Card Selection Requires Care - On the Road
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 12:30:03 PM CST
When choosing credit cards to use for travel, be aware of their benefits and be prepared to keep track of the charges on them.
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Consumer Agency Seems to Soften Limit on Credit Cards Fees
Friday, April 13, 2012 1:59:35 PM CST
The agency set up to protect consumers appears to be allowing high upfront fees for credit card issuers.
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The Haggler: Cellphone Cramming Gets a Second Look
Friday, April 13, 2012 10:00:57 AM CST
The Haggler revisits the subject of cramming — the act of tacking on an unrequested service fee to a phone bill. Why, he asks, can’t cellphone carriers do more to thwart it?
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Wealth Matters: Fine Vintage Watches Find Popularity as Alternate Investments
Friday, April 13, 2012 8:00:52 AM CST
The market for rare and finely made vintage timepieces is booming but, as with all collectibles, there are risks.
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Your Money: Swatting Down Start-Ups With Consumer-Friendly Ideas
Friday, April 13, 2012 7:00:35 AM CST
AutoSlash, a car rental site that searches for the best rates, has earned the enmity of Hertz, Enterprise and other rental giants. Airlines haven’t been much warmer to services that help passengers.
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Shortcuts: Hate Your Job? Try These Survival Skills
Friday, April 27, 2012 1:12:09 PM CST
When the realities of life — paying the rent and buying food — keep you from quitting a job you detest, there are ways to cope.
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Strategies: Stock Market, Like Tiger Woods, Is Out of the Rough
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 9:00:39 AM CST
After losing their way a few years ago, both Tiger Woods and Wall Street have both rebounded to success. But, in each case, how long will it last?
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Your Money: Marriage Maintenance When Money Is Tight - Your Money
Friday, April 6, 2012 3:44:02 PM CST
For married couples facing the financial pressures of joblessness or foreclosure, tips on how to keep their relationships strong and healthy.
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Wealth Matters: What to Look For in an Active Investment Manager
Sunday, April 8, 2012 3:00:39 PM CST
A Barclays report says there is an art and science to choosing fund managers who will perform well in the future, and past performance is not a big indicator.
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Visa and MasterCard Investigate Data Breach
Thursday, April 5, 2012 1:00:40 PM CST
An intrusion at a third-party vendor may have exposed cardholders’ personal information.
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Business Day: Jonathan Gruber, Health Care’s Mr. Mandate
Thursday, March 29, 2012 2:50:05 PM CST
Jonathan Gruber, a professor at M.I.T., helped persuade the Obama administration that everyone should be required to get health insurance.
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Retailers Rush to Adjust to Price-Smart Shoppers
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 11:30:05 AM CST
As power shifts to consumers, propelled by the Internet and apps, many stores are scrambling to move beyond the time-worn cycle of markups and discounts — and still make money.
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Foreclosure Deal Gives Banks Credit for Routine Activities
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 11:57:19 AM CST
Critics and supporters sparred over whether a foreclosure deal helps banks even more than struggling homeowners.
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Advertising: OfferLink to Connect Customers to Deals and Card Rewards
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 12:13:02 PM CST
Customers who use their cards at participating local businesses get a discount, and also earn rewards on those cards in the form of airline miles, cash back or points.
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Fundamentally: Bull Market May Have Much Further to Go
Thursday, March 29, 2012 11:00:45 AM CST
By official measures, the current bull market is now three years old — a sign that it may be about to run its course. But some people see the situation differently.
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The Haggler: Beware of Cramming on Your Cellphone Bill - the Haggler
Thursday, March 29, 2012 11:00:45 AM CST
A reader asks the Haggler about SMS subscriptions she says she didn’t want — but that still popped up as charges on her monthly cellphone statement.
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Economic View: The Bank Run, Updated
Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:55:06 AM CST
It now seems that the 21st century will resemble the 19th and early 20th centuries, with periodic panics and runs on financial institutions — but in a redefined form.
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Your Money: It’s Time to Rebalance the Investment Portfolio - Your Money
Monday, April 2, 2012 9:00:46 AM CST
As markets move up and down, it’s a good idea to rebalance your investments periodically to ensure that the proportions you desire still hold.
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Wealth Matters: Avoiding Pitfalls When Mentoring Entrepreneurs - Wealth Matters
Monday, April 2, 2012 8:48:01 AM CST
A prime complaint about mentoring programs is their failure to pair people correctly. A joint venture of the Clinton Foundation and UBS plays matchmaker.
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Shortcuts: Why People Remember Negative Events More Than Positive Ones
Friday, April 6, 2012 12:00:50 PM CST
The human brain handles negative and positive input differently, psychologists say, which is why memories of unpleasant experiences seem indelible.
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Family Men Go It Alone in North Dakota’s Oil Fields
Monday, March 26, 2012 11:58:40 AM CST
With United States unemployment still high, oil field work around Williston, N.D., has attracted men from around the country who have uprooted themselves to live in “man camps.”
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Buy a Foreclosure, Revive Your Town: ‘I’ve Done My Part’
Thursday, March 22, 2012 1:17:53 PM CST
For the writer, buying a home out of foreclosure in an Atlanta neighborhood took time and plenty of help, from a team of professionals and her parents.
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Why Panic? A Couple’s Nest Egg Better Left Alone
Thursday, March 22, 2012 1:20:28 PM CST
A mutual fund executive uses his retired parents’ holdings as an example of a well-diversified portfolio.
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Steps to Prevent Identity Theft, and What to Do if It Happens
Saturday, May 2, 2009 1:33:52 AM CST
Quick action is needed if an unusual charge shows up on a credit card statement or a thief opens an account in your name.
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A Primer on Buying Life and Disability Insurance
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 9:46:19 AM CST
What sort of insurance you need in the event of untimely death or disability depends on what your objectives are.
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Health Insurance: What You Need to Know
Sunday, February 22, 2009 4:18:37 PM CST
With Americans spending an ever increasing amount on medical costs, it’s more important than ever to have insurance that fits your health care needs.
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401(k)’s: What You Need to Know
Wednesday, April 1, 2009 3:16:51 PM CST
For many people, saving for retirement means squirreling away as much as possible through employer-provided plans, the most popular being the 401(k).
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About Financial Planners: What You Need to Know
Thursday, January 8, 2009 10:17:47 AM CST
If you’ve landed here, it means you’ve realized that you might need some professional advice in handling your financial affairs.
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Annuities: What You Need to Know
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 3:50:25 PM CST
Annuities are a basic staple of modern portfolios, the financial equivalent of a backstop to guarantee a minimum of income in retirement.
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Credit Scores: What You Need to Know
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 2:46:46 PM CST
You may not have checked your credit score lately, but there’s a good chance someone else has.
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Special Section: Retirement
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 8:28:31 PM CST
Despite weak job growth in the nation, a record 7.2 million Americans age 65 and over are working, double the number 15 years ago.
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Fair Game: A Bailout Analysis That’s Incomplete - Fair Game
Saturday, May 19, 2012 5:20:01 PM CST
A recent Treasury analysis paints a glowing picture of the eventual outcome of the 2008 financial rescues. But taxpayers deserve a better breakdown of the costs and benefits.
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Economic Scene: Disability Insurance Causes Pain
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 2:18:48 PM CST
Disability insurance takes too many workers out of the job market prematurely. It reduces their lifetime income and, to top it off, slows economic growth.
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Fair Game: Employees, Too, Want a Say on the Boss’s Pay
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 2:00:56 PM CST
As more shareholders speak up about executive compensation, one group could become an especially formidable force: workers who own stock in their own companies.
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Strategies: Stocks and the Economy, Singing Different Tunes
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 2:06:02 PM CST
Ride the wave or batten the hatches? For investors, it’s a dichotomy that occurs quite often.
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Common Sense: Troubling Favoritism in the U.S. Tax Code
Friday, April 27, 2012 1:38:36 PM CST
A reporter’s income in 2011 was higher than it was in 2010. Yet his tax rate went down. Wasn’t the opposite supposed to happen?
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Mutual Funds Report: First Quarter
Saturday, April 7, 2012 1:26:25 PM CST
The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index rose 12 percent in the first quarter, after gaining 11.2 percent in the one before, yet the panic that was palpable last fall seems to have given way to doubt, more than to euphoria or even hope.
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Your Money Special Section: Which Way Home?: First-Time Homeownership is Still Beyond Reach
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 2:50:03 PM CST
Despite the fall of prices nationwide, the cost of buying a home in some parts of the country can still be beyond reach for a young, working couple.
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BUSINESS: Talking Money With Elmo
Sunday, April 17, 2011 1:21:10 PM CST
In the wake of the financial crisis, "Sesame Street" is teaching children financial literacy. Ron Lieber talks to Elmo about saving and sharing.
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Special Section: Wealth
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 3:54:58 PM CST
Wealthy investors are chasing opportunities in the midst of upheaval. This, and more articles on investing and taxes.
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I.H.T. Special Report: Net Worth: With Apps, Wealth Management Goes Mobile
Friday, November 25, 2011 1:51:13 PM CST
Private banks, which have been slow to embrace mobile technologies, expect to interact more with their clients through social media and smartphone apps.
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I.H.T. Special Report: Net Worth: In Nervous Market, Gold Gains Respectability
Monday, November 28, 2011 10:05:58 AM CST
While some investors see pitfalls — sudden drops, lack of dividends or interest — others see a kind of insurance as countries remove value from their currencies.
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I.H.T. Special Report: Net Worth: In Asia, a Generation Gap With the Rest of the World
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 1:10:09 AM CST
Private bankers say their Asian clients are younger and more risk-tolerant than clients in Europe or the United States — and that leads to different conversations.
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I.H.T. Special Report: Net Worth: Keeping a Wary Eye on the Euro Zone
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 1:10:09 AM CST
James Millard, chief investment officer at the Skandia Investment Group, speaks about how investors should approach the market in the current environment.
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Retirement
Thursday, September 15, 2011 5:40:54 PM CST
Many people approaching retirement age are thinking not just about where to live, but about what activities they will do — and whom they want nearby.
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Is It Better to Buy or Rent?
Thursday, September 9, 2010 9:01:41 AM CST
Compare the cost of renting and buying equivalent homes.
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Calculate Your Financial Comeback
Thursday, September 9, 2010 9:01:41 AM CST
See how long it could take for your portfolio to return to its peak value.