Many employers significantly underestimate the amount they are paying for 401(k) fees. The Government Accountability Office recently asked 1,000 401(k) plan sponsors how much they pay in fees, and then ...

This week the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau took aim at prepaid debit cards . Called general purpose reloadable cards (GPR for short), or more commonly prepaid debit cards, GPRs work very much like ...

Alternative investments are becoming more common among retail investors. The adviser community has a better understanding of the potential advantages of adding alternative investments to client portfolios ...

With appropriate fanfare, a national Alzheimer's plan was announced last week. Its goal is nothing less than to find prevention and treatment approaches for the devastating illness by 2025. That's a very ...

Memorial Day weekend is one of the biggest holiday weekends for travelers, but it's also when car dealers promote sales and discounts. If you're in the market for a new car, here are some Memorial Day ...

In his new TV ads, here are some of the things Mitt Romney is promising to do on his first day in office, if elected president: Reduce the deficit. Cut government spending. And cut taxes. [ Photo Gallery: ...

I fielded many inquiries about the Facebook IPO from clients and readers of my books last week. They all had the same question: Should I buy the stock? I gave them all the same answer: No. I had no idea ...

Maybe that PC on your desk is a thing of the past. You'd be forgiven for thinking so, given recent news from the tech sector. Hewlett-Packard, top PC maker in the world, has announced that it expects to ...

There's nothing quite like finding that perfect job, especially after weeks (and sometimes months) of exhaustive searching and interviewing. But sometimes, a golden work opportunity can move you from everything ...

Most of us are tied down to a particular location because of our present job. Once we leave formal employment, it's time to give relocation some serious thought. Most Americans tend to stay put in their ...

Getting your first credit card is a critical first step into adulthood. With a line of credit comes a new level of maturity, and the decision about what card to start out with should not be made lightly. ...

Nearly 2 million new college grads are about to join the workforce, and for many the prospects are discouraging. The unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds is 13.2 percent, more than five points higher ...

Remember school days, when you were assigned a 10-page paper but you only had eight pages of relevant content? Or that speech class where you were supposed to speak for five minutes but only prepared for ...

Here is some more fuel for the battle of the sexes: When it comes to shopping for holiday gifts, men should look to women for some serious shopping advice. The big news from National Retail Foundation's ...

Credit card companies try their hardest to offer the latest and greatest in rewards, cash back, and other incentives to get you to sign up. When you sign up for a new card, chances are it'll replace a ...

Being bad at your current job might just be your cue to start an entrepreneurial career. At a recent meeting, I heard the story of someone who announced that she was "smarter than everyone else in ...

While hourly positions have their perks, many employees prefer to move into a salaried role for more stability. If you're getting paid by the hour, you may earn less overall than your salaried counterparts, ...

Have you retired, lost your job, or changed to a new job ? If so, what have you done with your retirement plan? Most people think there are only two choices with their retirement savings, but in reality, ...

A significant portion of the population will involuntarily retire early before the official retirement age.

Many Americans assume that Medicare, the government-backed health-insurance program, will cover the majority of their heathcare costs after they stop working. But according to a new report from Fidelity, ...

While the CARD Act of 2009 was celebrated for protecting consumers , it also contained a less-discussed clause that's now affecting stay-at-home moms (and dads): While non-working spouses could previously ...

Is Mitt Romney an amoral, job-killing buyout king? Or a vital cog of capitalism whose financial worth and know-how make prosperity possible for others? [ Photo Gallery: Obama Behind the Scenes. ] This ...

Certificates of deposit, commonly known as CDs, were considered a goldmine by our parents and grandparents for the alluring CD rates once offered. Since their time, however, interest rates on CDs and other ...

If you are unsure about how to invest your retirement assets these days, the professionals who do this for a living share your pain. Low interest rates make finding safe returns very difficult. Market ...

Even good managers frustrate their employees now and then--while bad managers , of course, do it regularly. Here are seven of the most common complaints about the things bosses do without even realizing ...

Resiliency requires energy--mental, emotional, and physical. But many of us spend our days, weeks, and months feeling drained. Daily life can tap our energy reservoir dry, leaving us at great risk when ...

It's never too early to start earning a superior performance review . When you set goals and take steps to meet initiatives, you have a better chance of driving your own career. If you want a stellar performance ...

I have no idea whether Facebook stock will ultimately pan out to be a solid investment. In the short term, the stock is in the red following its IPO debut. A few thoughts: IPOs can be hit or miss. On the ...

The goals of improved health and financial security are to live longer and, presumably, more fulfilling lives. Increases in longevity have certainly been impressive. Not only has 60 become the new 40, ...

The number may seem astronomical at first, but it’s easier to get there than you might think at first.

The yields on 10-year Treasury notes are at around 1.8 percent and could easily go much lower. Just that sentence is enough to make some people's eyes glaze over. As far as macroeconomic indicators go, ...

Here are 10 things that have happened recently that had nothing to do with a social-media startup that just went public: 1. Investors traded shares in more than 12,000 companies that are publicly listed ...

It seems the old adage holds true: Money can't buy happiness. At least that's according to the Better Life Index released Tuesday by the Paris-based think tank Organisation for Economic Co-operation and ...

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate ...

If you find yourself nervously checking your bank account balance before payday, perhaps it's time to make some changes. Before swearing off restaurants or cutting up your credit card, ask yourself the ...

To take advantage of Memorial Day weekend, the much-anticipated vacation period that kicks off the summer, many Americans are cutting back on entertainment spending, traveling locally, and hunting for ...

If you've been looking for a job awhile and have finally gotten a nibble in the form of a job offer, you may be inclined to jump at the chance. But experts say you should hesitate.

Are you getting interviews but few callbacks? Chances are you have a great resume, but you might be missing that extra oomph to help you stand out during the interview. The truth is employers are on the ...

This is a good chance for me to remind you that the markets are not out to get you or your 401(k) investments. If I tried to tell you that during times of extreme economic turmoil, you might not believe ...

Hester Peirce is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Prior to joining Mercatus, Peirce worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission and as senior counsel on ...

The Thai city of Chiang Mai has long lured expats from the West. As many as 40,000 foreigners currently call Chiang Mai home, at least part of the year. The primary draw is the cost of living and medical ...

Some states could be nearly a decade behind others in returning to the peak number of jobs they had before the recession, according to a new analysis from IHS Global Insight, an economics information and ...

In recent years, Americans have been buffeted by a severe recession, the collapse of investment and housing markets, and debilitating government deficits . Despite these financial upheavals, people thinking ...

Nothing is new on Wall Street, the conventional wisdom goes. The recent flap involving a huge trading loss at J.P. Morgan Chase shows that all the bad habits remain intact. The casino never closed, so ...

Growing numbers of older Americans are spending their retirement years in poverty, according to a recent Employee Benefit Research Institute study.

When was the last time you wrote a paper check or searched for someone through the Yellow Pages? My guess is that it's been quite a while. Fifty years ago, it would have been unimaginable to transfer money ...

This year's graduates may be entering a slightly better job market than their 2010 or 2011 counterparts, but many will face a tighter rental market. As buying property loses its allure for some, increased ...

The long-awaited financial literacy campaign from the Obama Administration is finally out, and it's already stirring up controversy. The campaign, designed with the help of financial journalist Beth Kobliner ...