Personal Finance Articles

Whether you are looking to climb the corporate ladder or go it alone in the financial services sector, there are some extra steps you can take to reach for the top.

Understand how rate changes can affect home prices, and learn how you can keep up.

Find out the most common reasons the bank will fear your credit card has been stolen ... even when it hasn't.

Find out the most productive methods of networking best suited to ambitious financial professionals.

Find out why financial education will help America to re-establish itself as the world's (undisputed) leading economy.

We calculated Dad's value based on typical household tasks.

Advisors who seek to add additional lines of business to their practices need to carefully consider all the factors involved.

Want to give a unique Father's Day gift? These financial gestures may make Dad's day.

None of these decisions should be considered as being purely financial, but there are severe consequences to ignoring the financial side all together.

Maintaining work/life balance is a challenge for most professionals in the finance industry, but it doesn't have to be that way.

As financial advisory clients are increasingly turning to social media, wealth managers who aren't following suit risk being left behind.

Nobody likes taxes, but tax reporting is an inevitable and unavoidable part of investing. If you buy stock, determining your costs basis is a slightly frustrating but fairly straightforward exercise. Your cost basis is the price you paid per share, including sales commissions, adjusted for corporate actions such as stock splits, mergers, and dividend payments.

When job hunting, does education trump experience? Here are some factors to consider when it comes to this duel of credentials.

If an economic storm has your business taking on water, we have some tips for bailing yourself out.

Now may be a good time to explore the possibility of working as a finanical planner from your home.

These certifications can lead to a promising career, but is estate planning for you?

There is money to be made in mutual funds, but investors fall into several pitfalls that keep them from maximizing their profits. Read these tips to take the uncertainty out of investing in mutual funds and find out if mutual funds are a good fit for your portfolio.

For many cash strapped seniors an annuity sounds like the perfect solution. And it can be if you think you’ll outlive your mortality date. The only trouble is that the insurance companies offering annuities have perfected estimating your mortality date based on factors like gender, birth year, where you live, where you were born, the age your parents died, and your health (or unhealthy) habits.

In any transaction between a buyer and seller, the initial price paid in an exchange for a product or service will qualify as the cost basis. When it comes to securities and related financial assets, determining the initial cost basis when there is only one initial purchase is very straightforward.

Find out some of the ways you can lessen your interest payments and avoid other unnecessary penalties that lurk in the fine print.

Here are some of the most important considerations to check off the proverbial list before going after that internship.

A look at the standards for tipping service staff in some popular vacation destinations, and the rationale for each custom.

Banking professionals have only about seven weeks to find a new post in the financial services industry after leaving an old one. Here are some tips to help you.

Being a landlord sounds like the path to riches: you buy some property, rent it out and watch the checks come in every month. The reality is that it’s a young man’s game. There’s just too much hassle, full time commitment, and risk associated with rental properties to be worthwhile for most retirees.

Taxes are an annoying annual chore akin to going to the dentist. Luckily, however, some of us get a nice tax refund after the process. It's important to use this refund wisely though, and Canadians have a number of wise options to consider.

When stocks are divided into growth and value categories, the evidence is clear that value stocks perform better in periods of high inflation, and growth stocks perform better during periods of low inflation.

In this time of fiscal uncertainty, there are many financial decisions that can make or break you during your formative years.

This index is a widely-used and respected barometer of the U.S. housing market and the broader economy.

The scale of the pension crisis in the U.S. cannot be denied, and there's a growing movement that supports the mandatory pension system that's been created in Australia and other parts of the world. But can the millions of working poor in America afford such a system?

Peer-to-peer lending can be an inexpensive way to gain access to credit when banks are restricting lending -- but you need to understand the entire deal first before jumping in.

Explore the controversies surrounding companies commenting on their forward-looking expectations.

Trust is the number one trait that banks are looking for in new hires, but there are other abilities that are equally desired.

Learn the key investment and savings tips you need to ensure your retirement savings last as long as you do.

With two developed nations adopting a firm anti-commission stance, questions have arisen over whether or not the United States should follow suit. Find out why such a development is unlikely.

The need for a concerted program of financial education cannot be ignored, and even though many parents are ill-equipped to lead the charge, there are numerous programs they can support.

Most people, depending on which side of retirement they’re on, feel they either won’t ever be able to retire or stay retired once they are. Many of us watched our parent’s generation put their retirement savings into CDs paying 6%+ and just living off the interest.

There are a lot of summer jobs out there, find out what's available, how much it costs and what skills you need.

The CFA Institute provides members with a variety of ongoing career and networking benefits.

Conspicuous consumption could be robbing you of future wealth.

What would your life look like if you were CFO? We’ve interviewed three chief financial officers to find out.

Canadian mortgages aren’t tax-deductible like the U.S.-based mortgages, but there's a way around this hurdle.

A second career can provide opportunities whether you are worried about outliving your retirement savings, or you want to stay productive and do something meaningful later in life.

If you establish these money-saving habits and patiently allow your wealth to build, you will be taking some huge steps forward in making your financial future more secure.

Find out why economists are torn about how to calculate inflation.

Find out how the PPI can be used to gauge the overall health of the economy.

Understanding equity cost basis is critical for tracking the gains or losses of an investment.

Think you have what it takes to be chief executive? Find out what those at the top have in common.

With more than 33% of American families falling close to the poverty line despite their adult members holding full-time employment, a rising number of citizens are being forced to pay a rate of tax that is disproportionate to their earnings and in comparison with the country's wealthiest earners.

Read about some of the most glamorous Wall Street jobs and what it takes to land one.

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that will impose a sales tax on online retailers. Discover how the Marketplace Fairness Act could affect your bottom line.

Not everyone wants to spend their weekends shaping backyard topiaries. Even though you may enjoy the improvements you make to your house, it doesn't mean that they'll increase its value.

Appreciate the different methods used to describe how book value is "used up".

Find out what you can do to stand out from the competition and make your home an easy sell.

Blend math, finance and computer skills to command a high - and well deserved - salary.

If an at-home mom was getting paid for all of the work she does, how much would she get?

Learn more about this popular defined-contribution retirement plan that many business owners, proprietors, and self-employed people can benefit from.

Find out if spreading your wings to try a new career will make you soar or fall flat.

One type of security pensions tend to invest in is sovereign debt, or debt issued by a government.

Learning about money may seem intimidating, but it's not as hard as it looks.

Annuities are complicated products that require some basic homework to be done before requesting quotes. Retirees will want to think about how they envisage their lifestyle and even their potential mortality to come up with an annuity product that’s right for them, or not even buy one at all.

Learn what the Certified Management Accountant designation is, how to get it and what it can do for your accounting career.

A look at the various components and considerations that go into one's credit report and credit score.

The surest way to develop a career in financial communications is to blend together the right mix of talent, education, persistence and hard work.

Find out how your business can get the money it needs - even when the bank says "no".

Pro sports' championship hardware costs a fortune to craft. Find out which North American sport boasts the most valuable prize.

Spring cleaning is a well-established tradition, but you can also make money by selling your unwanted goods.

FOX Business Network's Liz Claman will interview Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett in an exclusive sit-down on Monday May 6th at 9:30 a.m. following the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting. Claman has interviewed Buffett numerous times throughout her career, so below she shares some insight on what advice he might give to those making 50K.

This weekly economic release contains important information concerning unemployment levels and insurance.

CDs may look safe and attractive but considering most pay a rate that is less than the rate of inflation seniors today risk actually losing money with CDs. We need to be our own money managers now and do the research that’s required. Much of that research is already done and can be purchased through various newsletters.

When you hire an accountant, getting good tax advice going forward is as valuable as – or perhaps even more valuable than - getting the previous year’s taxes filed correctly. Learn what you need to do to make this happen.

Here are a few ideas that will help you advance your career as a successful real estate agent.

Depending on which estimate you believe, Obama's proposed budget would raise the tax bill of a household with a yearly income of $50,000 to $75,000 between $63 and $100 per year. However, that’s not all you should know.

This year, combine your spring cleaning strategies with your big-picture financial objectives.

If personal pride, a stellar resume and increased job security aren't enough incentive for some pro athletes, each league has reserved a bit of lunch money to up the ante and help tide athletes over for the long off-season.

No one doubts the value and importance of investor education and sophistication, but many investors are not really all that sophisticated. Goldman Sachs was scrutinized for marketing complex securities to its investors without telling them that a major hedge fund had taken a short position against these securities.

Learn why this one particular REIT is a better investment than holding physical property in your retirement portfolio.

When it comes to analyzing a company, successful analysts spend considerable time differentiating between accounting items that are likely to recur going forward from those that most likely will not. A key part of this analysis is to understand items that qualify as extraordinary items or nonrecurring items.

There is a widening range of online tools that have been designed to help citizens save their hard-earned money.

Leaving the workforce isn't always an easy decision. Are you ready to take the leap?

The next time you eat out, watch for these common restaurant tricks that undermine your dining budget.

Ditch your ego, prove that you'll work hard and don't settle for the wrong company.

Advance your career and gain clientele by adding a few choice certifications.

Learn the ways in which inflation nibbles away at your retirement income, especially in light of the President’s proposal for Chained CPI adjustments to Social Security.

Find out if an MBA is necessary for you to reach your professional goals.

If the IRS finds errors, it will cost you. Find out how to fix them, and how to prevent them in the first place.

You might be ready to put the stress of tax preparation behind you until next season, but ignoring your personal tax situation for 11 months of the year is what got you into this mess. Find out how some simple organization and planning techniques can make next year's tax preparation a low-stress task.

A post-graduate degree could be well worth the extra time and expense.

There are a lot of similarities between golf and investing. Find out how to keep your game out of the rough.

Score big by taking Tiger Woods' approach to golf and applying it to your portfolio.

Generation X and Generation Y still have many lessons to learn from their elders, including how to make the most of retirement in the 21st century. Find out what retirement trends baby boomers are setting for younger generations.

Identity thieves love tax season. In 2012, there were 13 million victims of identity theft. As easy as it is for thieves to steal your information, there are also simple measures you can take to keep your personal information secure. Find out the proactive steps you can take to ensure thieves don't steal your tax refund by falsely filing your online return.

Our retirement goals have not changed. We still want enough money to not have to worry about it. How we go about getting there, however, has been changed dramatically.

It’s tough to boast that there are more female CEOs than ever before when they make up only 4.2% of the total.

It only takes a little legwork to land a prestigious career while you're still in college.

This year, find out how to stretch your tax refund further to strengthen your future.

Companies are in need of strategic candidates, not walking resumes. Find out how to set yourself apart from the pack and land the business career you've always wanted.

With approximately 12 million Americans out of a job right now, many people are spending significant dollars to be noticed by potential employers. Fortunately, some of these job-search costs are deductible at tax time. Learn the details of what job-hunt expenses qualify for deductions and how much you can deduct.