A plague at the heart of the Internet. Anyone who ventures online should be aware of the risks posed by Heartbleed, the biggest threat to Internet security in at least a couple of years. All Internet users need to respond to its reality. What is it? Heartbleed isn’t a virus, but a software bug –…
Read MoreRead the BBC Capital column titled The Financial Risk You Don’t Know You’re Taking Excerpt: At its simplest, human capital is the asset that you, personally, bring to the table every day. It’s the embodiment of your potential to earn income. It can be risky and short-lived (think of an athlete’s career) or staid and predictable…
Read MoreAmerica is enduring a data breach epidemic. As 2013 ended, the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics released its 2012 Victims of Identity Theft report. Its statistics were sobering. About one in 14 Americans aged 16 or older had been defrauded or preyed upon in the past 12 months, more than 16.6 million people. Just 8% of…
Read MoreOur parents & grandparents saved much more than we do. Most people who have read up on the economy for any length of time have heard of the personal saving rate (PSAVERT), which the Commerce Department calculates as the ratio of personal saving to disposable personal income. The January personal spending report released by the…
Read MoreBy Tali Wee of Zillow Understanding the terms and conditions of a lease agreement is an essential part of being a responsible renter. During a typical signing process, the prospective renter and landlord sit down to review the details of a rental unit and accompanying agreement terms. Before signing, a renter has every right…
Read MoreIf you weren’t around, what would happen to your investments? In many families, one person handles investment decisions, and spouses or children have little comprehension of what happens each week, month or year with a portfolio. In an emergency, this lack of knowledge can become financially paralyzing. Just as small business owners risk problems by…
Read MoreWhy do some people let their potential for lifetime wealth slip away? Some people are better off economically at 30 or 40 than they are at 50 or 60. In some cases, fate deals them a bad hand. In other cases, bad decisions and inaction are to blame. They buy depreciating assets, instead of allowing…
Read MoreWhat financial, business or life priorities do you need to address for 2014? Now is a good time to think about the money moves — investing, saving or budgeting methods — you could employ toward specific objectives. Some year-end financial moves may prove crucial to the pursuit of those goals as well. What can you…
Read MoreHealth care reform has many fans and many detractors. Amid all the sound and fury, the plain facts risk being blurred. So here is a look at where the reforms stand, and what they potentially offer you. Here is how the health care exchanges will operate. According to healthcare.gov, open enrollment in the new health…
Read MoreAbout 40% of Americans have no life insurance. LIMRA, an insurance industry group analyzing insurance trends in the U.S., recently found that among men and women, ownership of life insurance policies has hit its lowest level since 2004. LIMRA’s most recent study shows 39% of men without even term life coverage, and 43% of women…
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