finances news stories on Newser

Tips for Talking Money With Your Spouse

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:55:05 CDT

A financial discussion with your spouse can feel like a minefield of emotional surprises. Financial planner Carl Richards advises you to first have "the conversation before the decision gets made," which "can make a huge difference" in your relationship, he writes in the New York Times Bucks blog . Also: Limit...

Coming Soon: Drug to Treat Gambling Addicts?

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:05:44 CST

Why are some stock traders and gamblers so willing to take financial risks? A new study shares a possible answer: Scientists found that people with higher levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in a critical part of the brain related to sensory and reward systems are less sensitive to the pain...

Get Fit, Financially Speaking, in 2010

Evann Gastaldo — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 07:36:40 CST

If your New Year’s resolution is to take control of your finances, you’re in luck: Brett Arends provides a handy month-by-month guide in the Wall Street Journal : January : Max out your 401(k) contributions if your budget can handle it, or at least hit the company match level. Ideally, you should...

Jackson Finance Mess Will Take Years to Untangle

Rob Quinn — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:05:12 CDT

Michael Jackson's death has left Sony execs groaning over the jumbled state of the singer's finances, the New York Times reports. Jackson was a shrewd investor and negotiator but was prone to wild spending sprees, according to some of the many financial advisers he hired and fired. Sorting out the...

Money Woes Ground Spidey, Other Musicals

Nick McMaster — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:48:47 CST

Financial woes are forcing more musicals to face the music: Spider-Man’s Broadway appearance has been delayed until next January, while Stephen Sondheim’s latest couldn’t raise the cash for tryout performances, Bloomberg reports. Spidey’s show, with tunes by U2’s Bono and the Edge, costs a record $31.3 million to perform,...

Men With Long Ring Fingers Make $$$: Study

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:14:00 CST

The length of a man's ring finger may predict his success as a financial trader, the AP reports. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in England report that men with longer ring fingers, compared to their index fingers, tended to be more successful in the frantic high-frequency trading in the...

Actually, You Can Buy Me Love

Victoria Floethe — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:53:40 CST

Freelance writer Marissa Belger married for love, relishing the warmth of her husband's clan and overlooking his lowly income—until he lost his job. In The Secret Currency of Love , a compilation of essays excerpted in Salon, Belger describes how her relationship to money surprised her. Adapting to poverty was...

Zuckerberg Spills the Beans About Facebook Finances

Laila Weir — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:12:28 CST

Mark Zuckerberg got talkative with the Facebook staff yesterday. The boy CEO shared intimate details of the privately-owned company’s finances to an all-staff meeting with an open phone-in line—“It was really unbelievable,” marveled one. The numbers indicated a fall from break-even grace for the company in 2008, when it...

How to Make Kids $$$$ Savvy

Jonas Oransky — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:06:23 CST

It's never too early to get savvy about money. The Journal 's Jonathan Clements explains how he's put his teens on the right track. Delayed gratification: When they spend their own cash, they make better decisions. Pace yourself: The Clements kids had to make a 3-month allowance last. Family values:...