SHIRLEY MUELLER, MD

Neuroeconomics is an emerging field that uses economics and neuroscience to better understand the financial decisions that we make. Behavioral economics, which incorporates elements of psychology, is also helping us better understand monetary behavior.

If there's one time of year that typically causes extra stress, it's during the holidays. But there are ways to overcome the mental fatigue.

The type of picture that charities use to encourage people to donate makes a big difference.

When we give to charities, money flows out from our pocket into theirs. This means more for the charities and less for us. The factors that influence this transfer of funds is important to understand as it affects our bottom line if we give.

Roughly one in 20 households has over $1 million in investable assets, not including real estate. This group is not typical of the average American, but rather among the most privileged.

There is a recent evidence that spending in retirement is not consistent year-to-year. The general line of thinking goes in three stages – are you ready for them?

From the Better Finance report regarding EU pension performance, it sounds as if America is not only on the right tract for pension financial reform; we are leading the way!

As the Fear Factor (VIX) rises, stock indexes remain flat. This is an alarming sign. It suggests uncertainty about what’s ahead for the market.

It is true that we are overdue for a bear market. A correction is a drop of 10% from the peak; a bear is 20% or more. We haven’t see the latter since 2008.

Every time I tell a friend about my many return visits to Portugal, I always say the same thing, “For me, Portugal is equally interesting to England and about one-half to one-third the price.”

In spite of negative publicity about penny stocks, spammers, and some hedge funds, people still invest in these entities in hopes of getting rich. Sadly, many who place their hard earned cash and trust in them are burned.

Graying women who divorce need to determine ahead of time how a divorce would impact them economically.

Whether or not a mortgage is worthwhile to you depends on its interest rate and expected forward interest rates, as well as your stage in life and other factors.

Reverend Al Shands, 88 years old, knows exactly what he is going to do with his extensive contemporary art collection when he passes. He is giving it to the Speed Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, his hometown.

A few years ago I gave a lecture in Paris entitled, “Art: For Love or Money.” The thrust was that some people collect because they love art and others are interested in it primarily (or only) as a component of their investment portfolio. Now, these concepts have been taken further.

“Collecting has also guided me down other related paths in my life.” Richard Feldman, a physician with a passion for Native American art and artifacts.

Though few brokers are psychologically impaired or unethical, it seems that if they are, it is the client who has to recognize it and act accordingly. If not, money could be lost and there is a good chance it will not be reimbursed.

While most private museums are a benefit to owners, donors and visitors, there is a potential for abuse. If the museum is mainly a tax dodge for owners, it could affect unknowing donors as well.

Yale, MIT, NYU, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University are among the schools included in the accusations.

Others are unequivocally recommending Roth IRAs, and one of them isn’t beating around the bush when a decision has to be made. His name is Scott Cederburg and he is doing research on the subject. He says “do it.”

There are so many things to do in New York City, some of them unexpected and others less so.

The recent high profile case of the NYC Gallery, Knoedler & Company, charged with selling fake art, focused attention on why anyone would care. Fake art can look as good or in some cases better than the real thing. If the viewer doesn’t know, why should she care?

If a consumer is immersed in an investment fraud is she guilty too? Some people think so.

Sociopaths and those with chronic antisocial behavior seem to appear immune to other's emotions. A study of the neurological reactions of these patients might lend insights into how the rest of us handle the decision-making process.

How much you make from your investments can be greatly affected by how much you pay your financial advisor and whether you pay on a fee-based or commission-based model. Unfortunately, many investors don't realize they're using an ineffective payment model until it's too late.

Four major attractions in the world, the Bayeux Tapestry, Richard the Lionheart’s castle, Monet’s Giverny, and the Normandy Invasion Beaches are all within easy distance of Rouen, France.

Males and females share an almost equal tendency for compulsive shopping. A nest egg can not only be drained by poor financial planning. It can also be annihilated by spending in foolhardy ways.

Historic flooding in Paris serves as a reminder that even well-researched vacation plans can be soaked by Mother Nature.

Physicians have long trusted financial advisors to offer wise financial guidance, but a new rule aims to ensure brokers look first and foremost at their clients' best interest.

Determining which hedge fund will be advantageous for a particular portfolio isn't just as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. It's roughly akin to finding a needle in a field full of haystacks.