Terri Cullen

If your kid's about to head off the college, you may want to consider urging them to change their major. A new study found that students who major in math-focused fields of study go on to earn the highest salaries, while students who major in education and child studies typically earn the least.

Join Ryan Flesher, MD, director of "The Vanishing Oath," and Paul Hochfeld, MD, director of "Health, Money and Fear," in a live Webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 25, when they'll explore how drug giants, insurance companies, and the U.S. legal system are driving up healthcare costs and driving doctors out of medicine.

Each year, AARP magazine ranks the top places for Americans to retire overseas, taking into consideration climate, the expat community, the cost of living, housing, and quality of healthcare. If you think Central American countries dominate the list, you're in for a surprise.

Second-quarter earnings moved stocks this week, with Pfizer, Allergan, Ariad Pharmaceuticals and Curis all posting results. Jazz Pharmaceuticals shares rose ahead of an FDA panel vote on its fibromyalgia drug later this month.

A number of policies will change in the coming years by new rules under consideration by the federal government, including Medicare pay cuts, electronic prescription fines and incentives, wellness visits, and more.

A new report by the AMA found that gender, medical specialty and practice ownership all play key roles in how frequently a doctor is sued. One example: Male doctors are twice as likely to be sued than female physicians.

More than eight out of 10 doctors said their practice revenue has declined as a result of Medicare's elimination of the use of inpatient and outpatient consultation codes, a recent survey shows.

Join Ken Rubinstein, senior partner at the law firm of Rubinstein and Rubinstein, LLP, in a live Webinar on August 11 to discuss asset-protection strategies that can be 100 percent effective -- and serve to discourage future lawsuits.

Fewer consumers with health insurance are visiting the doctor, but there's a debate over whether the decline is a result of high unemployment, rising insurance copays and deductibles, or a longer-term change in the way people access healthcare.

A new physician survey puts the cost of defensive medicine at between a quarter to a third of total U.S. healthcare spending each year, a sharply higher amount than previous estimated.

Was your undergraduate degree worth the cost? Pay-information website PayScale ranked 852 colleges and universities by their annual return on investment, to show parents and students what they get back for the investment they make in higher learning.

So the rumors were true: French drug giant approached Genzyme about a possible acquisition, sparking rumors the company will attract rival suitors in the U.S. Meanwhile, shares of Onyx Pharmaceuticals and Oncolytics Biotech rose on upbeat reports on clinical trials of their cancer treatments.

Recent articles on physician income, disparity in pay and Medicare cuts have generated many thoughtful, and often emotional, comments from doctors. We've compiled some of their remarks here, to let readers report on what they're seeing within their own fields.

Nearly half of doctors surveyed showed a clear preference for using the iPhone over the Blackberry to manage personal and practice business, and access medical information, according to a new survey of smartphone use by physicians.

Harvard Medical School imposed strict new rules for physicians on staff that include restrictions on gifts, travel and meals, speaker fees, and income from board memberships. Is there any way Harvard doctors can earn money on the side? Turns out, there's more than just a bit of wiggle room in the rules.

Edward Jones and RBC Wealth Management are tops in investor satisfaction, according to the latest J.D. Power and Associates survey. Overall, investors were more satisfied with their investment advisors, but increasingly feel like investment firms are more interested in profits than customer service.

Forbes magazine counts down the "Worst Paying Jobs for Doctors" this week, and for many physicians in training the numbers are disquieting. The No. 1 worst-paying doctor job? No surprise here: Family practice, where physicians earned an average of $175,000 last year.

"Old Spice Guy," the mother of all viral media ad campaigns, has already sparked imitators, including a very clever -- and equally funny -- parody by student employees and video staff at Brigham Young University that uses humor to urge students to use the library.

The FDA panel ruling on Avandia captured headlines and weighed on shares GlaxoSmithKline this week, but a more decisive panel ruling on Vivus's obesity drug Qnexa more than halved its stock price. Next up: The FDA weighs Arena Pharmaceuticals lorcaserin.

Online Ponzi schemes known as high-yield investment programs (HYIPs) that claim to offer returns of up to 100 percent or more -- per day -- are a growing threat to investors, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority warned this week.

Starting this month, consumers have to opt-in to allow banks to charge overdraft fees on certain financial accounts. Unfortunately, whether you choose to consent to overdraft protection or not, you may soon be facing higher account fees.

Two videos hit the Web recently to drive their eye-opening messages home: One looks at the dangers of sloppy patient-information handoffs, while the other uses humor to raise awareness about CPR and AED.

Large biotech stocks surged on rumors of a major acquisition by French drug giant Sanofi. Tiny Dynavax rose on news of its first clinical trial of a universal flu vaccine, and Vivus soared after being called "one of the most attractive product-driven stories in the mid-cap biotech space."

A reader with more than $175,000 in student loans wonders whether having so much debt will hurt his credit score. The good news is the total amount of your loans isn't as much a factor in calculating your credit score as is your ability to repay them.

On July 1, two important changes in the Income-Based Repayment plan went into effect that may allow more doctors to join the student-loan repayment program and lower monthly payments for married couples.

David DeVore became a YouTube sensation after his parents uploaded a video of the boy on his way home from dental surgery. But what was originally meant to be a memory to share among family and friends has earned the DeVores close to $150,000.

A repeat entrepreneur walks away with billions this week after selling his second successful start-up. Obesity-drug makers had a busy week, and a management shakeup shook up investors in an already struggling cancer-drug developer.

This week, the Obama administration launched Healthcare.gov, a new health-insurance-comparison website, and unveiled a new insurance plan for Americans who can't find affordable coverage elsewhere due to their pre-existing conditions.

Consumers will get new protections under the financial reform bill, but lawmakers stopped short of implementing a number of provisions that could have done more to protect consumers. Here's how the proposed financial reform bill will affect you.

Parents with preteen kids can earn a tax credit for up to $1,200 to cover child care costs. Overnight sleep-away camps don't qualify for the dependent-care credit, but other child care costs you incur over the summer may be eligible.