Lifestyle

Thanksgiving is still a couple of weeks away, but the holiday shopping season is already underway, albeit unofficially. The "official" start of the season, of course, is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. A few days later comes "Cyber Monday," a day of deals and discounts by online retailers.

If you're one of those individuals – and there are many – who cringe at the prospect of yet another staff or department meeting, you can take heart that you're not alone in that regard. Or, you can do something about it, and your medical practice will be better for the change.

Several times a year my crack staff pulls together a mélange of the best and most useful bits of wisdom that we have come across. We put these together for your amusement, enlightenment, and hopefully, profit.

While basic homeowners, condo, or renters policies should provide ample protection for ordinary possessions, if you own collectibles, you may need to boost your coverage. Standard policies provide little coverage for collectibles.

Short-term or intermediate-term price moves, while way more exciting, are more random in nature. It's usually just a matter of mispricing of stocks by traders who experience extreme pessimism or extreme optimism combined with technical reasons.

All the recent news about the dreaded Ebola virus got me thinking about how my physician-father overcame another virus-one that nearly wrecked his medical career just when it was taking off. And if he had not beaten this illness so long ago, I wouldn't be alive to tell this story.

This week's list of must-read stories shows why a physician's EQ -- not just her IQ -- is increasingly important. The list also includes a look at a new kind of medical school and an explanation of why Medicare Advantage physician directories aren't always very useful.

The end of Daylight Saving Time means an "extra" hour for most Americans. And while the vast majority of people will use that extra hour to sleep, Fidelity Investments is suggesting a different idea: Use the time to focus on your finances.

Any businessperson knows taxes can make a significant difference to their company's bottom line. And while recent tax inversions by multinational corporations have highlighted the effects of federal tax policy, local and states taxes can also play a major role determining whether a business thrives, fails, or even relocates.

The answer is, it depends. It's dependent on your personal financial situation and where you are in your career. The loan that is right for you is the cheapest cost option that will accommodate your specific current situation.