Lifestyle

Paying for your purchases has become a multiple-choice activity in recent years, but one of the newest ways to pay wont' be available at a number of high-profile retailers.

People in every country look forward to a time when they can retire from work and enjoy their "golden years." But the feasibility of that plan – and the quality of life they achieve thereafter – can vary significantly from country to country.

Every Practice has patients who do not show up for their scheduled appointments. Do you know what your no-show rate is and why patients miss their appointment? Any idea how much revenue your practice loses annually due to no-shows?

Primary care physicians in the south get paid the most, but specialists are highest-paid in the midwest. California has the highest number of physicians, while Wyoming has the fewest. Here's a look at physicians by the numbers.

A new study by Wells Fargo shows more than one-third (34%) of middle-class Americans aren't saving for retirement at all. Here are 5 tips for those who need to get started.

When it comes to Electronic Health Record satisfaction, mobile matters. That's the key takeaway from an EHR satisfaction survey released this month.

Cadillac is a working town of about 2,500 people. It has no real tourist traps. It is what it is – to us, an authentic, delightful, almost innocent town.

The number of physicians with an "estate tax problem" is lower than it used to be. For those with such a problem, one option to reduce their estate tax bite is giving away their primary residence prior to death. This is done using a Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT).

This week's list of must-read stories includes a look at the high cost of paperwork -- even in the digital age -- and a US senator's last look at what he sees as government waste.

Obesity has long been a problem in the United States, and a new report underscores that fact. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America's Health have unveiled their latest obesity findings in a report titled "The State of Obesity." The findings are troublesome.

Telemedicine and telehealth have the potential to improve healthcare while lowering costs. As the market continues to grow, lawmakers are beginning to look at regulatory changes that could support the technology.

When things get bad, people - even experts - make definitive statements based on fear. When the market has been strong for a while, the same thing happens, but then it's based on greed and the feeling that stocks will never go down again.

Surgical simulation is becoming an increasingly important educational tool and performance metric in the training of orthopedic surgeons. Understanding and visualizing a surgical procedure before executing it in practice is crucial to surgical training success.

Most Americans know that a given medical service could cost a significantly different amount depending on where one receives the service, but only recently have cost data about healthcare charges become widely available and widely discussed. National Nurses United earlier this year evaluated US hospitals to find out how much they charge for a procedure versus the actual cost of performing the procedure.

If you somehow managed to avoid the 5 worst trading days each year, you could have earned a staggeringly high return on your investments. Here are a list of other surprising figures that could have a significant impact on your wallet.

Dollar bulls have hit a rocky patch. Buying the US currency has been the favored trade of currency investors since last year's taper tantrum, when the Federal Reserve said it would ease its bond-buying scheme as the economy showed signs of improvement.

Hospital quality data could have a big impact on how patients consume healthcare, but in a report released alongside the search revamp, Healthgrades makes the case that steering patients to only the most competent physicians can have wider implications for the healthcare system.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 9.4% of active reverse mortgages were in default in 2012. That is 54,000 homes with the head of household over 62 years of age.

The loss of federal tax subsidies would cause millions of Americans to drop out of the insurance market and cripple the Affordable Care Act, according to a new analysis.

Most Social Security beneficiaries (58 million) will receive the benefit increase in January. The 8 million Supplemental Security Income recipients will see increased payments as of Dec. 31.

Tests and diagnostic procedures often help physicians discover conditions or formulate treatments, but researchers say some tests are used far more often than they are worth. Here are 5 tests and procedures physicians should think twice about before prescribing.

The medical profession is changing. What it will become in the years ahead is anyone's guess. Jackson Healthcare, one of nation's top healthcare staffing companies, has some interesting numbers to look at on the matter.

An Atlanta urologist finds harmony between his day job on the cutting edge of robotic surgery and his off-hours hobby of playing the guitar.

Separating pre-tax, after-tax contributions in rollovers lets people put more in Roth IRA - regardless of income.

There are cycles to markets and no one really knows when a small hiccup or a seismic shift may occur. Although the market over the past weeks has rattled some investors, the advice from advisors seems to be hold your course and do not do anything rash.

The website Healthgrades.com on Tuesday launched a newly revamped search tool that allows patients to find physicians based on their experience with certain conditions and procedures, as well as patient satisfaction reviews and hospital rankings.

Good news, bad news. Bad news: Sometimes a port-of-call has to be suffered because the value lies beyond. Good news: Sometimes the shore excursion brings you to a destination so delightful you'd like the day never to end as happens in Uniworld's excursion to Bergerac on its Bordeaux cruise.

Really smart investors tend to have their own unique style. But dumb ones are all the same. They tend to be ignorant of stock market history. And they act - or, more to the point, react - not rationally but emotionally.

This week's PMD Critical List looks at the return of house calls, the advent of physician "mechanics," and the tough civil liberties questions posted by the Ebola virus.

When it comes to preparing your medical practice for the upcoming flu season, the key to success is being proactive, not reactive. A proactive approach means a more efficient and productive practice.