Practice Finance

You follow your stocks, run from pyramid schemes, and save regularly. But do you know enough about investing and personal finance to make the best decisions, avoid preventable losses, and maximize every opportunity? Answer these questions to find out whether you have enough financial facts to protect and grow your stockpile.

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It's no accident that certain stocks perform consistently well. Here's what they have in common.

Insurance, Mutual Funds, Real Estate, Investing, Identity Theft

Answers to your tax questions . . . On special situations

With interest rates low, preferred stocks' yields may be particularly enticing now. Here's what you need to know about these investments.

M.E. LTRS0308

Taxes, Stocks, Traffic Safety, Real Estate, Retirement, Investors, Fraud

For physicians, adding coverage is tougher than ever. But here are some ways to do it.

Answers to your tax questions . . .On retirement plans and IRAs

A debt counselor helps a cash-strapped couple break old money habits and start new ones.

To patients who resist, the author says: Fine, smoking-related diseases boost my income.

Mutual Funds, Charity

You may want to consider these brokerage-house alternatives to mutual funds.

Kickbacks, Regulatory Reform, Autos, Mortgages

These guidelines are must reading if you complete your own return. If you pay someone else to do it, they&ll serve as a thorough check on the work.

Our annual review of the top tax-preparation programs tells you what's new and lets you decide which would better meet your needs--before you buy.

You'd better believe it--or be prepared to serve prison time, pay stiff fines, and be expelled from Medicare, as in this Florida case.

Not counting on much financial aid? You won't need it with these saving strategies.

To help your portfolio through rocky market times, consider these alternative investments.

You'd better believe it--or be prepared to serve prison time, pay stiff fines, and be expelled from Medicare, as in this Florida case.

Stocks, Retirement, Debit Cards, Mortgages

Claiming business expenses

Your Credit Rating, Retirement, Child Safety, Investment Advice

A wartime bear market is a wake-up call to actively manage this retirement plan--and stick to long-range investment goals.

Despite declining income, many physicians haven't tightened their belts. Here's where their money is going.

Personal exemptions and deductions

Not only is Tiffany merchandise available at Kmart prices, says one expert, but "tech stocks have locked-in growth for the next decade."

You can work harmoniously toward common goals, even if your approaches differ greatly.

Stocks, Banking, Investing, Mutual Funds