After the first time trying to prepare and file personal taxes, most Americans learn the same lesson: The American tax system is complex and difficult to understand. Many people also feel that corporations, wealthy individuals and families, and special interest groups have unfair access to loopholes and exemptions that help them avoid paying their “fair [...]

What Is the Fair Tax Act Explained – Pros and Cons is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Millions of securities transactions of all types and sizes take place every day in the United States. You may invest in mutual funds through your 401k at work, or engage in derivatives trading through your online brokerage account. Fortunately, a plethora of information is available to you regarding your transactions and investments. The financial firms with whom you [...]

What Is FINRA – History and Rules for Arbitration & Mediation is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is a regulatory agency that oversees a major segment of the economy along with the IRS, the Consumer Protection Bureau, and the Federal Trade Commission. Specifically, the SEC oversees “Wall Street” where market activity is measured in the trillions of dollars and intersects with virtually every other facet of the economy. Thousands [...]

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) History & Fraud Cases is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Most economists talk about where the economy is headed – it’s what they do. But in case you haven’t noticed, many of their predictions are wrong. For example, Ben Bernanke (head of the Federal Reserve) made a prediction in 2007 that the United States was not headed into a recession. He further claimed that the [...]

List of 16 Major Leading & Lagging Economic Indicators is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

We had the unique opportunity to interview FOX Business Network reporter Adam Shapiro about the ongoing U.S. debt crisis and the intense debate surrounding the possibility of raising the national debt ceiling. The current situation is an extremely complex one with differing opinions coming from all sides. For more analysis of the issue, check out [...]

Will the U.S. Raise the Debt Ceiling, or Default? – Adam Shapiro Interview is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

For some families, finding decent, safe, and affordable housing presents a challenge. Since most areas of the United States do not have rent control laws, affording private rentals in good areas can seem like an unreachable goal for some renters. As a result, many families live in high crime areas or in substandard housing. To [...]

What Is Section 8? – Low Income Housing Assistance is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

When an economy is in danger of slipping into a recession or depression, governments can employ a strategy known as quantitative easing (QE). Quantitative easing is a monetary policy instituted by central banks in an effort to stimulate the local economy. By flooding the economy with a greater money supply, governments hope to maintain artificially [...]

What Is Quantitative Easing Explained – Definition, Risks & Effects on the Economy is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

The unemployment rate is a variable that economists routinely use to measure the health of the economy. However, some people think the federal unemployment rate doesn’t accurately reflect reality. In fact, the real rate of unemployment may actually be much higher than what’s reported. The state and federal governments calculate unemployment differently. States often measure [...]

What Is the REAL National U.S. Unemployment Rate – Why the Numbers Can Be Misleading is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

“Golden parachutes” get a lot of  press, and they always sound like elite packages for high-level executives. Very few people get them, and very few people know how they work. Companies usually reserve them for executives at the top of the organization chart, and these contracts establish an agreed-upon compensation package that the employee would [...]

Golden Parachute Clause Definition – Examples of Payments is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

It’s a simple fact: Every year the United States government spends more money than it brings in revenue. To fund many national programs, the government borrows money by issuing Treasuries. In a given year, 40 to 50% of U.S. expenditures are made with borrowed money. As we continue to borrow money without paying back the [...]

Raising the National Debt Ceiling – Definition & What It Means for Us is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

You don’t have to drive 100 miles a day to notice just how high gas prices have risen. Experts are predicting that we’ll see them continue to climb, especially with summer approaching. After I pay more at the pump, I go home to watch the news to learn about international struggles and strife in the [...]

How Middle East Turmoil & Oil Prices Lead to Maxed Out Credit Cards – 8 Degrees of Separation is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

When you hear people discussing interest rates or investment returns, you may notice that they make a distinction between real and nominal rates. What’s the difference and why should it matter to you? Essentially, the inflation rate is the difference between the two. It matters because nominal rates don’t tell the whole story – for [...]

Nominal vs. Real Interest Rate – Effects of Inflation is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

What is the number one topic on the mind of American citizens? The answer is Jobs, Jobs, Jobs (and not Steve Jobs of Apple)! High unemployment and a slow recovery have everyone worried about the current job market. Policymakers, business owners, and individual citizens all have different ideas about the best way to stimulate job [...]

Best Ways To Stimulate The United States Economy And Create Jobs is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

With the United Stated national debt soaring over $13 trillion dollars, many Americans are concerned about the country’s long-term debt problems. In order to decrease the national deficit, the government needs to operate with a budget surplus. For the past 10 years, the federal government’s budget has continually operated at a deficit. As the deficit [...]

How Would You Fix The United States Debt Problems? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

As the saying goes, “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Everyone remembers the tech bubble of the early 2000′s when a lot of subpar technology companies with no earnings traded at extreme valuations. Over the past few years we have gone through the real estate bubble in which home [...]

Watch Out For A Bubble In This Market is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

In the midst of rising unemployment and a surging deficit, the United States government is thinking of ways to increase revenue in order to fund government programs. The government has been considering implementing a fat tax, eliminating capital gains taxes, and raising taxes on higher wage earners. The government is trying everything possible to plug [...]

What Is Your Opinion About A Value Added Tax? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

When President Obama announced his budget plan, one of his tax proposals was glossed over by the media, and I wanted to get your opinion about it. Starting in 2011, President Obama plans to reduce the charitable giving tax deduction from 100% to 28% of your charitable contribution for families who earn over $250,000 in [...]

What Do You Think About Obama’s Plan To Reduce Charitable Giving Tax Deductions? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Obama is making an effort to rekindle the housing market, and here is a good article outlining his propose plan. I think the housing market is the key to jumpstarting our economy again. Everyone is focusing on the financial services and auto industry, but I think the real estate industry is the key to an [...]

Will Obama’s Housing Rescue Plan Work? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

President Obama signed the economic stimulus bill into law today in Denver. The Wall Street Journal has a great breakdown of the final allocations of money inside the bill. It is broken down by categories, and I love that they designate one category as “Spending”, because that’s exactly what quite a bit of this bill [...]

The Final Breakdown For The 2009 Economic Stimulus Bill is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

According to the House Minority Leader in Congress, the American people will be taking on an average of $10,000 in debt per person due to this stimulus package that just passed. “With a price tag of more than $1 trillion when you factor in interest, it costs every family almost $10,000 in added debt. This [...]

The Stimulus Package Passed: Should You Factor In An Extra $10,000 to Your Debt Snowball? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.