dollars and sense

Discussing salaries is taboo in many workplaces, but maybe it shouldn't be. New research suggests that knowing how your pay compares to your colleagues' pay may make workers more productive.

Looking for a job anywhere in this economy can be tough, but recent data suggests a person can actually fare worse than average in their ability to join the workforce in specific cities across America.

Recipients of Social Security benefits will see a slightly less than 2 percent cost-of-living increase next year, according to an estimate by the American Institute for Economic Research.

The cost of higher education is getting, um, higher. Campus Grotto recently released its annual list of the most expensive colleges in America and according to their statistics, the cost of attending just one year at the most expensive college hit a record high tuition this year at over $60,000.

They say the best time to look for a new job is when you already have one. Turns out there might actually be something to this phenomenon: New research suggests that the longer you're out of work, the harder it gets to find a new job.

In an attempt to be a forethought on the shopping lists of parents this holiday season, Toys R Us has announced plans to match the prices of their competition. The company’s new “price-match guarantee” will be extended to all products from Toys R Us and Babies R Us retail outlets.

These days more credit card customers are paying their bills on time than they have over the course of the last decade. A report released earlier today by the American Bankers Association indicates that delinquencies on credit cards are currently at an 11-year low, with only 2.93 percent of credit accounts reported past due by 30 days or more. These figures come in substantially under the 3.91 per

According to a study by the Congressional Research Service, roughly 2,360 millionaires collected unemployment insurance benefits in 2009. The study, titled “Receipt of Unemployment Insurance by Higher-Income Unemployed Workers,” determined that 2 percent of unemployment insurance claims received in 2009 were to millionaires, adding up to nearly $21 million in benefits.

Have an American Express card that you never leave home without? You can expect a refund. According to a report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, American Express will be refunding $85 million to some 250,000 customers due to what officials are calling deceptive practices that include the charging of illegal late fees and discrimination against applicants 35 years old and up. For nearly

Consumer error appears to be greatly benefiting the financial industry, as a new banking report finds that charges to checking accounts caused by insufficient funds generated $31.5 billion last year. That is up from $30.8 million the year before, marking roughly an overall 2 percent increase.

How much is a penny really worth these days? Well, if it happens to be a 1943 Lincoln, it is likely worth a pretty penny, as one has reportedly just sold for $1 million. Experts say the reason this rare coin is so valuable is because back when it was manufactured at the San Francisco Mint, it was mistakenly produced with bronze rather than the typical zinc-coated steel that the majority of the cur

The days of the free checking account are nearing extinction and ATM fees are on the rise, according to the latest financial research from bankrate.com. Those annoying ATM surcharges that consumers incur every time they withdraw cash from a money mover that is not the property of the their bank have risen once again, to an all-time high of $2.50, up 4 percent from last year. And lest you think we