Business - Motley Fool

Does your credit card give you something back every time the cash register rings? More than half of cards issued have a rewards component -- typically worth $0.01 to $0.03 per dollar spent -- and the goodies range from free Frappuccinos to contributions to Junior's college fund. Full Story »

What are the best reasons to invest in these aggressively sold, high-fee products? Three come immediately to mind: Full Story »

Dear Mrs. Riches:I love my children dearly but have grown to dislike them as consumers. They (ages 6, 9, and 14) are all well-versed in pressure tactics, including launching all-out campaigns when they want an item badly enough. I am so tired of being harangued all the time. I already refuse to take any of them along in the grocery store and try to do the other shopping online so I can avoid places like the mall that seem to turn them into little money-grubbing beasts. But beyond avoidance, teaching them money management, and lecturing them about appreciation, I'm just not sure what to do. ... Full Story »

Anyone even thinking about having kids may wonder whether they've turned into some kind of bipolar monster, cooing over passing infants in strollers one minute, then freaking out over the outrageous cost of college the next. Full Story »

I am a "winner." At least, that's what I'm told by the recorded voice on my answering machine, informing me that I've "won" a wonderful vacation package. Simply call back with my "winner code" and start packing! Full Story »

Just about anyone who goes through some life changes needs to reevaluate his or her personal financial situation. Full Story »

Togetherness has its perks in the financial world -- price breaks on insurance premiums, saving money by splitting bills, instant justification for buying the family-sized bag of Doritos, and so on. Full Story »

If you are single, or one-half of a two-income, no-dependents household, you probably won't need much life insurance, if any. With a little planning, you can establish a low-risk savings fund to cover funeral costs, and invest the money you would have paid for insurance premiums. Full Story »

What do you do if you're on the wrong side of a slowing market? Selling in a slump is part mental adjustment, part common sense. Full Story »

There are a lot of shady people hoping that you're after instant riches -- or at least a boost toward making up for your recent stock market losses. Boy, do they have the sales pitch down pat. There are tax scams, penny-stock huckster scams, instant-messaging scams, Nigerian confidence scams, mortgage-servicing scams, wrong-number pump-and-dump scams, bad-roommate-from-Craigslist scams. I could go on, but my keyboard is out of breath. Full Story »