Business - Motley Fool

If time is money, then email is one of my biggest expenses. With over 4,000 emails -- past and present -- crowding my inbox, it sometimes feels like my email is driving me, rather than me driving it. Full Story »

Unexpected windfalls can be a welcome surprise, particularly when times are tough. But when the money is the result of an inheritance after a loved one's death, it can also be a huge burden. Full Story »

The possibility of layoffs is very real for a lot of households, now that unemployment is running around 10%. The sooner you start showing your boss that you're indispensable, the better chance you have of hanging on to your job if tough times hit your place of employment. Full Story »

We can't emphasize this enough: If you have a long-term time horizon, then right now is the best time to put your money to work in the stock market. Full Story »

Those are the primary paths taken by the average Joe or Jane Investor when they leave a job and need to decide what to do with money from a former work retirement plan (their 401(k) or 403(b) dough). Full Story »

A dividend is a portion of a company's earnings that a company pays out to its shareholders. If the Tattoo Advertising Co. (ticker: YOWCH) is earning roughly $4 in profit per share each year, it might decide to issue $1 per share annually to shareholders and use the rest of the money to help build the business. If so, it will probably pay out 25 cents per share every three months. Full Story »

The following is a post from the Motley Fool Editor's blog. You can see all the posts by clicking here. Full Story »

As the holidays set in and the season of giving begins to brush elbows with the cabal of commercialism, we're presented with -- to borrow from the classic education vernacular -- an ideal "teaching moment." Full Story »

Dear Mrs. Riches:In my extended family (largely adults), it's become customary for people to exchange wish lists. The wish lists have evolved over the years to a degree of specificity (and expense) that makes me uncomfortable. I mean, when you are specifying a make and model, it seems like some of the "magic" of Christmas is a bit tarnished. Wouldn't you agree? Plus, it is a bit presumptuous to assume that every person in the family is financially able to accommodate the wish list. Full Story »

Did the holidays feel like one long competition for your money? From gifts for family and friends, Secret Santa games, Salvation Army bell-ringers, and the checkout folks at every store asking, "Would you like to add a dollar for XYZ charity?" it can be hard to catch your breath, much less stick to a budget. Full Story »