Dollars and Sense

The typical American family has very little control over its monthly cost of living.

If you have a lot of your clothes dry-cleaned, you might want to set aside a little more of your monthly budget for the expense. Prices are about to go up, and — with our apologies to ‘Mommie Dearest’ — you can blame it on those darned wire hangers.

Student loan debt may be skyrocketing, but the students themselves will likely leave school with some nice presents — a new survey shows Americans will spend almost $5 billion on graduation gifts this year.

No means no — on a date and when it comes to telemarketing.

Seems the path to riches may involve a moving truck. According to a new study, some states are more conducive to building wealth than others, and where you live could help you climb the economic ladder.

Some major companies and corporations such as MF Global and AMR, the parent company of American Airlines, have filed for bankruptcy. In the process, they may have, directly or not, caused some people to go bankrupt.

According to a new study by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, men and women aren’t equal when it comes to credit cards. It says that, on the average, women pay half a point higher on credit card interest rates than men do, even when income and level of education are factored in.

Economics can complicate the world’s most enlightened mind. They often involve complex equations with more numerals and variables than the theory of relativity. However, one study has found a rather novel way of measuring and comparing the rise and fall of wages and it involves McDonald’s most famous sandwich.

For decades, many groups have highlighted the pay disparities between men and women, and a new report from the American Association of University Women pointed out just how big the earnings gap is.

Finding out you’re being audited by the IRS can be pretty scary, especially when you have to meet with an auditor in person. But what if you could deal with the whole mess via video-conferencing from the comfort of your own home?

When you eat at a restaurant, do you notice things like the size of the straws or the way the menu is laid out? You should — they could be costing you money.

The jackpot for the multi-state Mega Millions lottery now stands at $363 million, causing even those who don’t normally play to throw their hopeful hats into the ring for Tuesday night’s drawing. Are there things you can do to boost your chances of winning?