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The article discusses the ethics and economics of charitable giving and donations surrounding the 2013 holiday season. Topics addressed include guidelines for how much money to donate to charity based upon one's income level, advocating the utilization of charities which manage their donations most effectively, and comments surrounding the altruistically-motivated choice between international and domestic charities.

The article discusses changes in 2013 to reverse mortgage policies in the U.S., which will decrease the amount that older homeowners can borrow against their houses' value. Financial planning, the U.S. Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the effect of the 2008 economic crisis on homeowners' personal finances are discussed, as well as issues regarding property taxes and mortgage insurance.

The article discusses research conducted in 2013 by U.S. financial firm Fidelity regarding bank customers who frequently borrow from their own 401(k) retirement savings accounts. Loan interest rates, credit card debt, and consumer behavior are discussed, as well as investment earnings, financial planning, and personal loan defaults.

The article discusses the psychological reasons why people play lottery games such as the Powerball jackpot lottery. Topics include the probability of winning, comments on the psychology of gamblers according to psychologist Daniel Kahneman, as well as investment strategies for lottery winnings. Also discussed is the role that the number of lottery ticket purchases plays in calculating the probability of winning.

The article discusses the impact of finder's fees on 401(k) retirement saving plans, noting U.S. lawsuits regarding such fees and their disclosure. It is said that the firm Cigna Corp. was forced to pay a settlement to its employees following a lawsuit by lawyer Jerry Schlichter on their behalf, which noted corrupt fee practices by the firm. INSET: A Checklist for 401(k) Plan Fees.

The article looks at how customers of Dollar Rent a Car have been charged with insurance costs they have verbally declined before providing an electronic signature. Information is provided on the experiences of Sandra McKinnon, Chris Hughes, and Jay Siebert, who were forced to pay loss damage waivers for each day they rented a vehicle from the company. Class-action lawsuits filed against Dollar Rent a Car are discussed, as well as contract laws.

The article examines the financial risks in purchasing real estate as rental property in the United States. Comments from Maryland retirees Tom Vogel and Ana Vogel, who bought a home in Germantown, Maryland to be rented, on the volatility of the market are included. According to the author, individuals considering purchasing rental property should research areas such as financing, mortgages, and taxation implications.

the article examines financial and legal issues concerning same-sex couples and the impact of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on marriage scheduled for March 2013. Particular attention is given to how the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) addresses federal benefits of same-sex couples as well as their legal relationship to their children. Information is provided on Jeff Friedman and Andrew Zwerin, a same-sex couple from New York and also on California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage.

The article discusses a U.S. tax law requiring investment brokerage firms to file reports with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) on clients' cost basis, or how much clients paid for taxable investments. It notes that this figure also considers re-invested dividends, stock splits, and company mergers in an effort to track personal profits and losses related to stocks and mutual funds.

The article provides financial suggestions for parents awaiting the birth of their first child. Topics covered include automating savings to cover expenses related to day care and lost income during maternity leave, researching and purchasing life insurance policies, and selecting legal guardians in the event of the parents' deaths.

The article discusses the dispute between the Brooklyn, New York City homeowners Andrea and Stephen Kondaks and their flood insurance adjuster Colonial Claims, who worked on behalf of Fidelity National Indemnity Insurance company, in regard to the Kondaks' insurance claim regarding the flood damage to their home from the 2012 Hurricane Sandy. The discrepancy between the public adjuster's and Colonial Claims' estimation of home repair costs is discussed.

The article discusses paid paternal and maternal leave policies in the United States as of February 23, 2013. Topics discussed include the Family and Medical Leave Act, the economic and health benefits of paid family leave, and advocate Vicki Shabo and the National Partnership for Women and Families' work to support improved paid family leave policies in the U.S.

The article offers information on the wealth advisory management firm Wealthfront Inc. whose chief executive officer (CEO) is Adam Nash and features robots that are giving financial advice to its clients.

The article discusses digital job hunting. Topics discussed include factors to be considered by applicants due to the use by recruiters of tracing systems to manage résumés, the need for applicants to keep their persona up-to-date, and the suggestions of Ramit Sethi, author of the book "I Will Teach You to Be Rich," for applicants to avoid applying online.

The article discusses employment outlook for the class of 2015 in the U.S. Topics discussed include the projections of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute of the Michigan State University that hiring will be up across all degree levels, the analysis of Jaison Abel, head of regional analysis at the New York Federal Reserve Bank , with senior economist Richard Deitz, and the issue of underemployment. Charts regarding the underemployment rate after the recession are also presented.

The article discusses the adoption of several strategies for preparing tax returns in the U.S.

The article reports on a retirement plan marketplace to be created by New Jersey to help small businesses in selecting a tax-deferred savings program for employees, a revised bill signed by Governor Chris Christie, for businesses and views of politician Vincent Prieto, on same.

The article reports on the approval of New Jersey's the Secure Choice Savings Program, low-cost retirement savings plan for the employees of private businesses in New Jersey which would be run by the state but offered through employers which is supported by Republicans in both houses of Legislature.

The article reports that the credit card issuer Fidelity is making changes to its program and the Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature card.

The article reports on rise in benchmark lending rate by the Federal Reserve System in the U.S. and mentions suggestions for ensuring investments are well diversified by looking at the predictions of slow rise in deposit banks rates, rate increase in bonds market and increase in credit cards rates.

The article focuses on a federal budget bill signed by the House and Senate, which states that retirees will not be eligible to use certain claiming strategies to increase the amount they had collected from Social Security.

The article reports on the agreement among the three giant credit reporting agencies in the U.S. to overhaul their approach to fixing errors and their treatment of medical debts on consumers' reports.

The article reports on the debate regarding the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios free investment service program to be introduced by businessman Charles Schwab for investor who seek thrifty advice.

The article reports on a Nobel medal awarded to economist Simon Kuznets in 1971 which was sold for $390,848 in an auction on February 26, 2015.

The article on the tax forms of the Department of Treasury to fix the inaccurate data made by taxpayers in the U.S.

The article presents suggestions for what can be done in case one gets wrong tax forms in the U.S.

The article discusses the cyberattack against health insurer Anthem Inc. and offers tips on how its customers can manage the effects of the data breach, such as asking their financial institutions to attach a secret word or code to their accounts and considering the security freeze option.

The article reports on the plan of U.S. President Barack Obama to impose drastic changes on the 529 college savings plans of numerous families in the country.

The article reports on the slowing growth of insurance premiums in the U.S.

The article focuses on a 2014 study conducted by David Broockman and Joshua Kalla, graduate students in political science at the University of California, Berkeley, which suggests that large campaign donations could buy access to politicians in the U.S.

The article reports on gun manufacturer Daniel Defense, which was put in the spotlight after its military-style rifle was used by a gunman in a shooting spree at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Also cited are Daniel Defense's aggressive style of weapons marketing and sales, the company's direct-to-consumer business model, and the criticism by company founder Marty Daniel of gun control proposals to address gun violence.

The article discusses a 401(k) retirement plan being offered by United Technologies Corp. (UTC) in Hartford, Connecticut. It states that UTC has stopped its usual pension to a retirement plan, which is aimed at solving retirees' shortcomings and problems related to the protection of their money from changing stock market. Employee Benefit Retirement Institute president Dallas Salisbury offers his comment.

The fact that women continue to earn less than men has been well documented. And while part of that pay gap can be explained away, there is still a significant piece that cannot. But new research suggests that the wage gap may potentially be attributed, at least in some part, to the way women are perceived in the workplace: When a managers know they can blame the company's financial woes for their pay decisions, they are likely to give women smaller raises than their male counterparts. And that's because women may be seen as being more readily appeased by such excuses than men. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Same-sex couples raising children must stand ready to prove to the world they are a family, just one that happens to have two mothers or two fathers. This constant burden of proof is especially difficult for families like the Muzingos, who live in a state that doesn't allow them to establish legal ties to each other. Michelle Muzingo was in the delivery room when her wife, Katrina, gave birth to each of their three children, who are now 7, 4 and 1. She cut their umbilical cords and was the first to hold the children, who call her ''mommy.'' Yet because they live in Ohio, a state that does not allow gay couples to adopt, she is unable to make that title official. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If you're aiming to save your money for a new home, a car, or perhaps even a vacation, you can't help becoming frustrated by the paltry interest rates being offered. Your savings can't even keep pace with inflation. So this week's Your Money column looks at the world of federally insured options, as well as possible alternatives for savers with short-term goals, including short-term bonds, and the risks they may entail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If you're a saver, you're probably frustrated, even angry. There's nothing worse than being punished for good behavior, and that's exactly how it feels if you're trying to amass a pile of cash before making a big purchase, particularly when banks pay interest rates that don't come close to keeping pace with inflation. That frustration is precisely what prompted Mark Sweeting, a high school history teacher in Portland, Ore., to pull his emergency savings fund out of an online savings account at ING Direct. It had lured him two years ago with an annual rate of 1.25 percent that has since dwindled by more than a third. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Most investors don't realize that when they walk into a bank or brokerage firm branch, the representatives there are essentially free to emblazon their business cards with whatever titles they please -- financial consultants, advisers, wealth managers, to name a few. But if you're looking for someone who is qualified to give smart advice about all aspects of your financial life while keeping costs down, you may not be in the right place. The issue came up again earlier this week in an article by my colleagues at The New York Times, who quoted former JPMorgan Chase brokers as saying they were encouraged to promote the firm's own funds to customers even when more competitive investments were available. Not only were the funds expensive, but the bank also exaggerated at least one investment portfolio's returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortgage rates have never looked this good. They are at about 3.81 percent for a second week, a record low. But who gets that rate? What does it actually take to secure a mortgage rate that begins with the enviable number 3? One mortgage broker joked the other day that it required ''a good mortgage broker and a prayer.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now that several of the big banks' credit ratings have been downgraded, they may have to pay more to borrow money. And while the banks are hardly shy about passing higher costs on to their customers, many experts said they expected that the downgrade would have little effect -- at least in the near term -- on consumers. That means bank customers can expect to see more of the same: low yields on certificates of deposit and savings accounts, and low interest rates on mortgages -- if they can qualify. The banks have been adding and raising fees for some time now, but the experts said they did not expect a new round of charges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ask Jean Poole, a medical billing advocate, about her work helping people navigate the bewildering world of medical bills and insurance claims, and the stories pour out. There's the client who was billed almost $11,000 for an 11-minute hand surgery. The cancer patient who was charged $9,550.40 for a round of chemotherapy he never received. And then, there's the tale of the woman who came to Ms. Poole with a large rolling suitcase stuffed with bills for her 68-year-old husband, who had gone to the emergency room after he fell getting out of bed. The hospital's doctors discovered a series of problems -- kidney failure, blood and urinary tract infections, and a blood clot. Ultimately, he ended up staying in the hospital for two months and being transferred to a nursing home for rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Michael Shreve, a 57-year-old science teacher in Marysville, Wash., has watched helplessly as mortgage rates have fallen. He said that despite his stellar credit score, no bank had been willing to let him trade in his 6.35 percent 30-year mortgage because his house was now worth less than when he bought it. ''At some point,'' he said, interest rates are going to go up again, ''and I should have been able to get those low rates. It's not fair.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

And though a recent federal appeals court ruling has provided some hope to gays and lesbians that their unions could potentially be recognized by the federal government, nothing has changed just yet. That means that same-sex couples, including those who live in states that recognize their unions, should take extra care when setting up their financial life with a partner or spouse. You can find some basic tool kits and resources on Web sites like Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign. But if you want more tailored advice, you should try to seek out a professional who is well-versed in these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As mortgage rates have hit one record low after another, millions of homeowners have been forced to watch, longingly, from the sidelines. They haven't had the option of refinancing because sliding home values pushed their mortgages underwater, meaning they owe more than their homes are worth. The banks would just not work with them. Yet many of these borrowers are gainfully employed, have solid credit histories and have never missed a mortgage payment. And they want to stay in their homes -- even if those homes are worth substantially less than they paid. These are the families that President Obama and other political leaders like to call ''responsible'' homeowners. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The new Mrs. Mark Zuckerberg might not have to worry much about money, but that doesn't mean she is automatically a billionaire. The timing of Mark Zuckerberg's marriage to his college sweetheart, Priscilla Chan, on Saturday, just a day after he took his company public, was certainly curious. Was he looking to clarify his net worth, which, with roughly 503 million shares, now stands at about $17 billion? And if true, many observers are speculating, did that have to do with the terms of a prenuptial agreement? The Zuckerbergs are not saying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

JPMorgan Chase's giant trading loss began as an effort to manage the bank's risks -- a move that turned into something that now looks more like a speculative bet. But don't think this is solely a big-bank problem. Even small investors can run into trouble discerning the fine line between hedging and risk taking. Investors can try to limit their risks by holding down their stock exposure through diversified investments. But many people are still depending on the market's engine -- perhaps more than they might think -- to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in retirement, say, or pay for their children's college educations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While President Obama's support for same-sex marriage is symbolic, his words have little power to erase the long list of extra costs and legal hurdles that same-sex couples face. For a more realistic chance at change, gay couples are probably better off looking to the courts. Several cases are winding their way through the judicial system, most of which challenge the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 and defines marriage as between one man and one woman. The myriad indignities that gay couples and their families regularly encounter are one reason many of them say they are fighting to dismantle the law. But the financial burden they also bear can be measured. And several court cases put that into stark focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the law partners at Dewey & LeBoeuf, losing their jobs may be the least of their worries. They are likely to lose the money they were required to invest in the firm. They could lose their pensions. They may have to give back money they have already been paid. And even if creditors eventually agree to accept a small portion of what they are owed, the partners may owe taxes on the forgiven debt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Ray White's son was about 9 years old, he struck a tree branch while riding his bike. Within minutes, an ambulance whisked him off to the emergency room. The boy recovered, but many months and phone calls later, Mr. White's insurance company still had not paid the $200 ambulance bill, even though the insurer had assured him it was covered. He finally decided it was easier to pay it himself. But by then, it was already too late. Unbeknown to Mr. White, the debt had been reported to the credit bureaus. It was only when he and his wife went to refinance the $240,000 mortgage on their home in Lewisville, Tex., last month -- nearly six years after the accident -- that he learned the bill had shaved about 100 points from his credit score. Even with no other debts, a healthy income and otherwise pristine credit, the couple had to pay an extra $4,000 to secure a lower interest rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In one of the first tests of its willingness to show its muscle, the new agency created to protect consumers declined on Thursday to put up a fight. The agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, introduced a proposal that would make it easier for credit card issuers to charge fees before borrowers' accounts were officially open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annette Alejandro just emerged from bankruptcy and doesn't have a job, and her car was repossessed last year. Still, after spending her days job hunting, she returns to her apartment in Brooklyn where, in disbelief, she sorts through the piles of credit card and auto loan offers that have come in the mail. ''Even I wouldn't make a loan to me at this point,'' Ms. Alejandro said. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]