Columns

Given the number of people who trust the lives of their families to vehicles every day, you'd think cars would be subject to some kind of consumer protection agency to keep faulty vehicles off the roads until they had been thoroughly tested. That's not the case, but it should be.

A look at the daily legal news, including who's telling the truth about Bank of America, N.Y. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo or the SEC? And, does it matter if the judge in a gay marriage case is gay?

My alarm clocks always seem to break at the critical moment. But here are five outrageous alarm clocks that will definitely get you up to trade those Hong Kong futures in the middle of the night.
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What usually happens to the markets on days when the TICK indicator starts off extremely weak.
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Great interview with super-trader Doug Kass, covering his best trades ever and his market outlook for 2010.
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Apparently, lots of voters think it's healthy for neither party to have the votes in Congress to impose its will. But investors need to keep in mind the giant problems that need solving and that can get solved only if the Democrats and Republicans somehow learn to work together.

Two studies of judicial decisions shed light on how big a difference it makes to have a female or non-white judge hearing your racial discrimination or sexual harassment case. But the findings weren't entirely what you might expect.

Given the need big companies have to find growth and the availability of credit, no wonder hostile takeovers are sprouting. Air Products' $5.1 billion grab for Airgas would create a powerhouse in the liquid bulk gas market, but Airgas isn't likely to play along with that plan.

A growing list of companies have jumped on the "happiness coaching" bandwagon. To its practitioners, it is a proven method that can lead to changed lives. But to its detractors, its just another gimmick for squeeze more work out of dispirited employees.

President Barack Obama releases his proposed $3.8 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2011 and immediately the hue and cry is one of "$1 trillion structural deficits," "a nation going broke" and "an unserviceable debt."

Thanks to a surprise move by activist investor Ron Burkle, shares of Barnes & Noble had an unusually exciting day on Tuesday Feb. 2, running up to as high as $21 a share from the previous day's closing price of $18. But don't be fooled. The upswing isn't likely to last long.

Some of the best stories for investors from the Internet, including the winners and losers of Obama's new tax plan, a hedge fund that only invests in soccer teams, and why Google is bad for the newspaper business.