gifts

5 Stocks for Mother's Day

You could spring for flowers, a sappy card and some decorative soaps for Mother's Day. Or you take a less traditional route and give mom a gift that keeps on giving: stocks.

In Defense of Online Shopping (Delia Ephron, Listen Up)

Screenwriter Delia Ephron did not have a merry online Christmas shopping experience at J. Crew. But rather than complain about the company's customer service, she turned an op-ed column in the New York Times into a wide-ranging indictment of online shopping itself. Here's why she's wrong.

Last-Minute Christmas Shopping Guide

The kick-off to the holiday season gets earlier every year, but that doesn't mean that consumers are getting better at finishing their shopping early. As the National Retail Federation notes, American consumers typically have about half their holiday shopping left to go in mid-December.

Taxes on Big Gifts Slated to Soar

Wealthy Americans are scrambling to transfer some of their riches before the end of the year when gift and estate taxes are set to jump. But be careful, warn the experts: Not everyone who can shift their money to the next generations right now should do it.

The 8 Hot Toys Your Kids Really Want This Holiday Season

While it's been a while since we've had a toy craze on the level of Furby or Tickle-Me-Elmo, there are certainly some in-demand toys this holiday season. Here are eight of the hottest -- the ones you should probably buy before it's too late, if it isn't already.

How to Pick the Perfect Gift Cards This Christmas

U.S. shoppers will buy $110 billion worth of gift cards this year, and nobody's complaining about it: Gift cards are the most-desired present of the season. But you still have to pick the right gift card for each recipient, so we asked plastic experts for their best advice.

The 4 Rules of Regifting: Etiquette Guru Explains When It's OK

Regifting: Lots of us do it, and many of us feel a bit guilty about it, even though polls show people are generally OK with receiving regifts. But does regifting really pass the holiday season etiquette test? We asked Jodi R.R. Smith of etiquette consultancy Mannersmith.

How to Get Warren Buffett- Style Shareholder Perks

For investors who open a brokerage account and buy stocks, there's more to be had than just the promise of better investment returns. Some of America's best-known firms also offer perks to their shareholders -- and not just big-money shareholders, either.

Is Apple Trying to Break Hearts with Obsolete iPads?

Earlier this month, Apple's marketing department pitched iPad 2 as a great gift for Valentine's Day. But with the iPad 3 a mere three weeks from release, we have to call foul. A dozen roses may not last that long, but no one's buying a $499 flower arrangement.

Savings Experiment: Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a time when you can show your loved one how much you care, but you don't have to dig deep into your wallet to do it. Here are some great tips on how to switch things up this year, and save in the process.

Savings Experiment: Post-Holiday Sales

Soon enough, the holidays will have come and gone. You'll have given, you'll have received; it will then be time to cash in. The best deals fall between Christmas and the new year, so when you go to return those itchy yellow polka-dotted wool socks, get yourself something you'll really enjoy instead. Here are the top five post-holiday purchases.

Budget-Friendly Last-Minute Holiday Gifts for Kids

It's stressful enough when your kids' holiday wish is filled with high-tech gadgets that aren't in your budget. What's worse is breaking down and buying them at the last minute because you couldn't think of better alternatives in your price range.

Savings Experiment: Gift Cards

There are approximately $30 billion in unused gift cards sitting in kitchens, wallets, car doors, and sock drawers. Don't be a statistic: Here's how to get cash for, or otherwise make productive use of, your unwanted gift cards.

Super-Rich to Boost Holiday Spending

With the economy still on life support, many Americans are planning on tightening their Christmas budgets this year. Not the super rich, however. Families with discretionary incomes of $250,000 and up are planing on boosting their holiday spending by 7% to an average of $2,708, according to a new survey.

N.Y. Gift Fair Puts a Bow on Consumers' Improving Mood

Gift-buying trends revealed at the New York International Gift Fair showed that consumers are still focused on value, but less leery of spending. Signs of the brighter mood were everywhere, from the color palettes to the growth in personal pampering products.

This Gift-Tax Change Is a Huge Gift -- If You're Wealthy Enough

A temporary change in the tax code is creating a sweet opportunity. Through 2012, the amount you can give in tax-free gifts jumps from $1 million to $5 million. In this video, Kevin Sanderford, principal of Colorado West Investments, explains how you can take advantage of this "two-year window."

Winter's Gloom Hasn't Kept Shoppers From Spending

January's retail and food services sales rose a sharp 7.8% from January 2010 and 0.3% from December. For the most part, merchants and manufacturers worked to line up wares that consumers want at prices that attract those who are now more frugal.

Will You Be My (Financially Responsible) Valentine?

When Cupid slings his arrow, it can hit you right in the wallet. What's the economically challenged lovebird to do? Well, luckily, a sense of humor is still free. Here are some tips -- and some what-not-to-do's, including some of Ed Begley's ill-fated money-savers.

A Heartwarming Valentine's Day Sales Forecast

Retailers should be swooning this year: Spending for the lover's holiday is forecast to top $18.6 billion, a 5.8% jump in spending over 2010. That amounts to about $125 per person who buys a gift for that special someone.

Amazon's Plan to Save You From Unwanted Gifts

While it may sound more Scrooge than Santa Claus, Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, has filed a patent for technology that would allow customers to return -- or "convert" -- gifts they don't like, even before they actually arrive.

Holiday Shoppers Keep Their Plastic in Their Pockets

Retail sales have perked up, but consumers aren't resuming their old habit of using credit cards to splurge on gifts. According to a new poll, more than half of American adults say they're sticking with cash this holiday shopping season.

Amazon's Holiday Gift to E-Shoppers

While it probably should have done this long ago, Amazon will now let you send an e-book to anyone, Kindle owner or not. The online retail giant's move is aimed at undermining a similar one by rival Kobo -- and shows how hard it is to outmaneuver Amazon in the marketplace.