presidential election

Mitt Romney's net worth: $200 million. Barack Obama's response to Romney's claim that he's "out of touch" with the concerns of ordinary Americans: Priceless. "I bought my first car for about $900," said Obama. "It had a big hole in the floor that allowed you to see the road, so I knew my wife wasn't marrying me for my money."

Wading through all of the varied political issues and hot buttons of an election year can be difficult for both candidates and voters. But what if there's only one thing that determines the outcome of a presidential race? Turns out, it may really be that simple.

Rick Santorum has rarely shied away from controversy in his political career, but there's no controversy to be found in his taxes. Based on his recently released returns, Santorum appears to have been a conscientious taxpayer, and a fairly normal (if a little wealthy) guy.

With 2011 fast coming to a close, it's time to think about what's next -- if you dare. We've got the good news, the bad news, the key points to watch and some good advice on getting through 2012 with your finances intact.

On Tuesday, Texas Governor and GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry finally entered the tax debate with "Cut, Balance and Grow," a startling new flat tax plan that borrows freely from Herman Cain's 9-9-9 proposal. But would it help American workers, or slash, topple and shrink the U.S. economy?

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain unveiled several major changes to his popular 9-9-9 tax plan on Friday. The former Godfather's Pizza CEO even announced that those below the poverty line would pay no income taxes. But the middle class won't find much relief in Cain's fleshed-out plan.

The U.S. middle class is caught in a vice with falling wages on one side and rising costs on the other. Robert S. Kaplan, author of the business leadership book What to Ask the Person in the Mirror suggests five ways that politicians should be responding -- not specific policies, but mindsets that could lead to better ones.

Even though Donald Trump's company, Trump Entertainment Resorts, filed for bankruptcy last year, there are hints he may be considering running for president on a campaign emphasizing his business successes. Could the general public's short memory land Trump in the Oval Office?

Political upsets in Peruvian regional elections could indicate a national shift to the left -- and some business leaders worry that could discourage foreign investment in the country, which has rich natural resources such as oil, gas and gold.

Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, red state, blue state- as the presidential election looms, I'm increasingly troubled by the use of these terms, as though every voter fits neatly within one of two categories. I know that, depending on the issue, I vary wildly across the spectrum. I...