united states

Some of the world's most prominent hedge fund managers are betting against the eurozone -- and not just the weak little countries -- we're talking Germany and France. Here's why that's bad news for all of us.

When times are hard, fraud often gets worse. Americans are under great financial pressure, and there is no shortage of criminals waiting to take advantage of it. 24/7 Wall St. examined the 10 states that had the most per-capita fraud complaints.

Cutting corporate tax rates and the deleting loopholes that let some companies pay little or nothing in taxes is just what most economists prescribe for the tangled U.S. tax code. So why isn't everyone cheering the plan President Obama unveiled Tuesday to do just that?

Oh, no! It's Friday the 13th! A day that has tens of millions of Americans on edge and awaiting disaster. But all this worrying and fear leads to more than just gray hairs -- it also leads to hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business.

The financial world's fee fever may have abated -- for now. Several big and medium-sized banks say they're not implementing fees for debit card use anytime soon. But with bank revenues slipping, they do need to act, and more are considering cost cuts to repair their bottom lines.

More people in Southeast don't have bank accounts than in any other part of the country. Mississippi leads the country with more than 16% of households using cash-and-carry for all their transactions. That's a situation that can keep families from climbing the ladder of success.

Many European nations have deficits that make the U.S. look thrifty, and over a year after their problems came to light, they're still holding the worldwide recovery back. But because they share the euro, normal solutions aren't available, which means the EU must bite the bullet and accept an orderly default, or watch matters spiral downward.

Some people take fun to the extreme, engaging in pastimes that put their health -- and even their lives -- at risk. Insurance companies refer to such activities as "hazardous vocations," and charge higher premiums to those who engage in them. One way or another, these hobbies will cost you.

Kraft Foods is recalling about 137,000 cases of Velveeta Shells & Cheese Microwaveable Cups because they might be tainted with wire-bristle pieces, the company announced Friday. The company said it has received no reports of injuries or complaints, and that it was voluntarily issuing the recall to be on the safe side.

Bank of America's announcement this week that it would start charging a monthly $5 fee for using a debit card to make purchases is the latest in banking industry upcharges. As fee-free options for banking dwindle, the bottom line is that consumers are paying more to use their own money.