The halo effect is in play whenever you see a person with a pocket protector and thick glasses and assume he's intelligent. It's a common human judgment error to presume that certain characteristics go together; blondes and joie d' vivre, tans and athleticism, dreadlocks and a fondness for jam-band...

A new study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggests that older people could live longer if they shopped more often. The study of almost 1,850 people in Taiwan showed a marked increase in longevity among those who hit the stores on a daily basis. The population, all 65 or...

If you don't have a will, chances are you've never been in a situation where someone near to you passed without one. You'd understand the nightmare that probate court can be when divvying up an estate without a will; it gets parsed according to state law, with no stipulation for loyal friends or...

Are you a devotee of brand-name AA batteries to power your flotilla of portable devices? Then a new study by Dealnews could save you a great deal of money. Its conclusion: There's not much difference between the lesser-known and the recognized brands. The site set up a test with the Worcester...

Oh, April, you cherry-blossom-imbued harbinger of summer to come. When the warmer weather hits, many of us feel the urge to get out of the house and get some exercise, and what better exercise than that American tradition, shopping? Here are some suggestions on what to buy in April.

You need an attorney, but are spooked by the notion that you may have to pay hundreds of dollars an hour for something relatively simple, such as a will. That's the dilemma that has led to Shpoonkle, a site where lawyers bid for your business. WalletPop talked to the owner of Shpoonkle, Robert...

As my colleague Aaron Crowe pointed out in December, financial sites looking for some press coverage often generate lists; in this case, the best and worst states for retirement. At that time, he reported on a study on this topic by MoneyRates.com. Recently another site, TopRetirements.com did a...

The staid game of baseball has a wacky underbelly, visible when the teams hold giveaway nights. Fans have become used to (and perhaps grown callous of) bobbleheads, free food or dance competitions. A new promotion by the Seattle Mariners, Free Compost Night, might pique the interest of green fans,...

What was the address you lived at when you were two? What's the phone number of the first job you even had? Do you remember the address of your primary school? How about the birth date and location of your stepfather? If you plan to apply for a passport and you don't have rock-solid proof of...

No, Zippo is not a lost Marx brother. For most of the 20th century, the lighter brand was ubiquitous wherever smokers gathered. Now, however, with the decrease in and vilification of smoking, the business is trying to find new niches. Would you buy a Zippo purse, or jeans or perfume? A move such...