The rule of 72 is a good heuristic for estimating the doubling time of compound interest. Other rules are handy for estimating continuous compounding or the effects of inflation when your HP-12C isn't at hand.

When it comes to direct investing in residential real estate and becoming a landlord, you should ask yourself: “What am I getting into?”

The equity markets have plummeted since the beginning of 2008, and investors have flocked to fixed income options in droves. Bonds are not flawless, so buyers should beware of the associated risks.

Dave Kansas, FiLife Editor at Large, just published The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It. We sat down with him to get his thoughts on what happened and what happens next.  FiLife: Wall Street "died" in the fall. But job cuts are hitting now at major companies. How are the two related? ...

Do you feel like your 401k is at ground zero? You're not alone.

In The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It, FiLife Editor at Large Dave Kansas looks back at the issues and circumstances that lead to the stock market crash of 2008.

There are many ways for an investor to buy gold. Gold ingots and exchange-traded funds are the most cost-effective. Gold coins with small premiums over their intrinsic value are useful for small investments in the metal.

Though money market accounts and money market mutual funds are both ways to save, the similarities stop there. Money market accounts are FDIC-insured deposit accounts. Money market funds are mutual funds with less protection than money market accounts.