It happens every year: As soon as consumers begin gathering their tax information, tax preparation companies begin trying to talk them into taking out costly loans against any refunds they might...

Consider this the next time you see a teenager take a drag on a cigarette: Your state government likely has a financial stake in that kid continuing to smoke. And quite possibly, so does your...

It's the empty houses, stupid. In case anyone has forgotten the core of the current economic crisis, here's a reminder: empty homes, both present and future. Empty homes are behind all the supposedly worthless mortgage-backed securities that no one w...

Hate hidden fees and other “gotchas” from credit cards and banks? You have until Aug. 4 to sound off about it. In May, the Federal Reserve proposed a sweeping set of rule changes that would ban a wide set of consumer-unfriendly bank practices.