Finance & Economy

There’s a lot of talk these days both on the street and in the news that the United States is poised to enter a season of inflation. Some insist that things are so economically serious we need to get prepared for “runaway inflation.” Inflation is, by definition, “a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.”

Banks have taken big financial hits over the past year, in part because of the subprime mortgage meltdown. Now they are scrambling to recapture their losses.

If you own a credit card, you know that the issuer of that card can do as it wants with your account. Millions of cardholders have witnessed just how much control the issuer has, from arbitrarily increasing interest rates to slashing credit limits.

If you have money in an Individual Retirement Account, or an IRA rollover account, you’ll be faced with a big financial decision next year. Should you convert your current IRA, on which you’ll pay taxes when you withdraw the money, into a tax-free Roth IRA?

People are seeking refuge from the volatility of the stock market by switching to bond funds.

The allure of gold is nothing new. Throughout the centuries, gold has held a fascination that comes not only from its beauty (hold a gold coin in your hand, and you’ll see what I mean), but also from its truly limited supply.