Shirley M. Mueller, M.D.

In 2009, $9.5 billion was transferred from investor's accounts to their brokerage houses for 12b-1 fees, and most of the time the client-investor didn't know it was happening.

Not only is Amman, Jordan the gateway to the three official UNESCO National Heritage sites, but you're just as likely to find a Bedouin village on the outskirts as enjoy a shopping mall.

Lessening adverse cognitive aging effects on investment decisions.

As most doctors know, an upset patient will tell 10 others. One way for a doctor to reduce patient annoyance is to make patients feel that he/she cares. This starts before the patient is seen, even while she is in the waiting and examination room.

Research shows some individuals view an unsuccessful attempt to harm another person as more permissible than the majority. This research is particularly timely today when many people think that a lack of moral judgment played importantly into our recent financial crises.

One economist's interpretation of the hazards investors don't understand about financial products, hedge funds, private equity and more.

No matter how good of a money manager someone thinks he is, much of stock market performance can be attributed something outside of an investor's control.

Financial decisions made with input from both men and women have better outcomes, so you can use your marriage to your advantage.

A class reunion reveals faulty memories, missing classmates and a great deal of changes; but it was still a visit to a time in the past.

Studies show that there is a difference between "normal" people and those who seem to lack morals and empathy.

White collar crimes are difficult to fight because the defendants are usually powerful people. Look what happened to one successful and infamous crusader against white collar crime.

401K expenses are making headlines again now that a lawsuit filed in 2006 by ABB employees in Kansas City, Mo. regarding losses in their 401K plans is now in trial. If successful, the U.S. Department of Labor, which has recently approved new rules for fee disclosure, may go even further in insisting greater transparency for the 401K process.

When the stock market is falling and moral fiber seems to be near rock bottom (see Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dominique Kahn-Strauss), it is pleasant to transfer one's thoughts to a subject that is uplifting. This is indeed the case with the current exhibit, "Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore," at the Jewish Museum in New York City.

On the face of it, selling some stocks with big gains now seems reasonable. The stock market is toppy. Housing, on the other hand, just seems to be going lower. For some, this begs the question: Should I sell some stock, buy a depreciated house and rent it out? Here's a great calculator that does the math for you.

Estate planning can be tricky in this volatile political and economic environment, but one thing is almost certain: In December 2012, the current $5 million federal gift-tax exemption for individuals will likely be reduced to $1 million or even less. Failing to take advantage of this short-lived tax break could impact your relatives substantially.

Reviewing a book that is not-so-hot off the press can be beneficial. This is the case with "This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly," by Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff. However, I must tell you that navigating the book is similar to the underwater snorkeling trail at Truck Bay in St. John, the Virgin Islands.

Testosterone levels have been directly associated with risk-taking behavior in multiple studies. For example, when trial lawyers who take courtroom risks are compared to non-trial lawyers, they have higher testosterone levels. Now, a new study shows we have to rethink our concept about testosterone and risk taking when it comes to making economic decisions.

The unrest in the Middle East is happening for a variety of reasons -- and leaders throwing lavish celebrations, among other excesses, while their citizens suffer financial hardships is one of them. Leaders in Jordan, widely seen as the steady force for level-headiness in its region, may soon learn this lesson.

If unrest continues in the Middle East, a disruption of oil supply could lead to a worldwide recession. Saudi Arabia could save the globe from that fate. Whether or not its King Abdullah and his family can contain calls for political change in his country is anybody's bet. For Americans, the best we can hope for is that not too much happens too soon.

I sometimes seem to be better at knowing what to do than I am at doing it. This is a common human foible, one that costs even the smartest among us money. Though there is no such thing as easy money, re-allocating investments in your portfolio is the next best thing. It just takes fighting human nature, that tendency we all have toward complacency. Here's how.

Momentum investors, who trade on the theory that high-performing stocks continue to soar for a period of time, have a lot in common with big wave surfers. Both often incur high costs in search of riding the "big wave," and both have a greater chance of wiping out when the wave gets the best of them.

Many financial advisors ignore tax efficiency when investing, and their clients end up paying more taxes than they should. Last week, I addressed the importance of investing the right types of securities in tax-advantaged savings accounts. In the second of my two-part series on minimizing taxes, we'll look at investing in taxable accounts.

Advice from financial experts are as varied as the types of investments they suggest -- and all too often, few pay attention to the tax consequences when making their recommendations. This week, I'll cover the pros and cons of common investment advice for tax-advantaged accounts.

Studies on managed mutual funds show that less than 20% regularly beat unmanaged benchmark indexes. So why pay money-management expenses that can average 1.5% to 2.0% for performance that rarely beats the benchmark? The easiest way to guarantee performance over the long-term is to keep your investment expenses contained.

A soon-to-be-released study shows that women and men approach financial decision-making differently, in part because of their brain function. The data suggest that differences in financial choices between the genders may not be solely to do the disparate ways boys and girls are raised – a common explanation.

The stock market is nearly double its level of March 2009, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average returning to highs not seen since the Dot-Com bubble. Investors seem upbeat and encouraged about the outlook for the U.S. economy for the first time in years. Still, not everyone is in on the fun -- and some are wondering whether they can still join in on the festivities. Is it too late? Hard to say, but here are some investments to limit your risk either way.

A study of Swedish twins found evidence that financial risk-taking is hereditary. As we know, the willingness to take on too much risk can be detrimental to your wealth. To find out whether you've inherited a high risk tolerance, or adopted a conservative streak, take this quiz.

In order to glean a better yield than my discount broker's bank account provided, I searched for and found higher-yielding savings accounts at smaller banks. So I decided to switch. It took a bit of time, especially for the transfer of the money between banks, but I thought it was worth it. I don't think so anymore.

A global financial-services firm plans to bring the concept of investing in art to the not-super-wealthy investor. Art adds diversification to an investment portfolio in that it has low correlation with stocks -- meaning, when stocks go up or down, art does not necessarily follow.

Emotions tend to guide our financial decisions -- often leading us to make mistakes with money. But studies show that embracing your emotions when making financial decisions can sometimes be helpful. Example: If you feel like you're being ripped off, you probably are.