Lifestyle

The median family practitioner retires with a net worth of $2.5 million and the average cardiologist has $5.2 million. Although these numbers may qualify doctors as being "rich" among some people's perceptions, most physicians would say they sure don't feel or act rich.

A weaker-than-expected jobs reports may put a damper on the recent stock-market rally. We'll be closely watching the last hour of trading Friday to see if recent technical indicators that point to a continuation of the rally are correct.

Second-quarter earnings moved stocks this week, with Pfizer, Allergan, Ariad Pharmaceuticals and Curis all posting results. Jazz Pharmaceuticals shares rose ahead of an FDA panel vote on its fibromyalgia drug later this month.

How do you make up for billions of dollars in lost revenue? When you're a credit-card issuer, you get creative -- and aggressive. Here are some of the new tricks and traps card companies are using to generate more fees, and how to avoid them.

A number of policies will change in the coming years by new rules under consideration by the federal government, including Medicare pay cuts, electronic prescription fines and incentives, wellness visits, and more.

Complaints about healthcare products and services were one of the Top 10 consumer complaints of 2009. Consumers reported healthcare providers for things such as misleading claims, unlicensed practitioners, long wait times and failure to deliver promised services.

A reader asks if I have any thoughts on the pluses and minuses of using a "brand" instead of an individual physician name when naming a practice. The question goes to the heart of what your medical practice or physician business is all about -- and what your plans are for its future.

New "hybrid" long-term care insurance policies offer the benefits normally associated with an annuity or life insurance, plus protection against long-term care expenses. Even better: Funds distributed from these policies are now tax-free.

A new report by the AMA found that gender, medical specialty and practice ownership all play key roles in how frequently a doctor is sued. One example: Male doctors are twice as likely to be sued than female physicians.

Increasingly, financial-planning firms are targeting physicians offering specialized services. One reader asks what he should look for when choosing one.

How to develop a strategic action plan that will boost operating efficiencies in your practice, plug up profit "leaks" and improve your quality of life.

Major U.S. indexes saw their best close since May Monday, boosted by upbeat economic data and bank earnings out of Europe. Increasing confidence in Europe's economy and financial system and easing concerns about China's economy are fueling the gains.

Patients kept waiting due to delays in a physician's schedule is a recurring problem -- but it's a problem that one doctor is attempting to fix with a new Web-based tool that helps doctors and patients better manage their time.

Thinking about planning a trip to Australia? Our seasoned travel columnists offer their best suggestions on three great places to visit on your first trip to the Land Down Under.

More than eight out of 10 doctors said their practice revenue has declined as a result of Medicare's elimination of the use of inpatient and outpatient consultation codes, a recent survey shows.

The dog days of August have arrived, and that means state sales-tax holidays aren't far behind. Aimed at back-to-school shoppers, sales-tax holidays are designed to lure more consumers into retail outlets and encourage them to spend more. Some 15 states are planning to hold sales-tax holidays this month.

I'm appalled to think of all the talent, education and experience "going to waste" simply because the medical community hasn't come up with a decent work-from-home or work-part-time solution for highly intelligent, highly schooled women who are forced out of their professions in order to have a life.

Having no friends or family can be as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic, a new study shows. The data also found that having a lack of social connections can be an even greater threat to your health than obesity.

Join Ken Rubinstein, senior partner at the law firm of Rubinstein and Rubinstein, LLP, in a live Webinar on August 11 to discuss asset-protection strategies that can be 100 percent effective -- and serve to discourage future lawsuits.

Genzyme's shares leaped after Sanofi's board authorized its chief executive to bid up to $70 per share for the drug maker, though Genzyme may hold out for as much as $75 per share. A slew of biotechs reported earnings, and upbeat clinical trial data boosted some stocks.

With great fanfare, General Motors unveiled the $41,000 sticker price for the Chevy Volt, its much-hyped extended-range electric sedan -- or about $8,000 more than the all-electric Nissan Leaf, which will list for $32,780. Are they worth the cost?

Fewer consumers with health insurance are visiting the doctor, but there's a debate over whether the decline is a result of high unemployment, rising insurance copays and deductibles, or a longer-term change in the way people access healthcare.

More doctors, including yours truly, are avoiding Medicare patients, not just because of pay cuts but because you need to be a master coder to get fully reimbursed. And a crucial factor that isn't often mentioned in the debate over doctor pay is that senior patients take far more time per visit -- time that is not money.

A new physician survey puts the cost of defensive medicine at between a quarter to a third of total U.S. healthcare spending each year, a sharply higher amount than previous estimated.

A recent analysis of recruiting trends for hospital systems and medical groups indicates that hiring of physicians is expected to grow this year. One study found that 18 percent of the 270 healthcare employers surveyed planned to increase the number of full-time permanent employees, up from 15 percent last year.

While the summer temperature is soaring, the prices of consumer products are not. The last three months saw a decrease in the cost of durable goods, which suggests deflation -- a scenario where purchases cost less. In this environment, "safe money" is a smart investment.

Was your undergraduate degree worth the cost? Pay-information website PayScale ranked 852 colleges and universities by their annual return on investment, to show parents and students what they get back for the investment they make in higher learning.

In the fifth and last in a series on the many wonders of small ship cruising through South East Alaska, our travel columnists visit Sitka, Alaska -- home of a bald eagle sanctuary.