The IRS has posted the mileage rates for businesses and charities for the second half of 2008.

Bespoke Investment Group released their world market capitalization numbers.  The US now only makes up less than 30% of the world equity market capitalization. The change is mostly due to gains in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and oil producing countries.

For the visually inclined, here is a site that uses heat maps to show all kinds of market characteristics. Make sure to check out the world heat map and the different equity characteristics.

Cameron Huddleston gives a nice overview for first time home owners on all the expenses homeownership entails besides the monthly mortgage payment. Insurance Property Taxes Utilities Appliances Furniture Home Repair and Maintenance Yard care Pest control Remodeling

When long term care policies are sold, people are reassured that the premiums will be stable.  But they often forget this is not a guarantee and if the insurance company discovers they have underpriced a product for a class of people the premium will go up. I have actually been impressed that John Hancock (Manulife) [...]

The New York Times has put together a great calculator for comparing the economics of buying versus selling a home. Don’t miss the advanced settings in the upper right.  They will allow you to change all kinds of assumptions from transaction costs, to maintenance costs and others.