I happened to catch an episode of Shark Tank for the first time this weekend.   This reality television show has some great lessons for entrepreneurs. If you haven’t seen  this show before, it’s basically American Idol for the small business owner.  Entrepreneurs get to pitch...

Be careful of the rhetoric coming out of Washington about how small business will pull unemployment and the economy out of trouble.   The belief of our politicians is that more liberal bank requirements will somehow result in loans trickling down to small business and thereby opening  a...

Here’s the quick answer: You should refinance now because rates are at an all time low.  If rates do go lower, you can always refinance. Now the long version. Despite low mortgage rates recently, some homeowners may have been sitting on the fence waiting for rates to go lower or if you...

Stop obsessing about your credit score.  Don’t pay for those services to monitor them or get a number.   Relax, ignore the scare-based tactics.   Your credit score depends on who pulls the report and how.  This is the secret the credit score industry doesn’t want you to...

The Federal Reserve’s most recent Beige Book, their report on the country’s current economic activities, acknowledges what you–the astute Money and Risk reader–already know: the economic recovery is slowing. Here are some highlights from the report: *    Housing...