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Cut Your 2018 Investing Tax Bill 03/27/2018 08:00pm • The new tax law has upended tax planning for investors. With 2018's higher standard deduction, fewer tax brackets and new tax treatments for some, now is the time to prepare to cut next year's investing tax bill. Here's the Cliffs Notes version of the new tax law. There are fewer tax brackets -- re 10 Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund 03/27/2018 08:00pm • P is for practical.Hotly anticipating your tax refund? Before you splurge on that Jacuzzi you've always wanted or pile items into your virtual shopping cart, do yourself a favor: Hit pause, and consider finding a practical use for your money. What's practical, of course, is relative to your circumst New taxes on Airbnb stays in Alexandria 03/27/2018 06:03pm • ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Residents in one Virginia city who rent out their homes through the short-term rental service Airbnb will have to start charging hotel occupancy taxes. The Washington Post reports that Airbnb and the city of Alexandria, a northern Virginia suburb of the nation's capital, Metro will celebrate birthday with a step toward new dedicated tax dollars 03/27/2018 04:47am • WASHINGTON – Maryland is set to take a significant step Tuesday toward providing new dedicated funding for Metro, as the rail system marks 42 years since the first stations opened. The Maryland Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee is set to hear the state’s Metro funding bill Tuesday afte 'Time is running out': Md. governor wants lawmakers to do more before end of session 03/26/2018 09:16pm • ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he is pleased with some of the progress made during the General Assembly session in Annapolis. State lawmakers passed — and Hogan already signed — a bill that would terminate a rapist's parental rights. And both chambers in the Maryland Genera 5 Retirement Fees You Should Never Pay 03/26/2018 08:00pm • Retirement benefits often have complicated rules, and it's easy to trigger fees. However, those who carefully follow the rules will be able to accumulate a bigger retirement account balance and get more money from Social Security. Here are some retirement penalties you can avoid with careful plannin 5 Pointers for Picking Insurance Stocks 03/26/2018 08:00pm • Rising interest rates and bond returns may be a boon for investors in the insurance industry in the coming years, experts say. That's because the sector's heavy regulation requires insurance companies to invest conservatively to have funds available to pay claims. Low returns from bonds and banks o How Much House Can I Afford? 03/26/2018 08:00pm • Whether you're a first-time homebuyer or a veteran house hunter, determining how much you can afford to spend on a new property isn't always simple. You can use online tools and consult a lender or mortgage broker for guidance, but the best approach is to take a close look at your own financial situ Commentary: Populism Is the Opium of the People 03/26/2018 08:00pm • The Italian elections this month produced a clear winner: populism. The two populist parties, the Five Star Movement and the League, garnered just a hair more than half of the vote. Even though the League has said it likely wouldn't form a coalition government with the Five Star Movement, (and vice- How to Grow a Portfolio With Green Bonds 03/26/2018 08:00pm • In the bond investment biosphere, the word "green" conjures images of raking in the dough. But for those intent on turning over the soil as well as turning a profit, or profiting the environment at large, green bonds have literally grown into an investment of choice. "Many types of green projects ha Debate Builds Over Mounting Student Loan Debt in the U.K. 03/25/2018 08:00pm • LONDON -- Ruth Sparks says her hope after spending three years at Cardiff University earning a bachelor's degree in psychology was a career in academia as a researcher while working on postgraduate degrees. But no one would hire her as a researcher without at least a master's degree, says Sparks, w Where High-Yield Bonds Can Fit in a Portfolio 03/25/2018 08:00pm • Income-oriented investors hungry for higher yield have long been lured to the wild side, and high-yield bonds are always beckoning. Sometimes "junk" bonds pay off with handsome interest earnings. Other times investors are hammered by falling bond prices or defaults. Today's conditions are a head scr 4 Steps to Spring-Clean Your Portfolio 03/25/2018 08:00pm • Your investment portfolio and your closet have more in common than you think. They both represent your personal taste, for better or worse. They're full of purchases you justified as "investments." They both cost you time and money to build. And both require regular maintenance unless you want to h 6 Ways to Study Law Online 03/25/2018 08:00pm • You may not be able to earn an American Bar Association-accredited J.D. completely online, but there are many ways to accelerate a legal career through online courses and programs. Here are six options that include everything from LSAT prep to virtual career training. 1. Free and low-cost online c Facebook, Inc. (FB) User Engagement Falls After Data Scandal 03/25/2018 08:00pm • Facebook, Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) is fighting to save its reputation following the Cambridge Analytica data scandal that weighed heaviliy on FB stock last week, but a new survey from Baird suggests the company's user engagement may have already taken a hit from the scandal. "As a follow-up to our January