Special Reports

It’s no secret that many members of Congress can claim the title of “millionaire.” In fact, over half of all members of Congress are worth at least $1 million, which is eye-opening when compared to the...

Wall Street, the beating financial heart of the US stock market, is a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and investment. But who really runs Wall Street? Is the US financial system overseen by the firms and funds that...

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the world used gold standards for its monetary systems. Sometimes, this was in the form of physical gold coins that were circulated through the economy. The rise of...

In the hills south of Louisville, Kentucky, there is a famous Army base called Fort Knox. There’s also a nearby government building called the United States Bullion Depository–not the same place. Public...

One of the plainest examples of the US federal system at work is emissions standards. There are essentially two standards for vehicle emissions in the US: federally mandated standards that all states follow and the...

Whenever you’re checking out different bank accounts or looking into switching banks, you might see the phrase “FDIC insured.” If you’ve ever wondered what that actually means, then you’re not alone. Let’s take a closer...

The US government issues everyone a Social Security number. It’s critically important that you keep your number a secret from everyone because it’s very easy for criminals to commit identity fraud if they access your...

Much of the world of banking and financial planning has completely moved to the internet. From simple things like buying groceries to complex financial tasks like investing in the stock market, more money changes hands...