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February 22, 2013 They've been everywhere this week: dire warnings about threats posed by across-the-board federal spending cuts. But what's the real story? Here are the answers to four burning questions about the cuts known as "the sequester."

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February 19, 2013 Every month, the government sends out about 5 million paper checks to Americans who receive federal benefits. As of March 1, however, the Treasury Department is planning to make those checks a thing of the past. It's encouraging holdouts to move to direct deposit or a debit card.

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February 18, 2013 If you usually wait until April to file your taxes, you might want to hurry up — before identity thieves beat you to it. Using stolen names and Social Security numbers, these criminals file fake tax returns. This generates big, and fraudulent, refunds, before the real taxpayer gets around to filing.

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February 15, 2013 KCURGov. Sam Brownback plans to get rid of Kansas' income tax and cut the size of state government. Some lawmakers say it's a great experiment that will show that lower tax rates and streamlined bureaucracy can stimulate growth; others are concerned about overreaching.

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February 14, 2013 A combined company worth $11 billion would become the largest U.S. airline. By creating a robust route structure with hundreds of destinations on four continents, the two carriers may be able to attract more frequent fliers, improve service and boost revenues. But what will happen to fares is uncertain.

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February 13, 2013 President Obama is urging Congress to boost the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour. But other workers who make more than the minimum, currently at $7.25 an hour, could see their pay go up too as employers adjust their pay scales.

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February 12, 2013 Women are paid less than men, even when they're doing the same jobs. Here's where the wage gap is smallest — and largest.

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February 11, 2013 Does anyone make anything that beats a low-cost index fund? There are at least two short answers to this, which are (1) Don't ask me, and (2) No.

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February 6, 2013 They're getting hit with a double whammy: a spike in gas prices and smaller paychecks because a payroll tax break expired. That combination could dampen consumer spending, economists say.

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February 4, 2013 Where do our health care dollars go? Where does the money come from? And how has the picture changed over time?

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