Count me out of the “Financial Independence/Retire Early” movement. I can’t imagine retiring in your 30s or 40s brings happiness or life satisfaction. Worse, the claims of the FIRE proponents do not work well for helping the average person manage their finances. Instead, they tend to be grossly…

Out of the destruction of the postwar economies, came the rise of the economists. This is the tale that journalist Binyamin Appelbaum, this week's guest on Masters in Business, chronicles in his new book, "The Economists’ Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society." First in…

The first time we discussed the UK leaving the European Union (EU), the momentum looked like it was behind Team Exit. But the Brexit negotiations proved problematic, in part due to the oversimplified promises made during the lead-up to the referendum vote. Then, the last time we discussed Brexit…

It’s the time of the year when we are barraged with lists: Stocks to buy, books to read, explanations of why the bad choices made in the past year will work out better next year. And, the forecasts, so many forecasts. Worst of all are the horrible suggestions for New Year’s resolutions. Rather…

Ralph Scamardella, this week’s guest on Masters in Business, began at the bottom of the restaurant industry, washing dishes. He persisted, working his way up to assistant chef to head chef. He cooked at legendary venues like the Plaza Hotel’s French restaurant and at Polo under superchef Daniel…

Which of these two scenarios describes the US economy? No. 1. The economy is better than ever: The stock market is near a record high, wages are rising, there are more job openings than applicants, household wealth has hit a record, gross domestic product is growing briskly, house values have…

One of the most intriguing aspects of the 2007-09 financial crisis is how little understanding there is of what actually occurred. Some of this has to do with the complexities of the event, as well as how hard it is to identify forces lurking below the surface that had built up over the years. …