Many rock stars have learned that money doesn't buy happiness, but raking in a bunch of loot and then and then losing it certainly can have you singing the blues.
The Mega Millions lottery drawing being held Tuesday night is now for a pot of an estimated $636 million, not far off from the record $656 million Mega Millions prize awarded in March 2012. If there's no winning ticket, then Friday's drawing could top $1 billion.
This time of year, with all the present buying, snow shoveling and family visiting, rarely do we have a moment to really think through that year-end bonus we hope is coming. But there are some important things you should know about your bonus—before you rely on it to cover the cost of all the gifts you just bought.
The U.S. economy, which has been slogging through a long, slow, tepid recovery for years following the Great Recession of 2007-2009, showed several positive signs this week, including higher-than-expected jobs numbers and GDP growth.