A provision in President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget, recently submitted to Congress, would limit the aggregate balance of all your combined retirement accounts to “an amount needed to fund reasonable levels of compensation in retirement” currently identified as $205,000 per year, or an aggregate balance of $3.4 million. more

Who says lenders need to charge you a cash down payment when you take out a mortgage in this era of hyper-strict underwriting? more

Whether you know it or not, being a business owner also requires being a leader – especially if you have employees. If you don’t display good leadership skills, you won’t get the most from your employees, and your business will suffer. more

When it comes to using technology, one thing is clear: Small businesses that embrace it are growing faster than those that don’t. From mobile applications to social media, and cloud computing to data management, “new” ways of doing business centered around technology are taking hold and becoming the norm for millions of small and mid-sized firms nationwide. more

Ahh, the joys of self-employment – being your own boss, setting your own hours, doing what you like, and, oh yes, establishing a life-long bond with your accountant. Being self-employed also means being responsible for a wide range of critical tax-related duties. more

In our fast-paced, ever-changing business world, the notion of “prevention” – which generally means doing something you don’t absolutely have to do right now – often gets lost or set aside. But with so much riding on how smoothly things run at your business, that ounce of prevention can indeed far outweigh a pound of cure later on. more

Vicki Lee Blair, a 63-year-old former computer analyst from Westminster, Calif., had the surprise of her life. Blair went to a clinic seeking antidepressant medication. She said she was shocked when clinicians bombarded her with questions about a blood test in her file indicating thyroid problems and illegal drug use. more

How do you stack up as a potential mortgage candidate in this year’s increasingly tough underwriting environment? Do you have the right stuff – credit score, debt-to-income ratio, equity or down payment – to get you through the minefield? more

Slowly but surely, many business owners are realizing that Twitter is a terrific (and free) tool for a variety of business purposes, including marketing, customer service, branding and PR and generating leads. Those who use it effectively are generating traffic for their websites, building networks and getting closer to their customers. more

Measuring the ROI of social media? There’s a laugh, and a joke. more