Amanda Smith is a freelance journalist and writer. She reports on culture, society, human interest and technology. Her stories hold a mirror to society, reflecting both its malaise and its beauty.

You don't need a lot of time, money or knowledge to put your money to work for you in the stock market: Robo-advisors use data and algorithms to automatically invest on your behalf, based on your ...

If you're just easing into investing, many brokerages offer free stock-trading apps to get you started. The best ones offer zero-commission trading, no or low account minimums and diverse investment ...

If you’re paying a monthly fee for your checking account, you’re losing money you could be holding onto. There are plenty of checking accounts out there that don’t charge monthly fees, or that make it ...