Blog Posts by CNBC

By Cindy Perman, CNBC.com

With the crush of layoffs during the recession, it was easy to play the old "you're lucky to have a job" card. Now, as the economy starts to sputter back, you're going to have to come up with some new material - or you're going to have a mutiny on your hands.

No boss wants to see this flying in front of company headquarters when they drive into work in the morning, amiright? The employees left standing have been overworked for several years now, carrying the weight of both their job and the employees that were laid off, leaving the current workforce with a serious case of fatigue.

When times are tough or companies are going through big changes, they rely the most on their top employees. These "recession work-horses" are some of the employees that are most fatigued right now, said Mark Vaughn, a senior partner at Navint Partners, a management-consulting firm that works with a lot of financial firms.

[Related: Jobs for Loners]

"Every company relies on their top 20 percent," Vaughn said. "And the best [employees] are always at the most risk of leaving - certainly in good

By Jessica Naziri, CNBC.com

Divorce. Your world is falling apart emotionally and financially. Even if you saw it coming, you were unaware of the financial ramifications.

Lawyers' fees vary widely, based on location and reputation. Circumstances - duration of the marriage, income and earning capacity - can all determine the outcome.

What's more, laws vary widely from state to state, affecting alimony and child-care judgments. In some states - Florida, for example - alimony can be lifelong, if the marriage lasted at least 20 years. In Texas, alimony is limited to three years and a maximum of $5,000 a month, regardless of the length of the union.

With so much at stake, it's important to be prepared. Treat divorce "like a business deal," says Jeff Landers, a divorce financial strategist and founder of Bedrock Divorce Advisors . "It can easily be one of the most important in your life."

Here are 10 tips from Landers for avoiding hardship during divorce.

See the full slideshow: 10 Tips

By Jane Wells, CNBC.com

Dude, did your mother write that sign?Remember when we were young, a million years ago, and we couldn't wait to leave home and strike out on our own?

Two things have changed.

Our children can't find jobs.

Our children can find jobs, but they don't like them.

My daughter is about to graduate college and is in the midst of applying for full-time work. I'm not worried. She's worked since high school, and she actually juggled two jobs plus internships and a full class load this final year. The idea of living at home repulses her because of my cooking and her father's rules, both great incentives to finding her own way in the world.

The good news is that more than half of recent college graduates say they have full-time jobs, according to Adecco's 2012 Graduation Survey.

Still, about that same number claims parents are covering some of their living expenses, things like cell phone bills, internet access, food, and health coverage. Two percent of these college grads say their parents are footing

By Shelly K. Schwartz, CNBC.com

The cost of raising a child from birth to age 17 has surged 25 percent over the last 10 years. Your little bundle of joy is going to require a wad of cash.

The cost of raising a child from birth to age 17 has surged 25 percent over the last 10 years, due largely to the rising cost of groceries and medical care, according to the Department of Agriculture, which tracks annual expenditures on children by families.

The government's most recent annual report reveals a middle-income family with a child born in 2010 can expect to spend roughly $227,000 for food, shelter and other expenses necessary to raise that child - $287,000 when you factor in projected inflation.

And, no, the bill does not include the cost of college or anything related to the pregnancy and delivery.
"If you sat down to tally up the total cost of having children, you'd never have them," says Timothy Knotts, a father of four and a certified financial planner with The Hogan-Knotts Financial Group in Red Bank N.J. "It's a very expensive adventure."

Talk about a life-changing

By Elizabeth Alterman, CNBC.com

19 percent of 18,000 newly married couples surveyed employed a wedding planner. When it comes to planning a wedding, no bride wants to run up additional expenses, but what if the single add-on of a wedding planner could point you in the right direction for everything from florists to photographers?

Planners can also run interference between the couple and opinionated relatives while simultaneously averting potential disasters on the big day.
According to TheKnot.com & WeddingChannel.com 2011 Real Weddings Study, 19 percent of 18,000 newly married couples surveyed employed a wedding planner.

That number has held steady since 2008, says Anja Winikka, editor of The Knot.com, who points out that hiring a planner doesn't need to be an "all-or-nothing" experience.

While some planners can supply a bride with everything but the groom, many also offer partial-planning services as well as day-of coordination. Fees, depending on location and level of involvement, can range from $250 to more than $15,000, industry experts say.

Wedding

By Katie Little, CNBC.com

Classic American comfort food is going high tech at one California restaurant chain.

A customer browses the menu offerings at a Stacked restaurant in California. At its three locations, Stacked Restaurants offers customers the opportunity to craft their meals and then pay for them on iPads - an amenity that is catching on among restaurant operators across the country.

At Stacked, diners can choose to stack their burgers, pizzas, salads, and plates of macaroni and cheese with a range of toppings.

It's a simple concept, but the ordering process can become unwieldy. Paul Montenko, the chain's co-founder, said he and his partner began to think of alternative methods that would equip diners with a way to pick among the numerous combinations without holding up the line.

"If it was a fast-casual restaurant where you go up to a counter and order from a cashier, there were too many choices," he said. "It would be cumbersome at the least - frustrating and stressful at the worst."
Instead, the company invested in 230 iPads at a cost of more

By Courtney Reagan, CNBC.com

It might be time for the consumer lexicon to change. Retailers usually refer to shoppers as "she," but turns out, men are out-shopping women online.

Nearly half of these wealthy men spend more than $4,000 a year online. According to digital performance company iProspect, there are 19 million affluent men online, and the vast majority of them are shopping. Nearly half of these wealthy men spend more than $4,000 a year online.
Luxury menswear and accessories are leading the growth trend. Seventy percent of affluent men prefer to both research and buy online, with more than a quarter of them making purchases weekly. (Sorry ladies, but 84 percent of these guys are buying for themselves.)

Chris Ventry, the general manager of Gilt Groupe's GiltMan, tells CNBC the growth rate of men shopping online has outpaced women, and guys are outspending the ladies by 20 percent to 30 percent.
Megan Grant, senior vice president of Marketing for Kiehl's, tells CNBC its men's business online has doubled that of its stores.

These men expect a

By Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC.com

Here it comes, Mother's Day, the second biggest gifting holiday on the calendar behind Christmas.
Here it comes, Mother's Day. This year, consumers are expected to stretch their budgets to show Mom the love.

Consumers are expected to spend an average of $152.52 on Mother's Day gifts, up about 8 percent from $140.73 last year, according to a survey conducted by BigInsight on behalf of retail industry trade group, the National Retail Federation. Total spending should reach $18.6 billion.

"Despite grappling with high gas prices, Americans will look for sentimental and unique ways to shower mom with affection this year," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

According to the NRF survey, consumers will spoil mom with special meals, clothing, electronics, flowers and more. Flowers and dining out are two of the more popular ways to celebrate, with two-thirds (66.4 percent) buying flowers, and more than half going out to dinner or brunch.

Nearly one-third will treat mom to a