Reaction to Rupert Murdoch's $5.6 billion takeover of the Dow Jones Co. and The Wall Street Journal is a reminder of how highly businesspeople value the venerable news organization.

Since the turn of the millennium, real estate has become one of the fastest growing investment sectors, not just in the United States but globally as well. But as much as we would like to think otherwise, there's considerable risk involved in real estate investing.

The auditing and reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act — effective since 2004 for larger and midsize corporations and yet to take hold for the smallest companies — have triggered complaints about the costs and questions about the effectiveness of the law.

The allure of a star is nearly irresistible, and mutual fund investors are not immune. Investors are drawn to mutual fund families that boast a stellar performer, and the less luminous funds in the family benefit from a spillover effect resulting from their proximity to the headliner.

Tax amnesties, which have been offered in 35 states and the District of Columbia since the 1980s, are enjoying a wave of popularity. Data from the Federation of Tax Administrators show that since 2000, states have offered 35 tax amnesty programs.

Multinational corporations, including some of the icons of American business, routinely cut tax liability through pricing schemes.

For the last 30 years, especially during elections, investors have speculated about the apparent link between stock market behavior and the U.S. presidential election cycle. To the observer, returns seem to be higher during the second half of a president's term than the first.

From business schools to baseball batters, we use rankings to determine who's the best. Investors, too, look to rankings to assess the performance of financial professionals.

Legislative pressure is requiring corporate America to set its financial house in order, creating an uptick in demand for accounting professionals. Business schools respond by retooling accountancy programs for the post-Enron era.