So many workers live paycheck to paycheck, and this has led to the proliferation of payday loans. Unfortunately, these high-interest loans are a terrible burden on workers.

A new startup called Immediate wants workers to be able to get access to their wages before payday if they have an immediate need such as an emergency bill. The difference is that Immediate will charge a small flat fee instead of a high-interest loan, providing an important service to workers.

If you listen to the financial press, as a beginner you might be tempted to think that making money is about investing in the right stocks, rapid trading, spending countless hours glued to your computer and obsessing about what is happening in the markets. In reality, the secret to boosting your funds in the stock market lies in owning and holding securities and benefiting from their increase in value.

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Before anybody can embark on the great dream of purchasing a home, they need to start saving for a deposit. While having a budget is definitely an important part of the process, having a solid savings and financial plan in place ensures that first homebuyers are able to not only reach their goals, but afford them for many years to come. Read on to find out how having a savings plan could help get you in your first home sooner.

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Messages at work? No wonder Google is #1 on Fortune’s list of the 100 best companies to work for.

Rank: 1
Previous rank: 1
2011 revenue ($ millions): $37,905

What makes it so great?
The Internet juggernaut takes the Best Companies crown for the fourth time, and not just for the 100,000 hours of free massages it doled out in 2012. New this year are three wellness centers and a seven-acre sports complex, which includes a roller hockey rink; courts for basketball, bocce, and shuffle ball; and horseshoe pits.

Check out the rest of the list.

Should these benefits like messages be taxed? I don’t think so.

With the election over, it will be interesting to see how the equal pay debate that produced the infamous “binders full of women” phrase from Mitt Romney will evolve. There are all sorts of opinions on this issue regarding how to make things fair, but many argue that women have to take control of their own situations and learn how to advocate for their own salaries. Meanwhile, government has to enforce equal pay laws on the books.