Streetwise

On Monday, the stock market will take the day off to shake the confetti out of its hair. But on Tuesday, it'll be back to business as usual on Wall Street. Here are some of the items that will shape the first trading week of 2012.

When it launches next month, the Plastic Disclosure Project -- which surprisingly has strong backing from investors -- plans to expose corporations that are contributing to plastic waste when it launches next month.

A new study concludes that investors tend to buy annuities at the wrong times. Here's why making decisions based on recent market events -- like last week's stock-market crash -- can take a big toll on your retirement wealth.

With all the ups and downs in the stock market in the last week, it's not surprising that some investors have panicked. But we've also found examples of investors who have kept calm. Here are some of their secrets.

While the overall stock market has plunged, IBM has remained flat. What's its secret to stability? We take a look under the hood to figure out what makes it a safe-haven stock -- and what elements investors should look for as they seek out others.

As the creation of new jobs slows and layoffs continue, small businesses keep hiring. ADP is betting those companies will continue to buck the trend. It's setting up new services to capitalize on that growth.

Standard & Poor's downgraded the U.S. debt rating for the first time on Friday. Coming on top of concerns of a second recession, the move has investors worried that we're headed into a bear market for stocks. Here's what that would look like.