We received a fascinating email in response to last week's installment of Tuesday's Tool$, an online 'game' called "Spent." Yan wrote: That wasn't a game, that was more like a questionnaire. (Note: I live in Asia) I still have…

By Elizabeth Shell

A roundup of arts headlines.

Question: How did the dollar volume of U.S. mortgages get to be such a huge dollar problem? Did derivatives do that? Why are investment banks allowed to bet 34 dollars for only one they have? Paul Solman: First, a word…

Question/Comment: Can you help explain how commodity exchanges and “commodity futures” and “index futures” work? Apparently both some members of Congress, and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, are looking into how speculators affect oil and food prices. As the typical…

By Business Desk