The United States is home to more than 33 million businesses, the vast majority of which are small businesses, with millions being created (and others closing shop) every year. These businesses often rely on loans, provide the goods and services that keep the economy flowing, and sometimes even grow large enough to enter public markets or provide private investment opportunities. Explore key topics central to business and finance, from the role of the Federal Reserve to how initial public offerings work, how millions of American students finance higher education, and more.
Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.
Do you know Airbnb’s founders used cereal (yes, as in the breakfast food) to secure their initial round of funding? Or that PayPal’s founders once gave out free money to get people to sign up for the platform? These stories might be crazy, but they’re not uncommon.
In 1908, Harvard launched the first modern MBA—and only admitted male candidates. The first full-year traditional female MBA students wouldn’t enroll at Harvard until 1963. Learn more about the history of the first women to receive their MBAs on Harvard’s website.
Typists and word processors have a projected employment change of roughly negative 36.1% between 2024 and 2034, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Telephone operators, data entry keyers, and other occupations will likely see reduced employment opportunities as well.
This article from 2016 is a time capsule of sorts. It includes an interview with the person who coined the term “girlboss,” Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso, that took place just after she appeared on the cover of Forbes magazine. We now know that her company would go on to file for bankruptcy the next year.
MBA specializations allow students to concentrate on a specific field during their studies. Other popular concentrations include marketing, entrepreneurship, and consulting. Learn more about MBA specializations in this article.
During “Railway Mania,” speculative excitement pushed British rail shares to extreme valuations as investors chased rapid expansion. When costs ballooned and profits failed to materialize, the bubble collapsed in 1847—wiping out fortunes across the country.
From a counterfeiting and forgery perspective, this makes the $1 bill one of the least secure American banknotes. In this video, the Wall Street Journal sits down with a leading currency expert to explore the techniques used to keep cash safe and figure out what's going on with the $1 bill.
A mortality table is a diagram that helps predict a specific population’s likelihood of death within a particular time period. Life insurance companies often use them to help figure out pricing for their insurance products. They’re sometimes known as actuarial tables or life tables.
Founded in 1982, E-Trade was the first-ever online brokerage, pioneering a method of investing that is common today. Its story is part of a timeline that the New York Times put together of key moments in early fintech history.
In a podcast episode, Garry Tan—CEO of startup accelerator Y Combinator—speaks about how YC has a better track record than the rest of Silicon Valley at placing bets on startups. Learn how Tan earned his first million dollars, as well as lessons from other successful businesspeople, including Y Combinator’s Paul Graham.