Your Money

By Daniel Eisenberg

Bad for Lungs and Wallets

A costly habit may get costlier. A $206 billion agreement reached between the tobacco industry and state attorneys general, who had sued to recoup Medicaid costs, could lift the price of a cigarette pack by about 40[cents] over five years (vs. $1.10 under an earlier proposal). But perhaps your kids will save a bundle--if tobacco firms fulfill a pledge not to promote their products to young people.

Women Earn Bottom at Top

More women may be climbing to the top of the corporate ladder, but they're still not making as much as their male colleagues. Female executives earn just 68% of male salaries, a wider wage gap than in the work force as a whole, according to a report out last week from the Catalyst organization. Careers that compensate more equitably are nursing, computer science and finance.

Late Card Charges Add Up

Credit-card holders who let their monthly bills collect dust are paying a high price for tardiness. That's the conclusion of a new Consumer Action study, which shows that banks have increased late fees 75% since 1995, to $21 on average. To avoid stiff penalties, according to Bank Rate Monitor, try a local credit union or a low-fee national lender like Cleveland's Metropolitan Savings Bank or Chicago's Pullman Bank & Trust.

--By Daniel Eisenberg