Life is hard enough without having to decipher everything. Each week, Marketplace Money brings you a word or a phrase that has bubbled to the top of the news. For instance – "Pretexting." You hear it, you see it, but do you really know it?

Our economics editor Chris Farrell answers your burning money questions. This week, advice on: collecting Social Security, consolidating student loans, and accessing a credit report.

Hedge funds aren't for the rich anymore; average investors are putting cash into these risky ventures. But it's been hard to know just *how* risky hedge funds actually are… until now. Kai talks with Forbes' Paul Maidment.

Everyone wants to impress their boss. Our own Jane Lindholm takes us on her journey to score brownie points. No ticket needed. But you might want to power up your computer.

You've cut up your credit cards. You've paid down some of the debt. How do you rebuild your financial life? Kai talks with MSN's Liz Pulliam Weston.

The new pension bill gives employers the power to automatically enroll workers in 401(k) plans. That means employees need to be more pro-active. Ross Levin is the President of Accredited Investors, Inc. He provides a checklist of what you need to know.

Foreclosures are up 40 percent nationwide this year. Buying discounted real estate is another way to get into the housing market. Be careful, though. Cheap property can carry hidden costs. Marketplace's Steve Tripoli reports.

It's time once again for economics editor Chris Farrell to help you sort out what's smart, what's stupid and what's the Straight Story. This week, The Census Bureau released its annual report on wages, poverty and health insurance. Chris reads between the lines.

On this week's A Day in the Work Life, our look at how folks trade their time for money, we go to the head of the class with a substitute teacher.

Life is hard enough without having to decipher everything. Each week, Marketplace Money brings you a word or a phrase that has bubbled to the top of the news. For instance: Labor Day. You hear it, you see it, but do you really know it?