So you love to listen to music on road trips, working out, and bedtime? That music may be doing more than just entertaining you. A new book titled Your Playlist Can Change Your Life (by Joseph Cardillo, Don DuRousseau and Galina Mindlin) gives you science-driven reasons to pick up that iPod more often and be more intentional about what music you choose.

But can it help you make more money? The reasonable answer is yes, since music can organize your brain, sharpen your memory, and boost your creativity. It can help you fight stress and depression, without the side effects of drugs.This book will explain the science and show you how to build a few powerful playlists.

You may already know the power of music. Tell us about your music– what motivates you the most, what speaks about your potential, or what helps you power through an obstacle. One of the new power songs on my list is “Titanium” by David Guetta and Sia.

It’s the time of year when Americans scramble to pull together their documents for tax preparation, and more than half will entrust personal information to a tax preparer. Some of them are rushing to hire a new tax preparer, and sadly, they don’t take time to do their homework and make a good choice.

The IRS is warning against tax preparers who charge too much for services, make empty promises about large refunds, or take a percentage of the refunds due as a fee.

One safeguard: When you hire a tax preparer, make sure they have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), and that they include the number and signature on your return. Then make sure they give you a copy of the return.

And remember: Just because you hire a tax preparer doesn’t mean you are off the hook if false information is on your return.

One more thing: Identify theft is rampant around tax time, as scammers steal information through e-mail, phone calls, websites, and even texts or social media sites. If you believe someone stole your personal information for tax purposes, call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490.

Everybody is talking about overnight NBA superstar Jeremy Lin, who not too long ago was cut from Golden State and Houston before being picked up by the New York Knicks off waivers in December. Lin is being praised for his patience and his ability to reset when something doesn’t work. Even though Lin is still known to frequently turn the ball over, he never dwells on the error. “He is very humble and plays extremely hard no matter if he makes a mistake or makes a fantastic play,” said Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks to The New York Times this week, after losing to Lin and the Knicks. Another opponent called Lin “a feisty little thing.”

For anybody in the February doldrums, Lin’s remarkable story proves again that  (1) bad times can quickly turn to good; (2) something can click in our heads that can make all the difference; and (3) favorable change doesn’t require that we first must overcome all our shortcomings. Great lessons for anybody seeking a turnaround for a better career, higher sales, or more satisfying return on investments.

In the past year, and even before that, the world’s rich have been getting richer. This is especially true in places such as China and Brazil, along with other countries in Latin America and Asia.

This has led to blockbuster results for certain luxury brands in the U.S. and Europe, as consumers are snapping up multi-thousand-dollar watches, designer clothing and handbags faster than they can be manufactured.

At the same time, these same thriving countries are developing a taste for the little luxuries of the West. For example, ketchup. H.J. Heinz beat Wall Street’s forecasts, mostly because of strong sales of ketchup and other sauces in China, Latin America, Russia and India.

The growth trend in these markets shows no end in sight, which bodes well for global expansion of American products, regardless of price. There’s good reason to believe that American luxury brands will continue to enjoy strong results if they are working to gain traction in these markets.

Move over Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Another social media site is stepping up as a valuable marketing tool for businesses.

Pinterest, an online bulletin board for your favorite images, launched in 2010 and is already experiencing wild growth, Jason Falls writes in a story posted on Linkedin Friday (2/10). The site registered more than 7 million unique visitors in December, up from 1.6 million in September. And it’s driving more traffic to company websites and blogs than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined, according to a recent report from Cambridge, Mass.-based content-sharing site Shareaholic. More…

For years, cable companies and other pay-television providers have fretted about the threat that online-video subscription services like Netflix Inc.’s could pose to their business. Now, one of those providers is plunging into Web streaming

WSJ.com reported Monday (2/6) that telecom giant Verizon Communications Inc. and Coinstar Inc., the operator of Redbox DVD-rental kiosks, plan to start offering a national subscription service later this year that would offer Internet access to a selection of movies and other content. The service will pair online access with rentals of physical disks from Redbox kiosks across the country, much as Netflix does with its mail-order operation. More…

The rules governing America’s most popular retirement vehicle are about to change, and that could mean huge savings for millions of workers building nest eggs for their golden years.

Spurred by the U.S. Labor Department’s effort to force plan administrators and investment companies to disclose the cost of 401(k) retirement  plans, companies are looking to reduce fees and offer new investing choices, wsj.com reported Friday (2/3).

Under current rules, it is difficult—if not impossible—for many 401(k) participants to determine how much they are paying in fees. More…

Facebook’s biggest user-interface overhaul since the Wall, the Facebook Timeline, is now becoming mandatory for all members, TechCrunch reminded users in this report Friday (1/27).

According to Facebook, everyone will get the new Timeline over the next few weeks. And here’s the important part: when you do, you’ll have just seven days to preview what’s there and hide anything you don’t want others to see.

In case you’re unfamiliar, the Facebook Timeline makes it far easier for you to travel back through your Facebook posts – posts that normally disappeared off your Wall and into oblivion, More…

Google+, the Internet giant’s social-media network unveiled in 2011, already has 62 million users and is growing rapidly, according to new research.  But so far it hasn’t appeared to put a dent in Facebook’s hegemony over that market.

So which network should your business choose? The standard answer is Facebook, which is still much larger with more than a half-billion users and better known. But don’t think you can just ignore Google+. Analysts told Computerworld that they expect Google+ to make major inroads in 2012. More…

So you say you still haven’t gotten around to trying a deep-fried Twinkie at the county fair? You might want to put that on your Bucket List as Hostess Brands Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday (1/11) to confront crushing debt and labor costs that the privately-held baker says have left it fighting to compete.

The Irving, Tex., company’s move marks the second significant court restructuring in the past several years, wsj.com reported. In a statement, Hostess said the current cost structure “is not competitive, More…