If you're a recent grad looking to go into a traditionally lucrative career in something like finance, good luck: the big banks are struggling, cutting down on hiring, and laying off seasoned veterans: so you'll be competing for jobs with people who have a ton of experience.

But if you're a new graduate, you have some worldly options the seasoned veterans don't. According to The Wall Street Journal, (subscription required), Teach For America saw its applications rise 36% over last year's level. The Peace Corps also is expecting a 16% rise in volunteers at the close of its fiscal year in Oct.

Hard to say if this is a new and refreshing altruistic trend of the young generation, or simply a good way to get some do-gooder experience to pad the law school resume.

Either way, when the job market turns around, as it always does, your resume will give you a competitive advantage, demonstrating creativity and a genuine desire to change the world. Some programs have strong connections with top companies, and you may have an easier time going to work for Google after you work for slave wages with Teach For America for a few years.

Make the world better, improve your resume -- at a time like this, that's something worth considering. Then you can go get rich.

Even after investigating fraud for almost 14 years, I'm still often amazed at the guts and arrogance of those who steal from others. I just wasn't raised to think it's okay to steal. Anything. So I get pretty irritated with people who do steal and act as if there's nothing really wrong with it. They think if they say they're sorry, that fixes it all. Too bad for the victim, because the thief will pretend the victim didn't really need the money or property anyway.

I get even more upset when fraud happens to churches and other non-profit organizations. It just seems even more wrong than stealing from for-profit companies. Non-profits rely on donations and fundraisers, and their budgets are often very tight.

So imagine a guy wearing a Relay For Life t-shirt and going to "pick up" 100 burritos that were being donated to a benefit concert. The burritos were going to be sold for $4 each, but the guy in the t-shirt (who wasn't really affiliated with the Relay For Life event) ran off with them. What does one do with 100 stolen burritos? Seriously. How many can he eat? He's going to have to share them with others, who will likely tell on him once they read the newspaper article about the theft.

Stealing is a bad thing. Stealing from a charity event is even worse. Shame on Burrito Boy.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

If you're having trouble with the high costs at the pharmacy and you're being forced to choose between putting a meat loaf on the table or following doctor's orders, then you need to know that there's a bucket load of options available to you for seeking help to pay for your prescription medications.

You can start out by calling the customer service department of the company which manufactures your medication. If you don't know who makes it, ask your pharmacist for help. When you call the manufacturer, make it clear that you are having trouble paying for your medications. You'll probably be surprised at how quickly they try to help you by referring you to programs or agencies that can help you.

While you're talking to your pharmacist ask them if they can provide any additional options for you. There are programs at the county, state and federal levels which seek to provide assistance with prescription costs and your pharmacist should know about these programs. Don't forget to ask your pharmacist about generic alternatives also.

Even if you're not a member, you might consult with AARP.