Stars who Went Broke

Stars who Went Broke

Chris McAlister
Former Baltimore Ravens player Chris McAlister claims he has to live with his parents despite signing a multimillion-dollar contract in 2004. Of course, he’s not the first famous person to end up broke. Read through our slide show to see who else lost it all.

Burt Reynolds
The “Smokey and the Bandit” star, who filed for bankruptcy in 1996 after his divorce from this actress, is facing foreclosure on his $9 million Florida estate

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt
The married former reality stars and tabloid staples say they spent all of their money and now have to live in Pratt’s parents’ beach house.

Toni Braxton
The six-time Grammy winner and reality star filed for bankruptcy a second time last year after amassing millions in debt

Toni Braxton
The six-time Grammy winner and reality star filed for bankruptcy a second time last year after amassing millions in debt

Sarah Ferguson
The Duchess of York, who has battled money woes for years, was caught on tape attempting to sell access  to her royal ex-husband to an undercover reporter.

Teresa Giudice
The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star and her husband filed for bankruptcy in 2009 after accumulating millions in debt.

Nicolas Cage
The Oscar winner was forced to put some of his properties on the market after failing to pay taxes for several years.

Mike Tyson
The former heavyweight champion, who once spent $2 million on a bathroom fixture,filed for bankruptcy in 2003 after accumulating millions in debt

Randy Quaid
The “Independence Day” star and conspiracy theorist filed for bankruptcy in 2000 after his aptly named film bombed at the box office.

MC Hammer
The “U Can’t Touch This” rapper went from buying $30 million mansions to accumulating millions in debt by 1996.

Heidi Fleiss
The “Hollywood Madam” was a multimillionaire when she was busted for running a high-dollar prostitution ring.

Kim Basinger
The Oscar-winning actress filed for bankruptcy after an ill-fated attempt to own an entire

Willie Nelson
The “Red-Headed Stranger,” who found himself in hot water with the IRS in 1990, released a hilariously titled album to help pay off the debt.

Currencies of the world

Currencies of the world

World currencies
Is the love of it the root of all evil, or is it simply a unit of exchange? Is it strictly business or just a game? Join our celebration of National Coin Week with a look at currency around the world.

Euro
The euro is the result of the most significant monetary reform in Europe since the Roman Empire. Read the latest on how the European Union is handling the debt crisis.

Yen
The yen is one of the most frequently traded world currencies.Get the latest news on what effects a major disaster has had on its value

Peso
The most-traded currency in Latin America, the peso also served as the model for several other currencies. It recently made news for its gains.

Won
The won has been in use for thousands of years, and could be positively affected if a much-talked-about agreement goes through.

Dinar
Before the dinar, this country used the rupee. Recent reports show that one industry still calls the political and economic shots.

Rial
The rial was first introduced in 1798 as a coin, and the country that uses it recently celebrated this anniversary.

Rupee
The word "rupee" was derived from this. The country where it's used is experiencing record-high rates on a hot commodity.

Pound
The home of the pound took a pass on the euro to retain its currency. The fourth-most-traded currency in the world has this distinction, and a special coin features a new princess.

Shekel
The shekel has been around for thousands of years. The country that uses it recently unveiled a new way for tourists to go back in time as well.

Franc
The legal tender of this country used to be traded here as well. What will happen to the economy if the ban they are discussing goes through?

Rand
This official currency takes its name from the ridge this city is built on. The country will be hosting a major event in 2012.

Shilling
The shilling has been legal tender since 1962, and its home country has been in the news recently because of incidents involving these outlaws.

Lira
The lira usually features an image of this man. The country recently began trading at one of its borders.

Naira
The legal tender of this country is being spent more and more on this growing industry, a welcome distraction from recent events.

Dollar
Not the "e pluribus unum" version, this country's dollar has been around since 1858. The nation also hosted a big event recently.

Ruble
This legal tender's name allegedly came from this verb. The country that uses this currency is trying to find ways to regulate a major information source.

celebrity train wrecks

celebrity train wrecks

Celebrity train wrecks
Sure, it's a long way to the top, but sometimes it's even a longer drop to the bottom. Celebrity self-destruction is not for the faint of heart. Ask Lindsay Lohan about jewelry shopping or Charlie Sheen about doing stand-up. But not even Casey Jones could have averted the carnage of some of the more recent Hollywood train wrecks. Let's count down the top 10.

No. 10 David Arquette
David Arquette is best known for these movies, but until recently he's mostly been known as the brother of “Medium” star Patricia Arquette and Rosanna Arquette and Courteney Cox's husband.

No.9 Randy Quaid
He's best known for his quirky roles, including Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon Vacation movies and the redneck rancher in "Brokeback Mountain."

No. 8 Tara Reid
Tara Reid had a small but memorable part in "The Big Lebowski" and a key role in a major hit "American Pie" before age 25.

No.7 Tom Sizemore
Tom Sizemore seemed to be on the road to a solid career as a supporting player following his performance as the sergeant in "Saving Private Ryan"

No.6 Britney Spears
The teen pop queen debuted with the single "Baby One More Time"  and went on to sell millions.

No.5 Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston's cover of a Dolly Parton song became one of the biggest hit singles in pop history.

No. 4 Andy Dick
Bizarre behavior is part of Andy Dick's comedy repertoire, but in the time since his stint on "NewsRadio," most of his craziness hasn't been an act.

No. 3 Lindsay Lohan
She's only 24, but Lindsay Lohan has already accomplished enough to merit a train wreck lifetime achievement award. Remember when a teenage Lindsay supposedly feuding with Hilary Duff was considered hot copy?

No. 2 Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen has appeared in quite a few hit films, including "Platoon," "Wall Street", "Young Guns" and "Major League."

No. 1 Mel Gibson
Why is Mel Gibson No. 1? Because the fall has been so steep. (Notice anyone else on this list who has won an Oscar?) He stormed the beaches in "Gallipoli," tore up the outback in "Mad Max," almost singlehandedly won the American Revolution – and now he's talking to a hand puppet?

The runners-up
Retired train wrecks: They've stayed out of trouble long enough to make us forget their former issues. Drew Barrymore and Robert Downey Jr. are the official poster children here. Special mention goes to Keith Richards, who clearly will never die.