Business news for the masses

Dow industrials suffer first weekly loss of year

NEW YORK — The Dow posted its first weekly loss this year on Friday as lackluster earnings from blue-chip companies and weaker-than-expected data on U.S.

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Disappointing GDP data weighs on stocks

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks slipped on Friday as data showed the U.S.

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Facebook sues to stop 'likejacking' scammers

UPDATED Jan. 27, 4:45 p.m. PT Spammers have come up with a sneaky new way to distribute their message via social media.

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How to deal with higher bank fees in 2012

You should expect bank fees to go up again this year.

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Obama's insourcing jobs plan faces an uphill battle

President Obama decried the outsourcing of jobs to foreign lands in the State of the Union last night while Steve Jobs' widow looked on.

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Motorola sues Apple for patent infringement

Motorola Mobility, which is seeking regulatory approval to be bought by Google Inc., has filed a new lawsuit against Apple Inc., accusing the iPhone maker of infringing its technology patents. The case filed in a Florida federal court on Wednesday is the latest turn in a bigger  …

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Stocks march higher on Fed promise of low rates

NEW YORK — The stock market chugged toward its highest level since last spring Wednesday after the Federal Reserve pledged to keep interest rates near zero for almost three more years. Bond yields dropped sharply, then bounced back later in the day when investors began loo …

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Stocks heading up after Fed announcement

NEW YORK — Stocks moved upward Wednesday immediately following the Federal Reserve's announcement that it will not raise interest rates until at least late 2014 —even later than investors expected — in an effort to support a sluggish economic recovery. Ear …

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Consumer watchdog targets payday loans

Payday lending is now a $7 billion a year industry in the United States. Millions of Americans with limited income and no savings see this as their only way to get quick cash to pay for an unexpected expense.

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Sears stock soaring as retailer faces critical year

Kenmore and Kardashians.  The dichotomy between these two Sears brands, representing old-line appliances and trendy clothing, points to what may be the biggest problem for the iconic 125-year-old retailer: It doesn’t know what it wants to be.  Sears may …

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Cluttered cubicle may make you more organized

Attention bosses who harass employees to clean up their cluttered cubicles: As it turns out, messy desks may lead to clearer, more organized thinking, a new study shows. And this effect may not just be limited to the worker with the messy desk.

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Consumer groups rip mandatory arbitration ruling

Would you give away your right to sue a company in court simply to get a product or service you want? Chances are you’ve already agreed to arbitrate any dispute rather than sue -- whether you realize it or not -- if you have a credit card, bank account or cell ph …

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JPMorgan earnings miss, Europe drag stocks lower

Stocks fell in morning trading after a rare earnings miss for JPMorgan Chase, the country's largest bank, and as reports swirled that European governments may get their ratings cut soon. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 103 points to 12,368 shortly after noon.

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Housing more affordable than ever ... for foreign buyers

When it comes to foreigners looking to plant roots in the United States, Florida is the hot spot, especially among Cubans, Haitians and Colombians.  The Sunshine State is the most popular among foreign home buyers with 31 percent of all home purchases made there coming from  …

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The truth behind Suze Orman's new debit card

Financial advisor Suze Orman has created a new prepaid debit card and she wants you — and everyone else — to buy it.

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Few part-timers, but more are working multiple jobs

Hooray! There are fewer of you working part time.  Boo! More of you are working multiple jobs.  The job market continues to be a mixed bag for millions of workers across the country.  On a positive note, when workers are able to clock in more than 35 hours a week a …

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The smart way to dig yourself out of debt

By Herb Weisbaum, The ConsumerMan Those Christmas bills are going to arrive very soon and a lot of people who spent more than they planned are going to feel the squeeze. There’s no need to be embarrassed. You are not alone.

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Most of us would really suck at 'The Price is Right'

Those hot concert tickets you need to resell might not be worth as much as you think. A new study shows that we tend to overestimate what others will pay for things, whether it’s concert tickets, DVDs, toys or even a fancy box of chocolates.

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White House wants to convert foreclosed houses to rentals

The Obama administration, in conjunction with federal regulators and led by the overseer of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are very close to announcing a pilot program to sell government-owned foreclosures in bulk to investors as rentals, according to administration officials. Ther …

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Now is the time to get a deal on electronics

The holidays are over and your credit card most likely got a good workout in the past month. But now is the time to take advantage of some screaming good deals — especially for electronics. TODAY financial contributor Farnoosh Torabi has the details.      

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Upbeat Dec. jobs report fails to lift Wall Street

Stocks closed mixed despite a surge in hiring last month that pulled the unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years. The government said Friday that the unemployment rate fell in December to 8.5 percent, while U.S.

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Stocks mixed despite strong Dec. jobs report

The stock market offered a reminder Friday that even if the U.S. job market is improving, there's plenty to worry about elsewhere in the world. The unemployment rate fell in December to 8.5 percent, the lowest level in nearly three years.

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Recent Votes

  • Sony Pictures to make Steve Jobs movie?

    No official announcements have been made just yet, but rumor is that Sony Pictures is working on acquiring the rights to turn late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' biography into a movie. Entertainment news site Deadline reports that Sony Pictures will write a seven-digit check for  …

  • IRS ruling strikes fear in medical marijuana industry

    In a potentially crushing blow to the burgeoning medical marijuana industry, the IRS has ruled that dispensaries cannot deduct standard business expenses such as payroll, security or rent. Harborside Health Center, one of the nation's largest medical marijuana dispensaries  …