Headline News Archive

2010

September

02

• US Treasury to offer low-cost bank accounts. Some U.S. taxpayers will soon be able to have their tax refunds directly deposited into a low-cost bank account, under a new pilot program the…

• California's safety-net health insurance premiums rise. As state leaders blast giant health insurers for raising rates, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has quietly allowed hefty increases for thousands of sick or jobless…

• Communities get first shot at foreclosed homes. Major mortgage lenders will now give state and local governments the right to buy foreclosed properties before they go on the market, giving them "a…

• Apple pushes TV toward Internet delivery. The slow-moving struggle to unplug TV viewing from its traditional business model just got more interesting -- and messier. Over the past few years, companies…

01

• Tax cuts that make a difference. It’s time to start talking about a tax cut. The economy is struggling mightily. Some 15 million people remain unemployed. The Federal Reserve has been…

August

31

• Be skeptical of health-care credit cards. These days, you may leave your dentist's office with more than a toothbrush and dental floss in your bag. Thousands of dentists are offering patients…

• Time to refinance? Rates hit record lows. For anyone under the age of 57, mortgage rates are at the lowest point ever in their lifetime. This fact isn't lost on a growing…

• Filthy conditions at egg producers. Federal officials investigating conditions at the two Iowa mega-farms whose products have been at the center of the biggest egg recall in U.S. history found…

• Thinking of raiding your 401(k)? Don't. It's no secret that millions of Americans haven't saved enough to finance a comfortable retirement. Now comes even more worrisome news: Thousands of workers are…

• Survey: Mortgage closing costs 37% higher. A new federal rule this year requiring mortgage lenders to give borrowers reliable estimates of closing costs appears to be working — whether it's also…

30

• Banks help more homeowners than Obama. Remember how everyone complained that banks weren't doing enough to help troubled borrowers? Well ... Banks have realized that foreclosing on home after home after…

• Microloan is big help for small businesses. Like many small businesses caught in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Tri-State Biodiesel was struggling to find capital last year, in the…

• Would-be interns pay thousands for coveted spot. Each year, thousands of college students descend on Washington for unpaid internships. It can be a nerve-racking process: sending out résumés, trying to make contacts,…

29

• New rules slash card fees. Don't look now but a funny thing is happening to the plastic in your wallet: It's getting safer and easier to understand and use —…

• Retargeting ads follow surfers to other sites. The shoes that Julie Matlin recently saw on Zappos.com were kind of cute, or so she thought. But Ms. Matlin wasn’t ready to buy and…

26

• Quest for the perfect credit score. A major league pitcher dreams of throwing a perfect game. High schoolers eyeing the Ivy League study furiously in hopes of earning 2400 on the…

• U.S. credit card debt drops to 8 year low. The amount consumers owed on their credit cards in this year's second quarter dropped to the lowest level in more than eight years as cardholders…

• Hackers invade iTunes accounts. Cybercriminals are stepping up the hijacking of Apple iTunes accounts, often leaving consumers distraught. Hijackers buy iTunes logons from e-mail phishers expert at tricking you…

• SEC gives shareholders more power. For years, the nation's largest companies - from FedEx and Macy's to AT&T and IBM - have opposed proposed federal rules that would make it…

• Equity in your home doesn't translate to net worth. I have my own spin to put on the news that sales of existing homes plunged 27 percent in July: Stop thinking of your home…

23

• Basic lessons for students and credit cards. To open a credit card account if you are under 21, you will need to show that you have the income to make required payments…

• 'Cash for clunkers' car dealers investigated. WASHINGTON — The government is investigating at least 20 car dealerships it claims violated the rules of last year's cash-for-clunkers program. Government auditors say up…

22

• Hardship 401(k) withdrawals set record in second quarter. In the wake of news about a spike in new applications for unemployment benefits comes another potentially troubling sign: A record number of workers made…

• Final phase of credit card law begins. he final phase of the landmark federal legislation that placed new restrictions on credit card interest rates and fees takes effect Sunday. Though the bulk…

• Income inequality and financial crises. David A. Moss, an economic and policy historian at the Harvard Business School, has spent years studying income inequality. While he has long believed that…