All Economy
Student loans equal $35,000. Pay 'em off or save?Student loans have variable interest rates, but they're low now. So concentrate first on an emergency fund. See question No. 4 in the reader mailbag.
To get out of debt, refinance and consolidate firstThe most painful part of debt is the interest, which can be crushing. Refinancing to reduce interest rates can make a world of difference.
Spain enters recession; Dow and S&P 500 fallSpain reentered a recession Monday, renewing fears about Europe's economic stability and sending stocks lower. The Dow fell 14 points to close at 13213; the Standard and Poor 500 index had its first monthly loss since November.- Drill for oil in Somalia? Why not, says Australian firmAustralia-based Jacka Resources plans to start oil exploration in Somaliland, a region of Somalia that declared itself independent in 1991. Nice work if you can get it.
High gas prices? Don't (always) blame oil speculators.Most people would probably agree that speculation in the oil and gas markets is hurting American consumers. But speculation is not a one-way street where the average consumer always loses.
Why stock market is spinning its wheels despite positive trendsConsumer income and spending are up, but the stock market has been largely stagnant since February. Two big trends could be behind the Dow's tepid spring.
Argentina: Keeping up with the Chavezes?President Cristina Kirchner's plan to seize a majority stake in oil company YPF SA, owned by Repsol YPF of Spain, is causing diplomatic tensions with Spain and the European Union.聽
Barnes and Noble stock soars on Microsoft team-upBarnes and Noble stock went zooming following an infusion of money from Microsoft to create a subsidiary for Barnes & Noble's e-book and college textbook businesses.
Double-dip recessions in Spain and UK. Which is worse?Spain and the UK have both reported double-dip recession.聽One striking difference is the rates of real wages and employment.聽
What's the first step to get out of debt?Hiding from your debt won't help. Here's the first step towards breaking out of the debt cycle.聽
Sunoco to be sold for $5.3 billionSunoco Inc. will be sold to natural gas company Energy Transfer Partners in a deal valued at about $5.3 billion. Sunoco had been looking to exit the refining business prior to the deal.聽
Student loan bill? Not so fast.Student loan bill, which would keep graduates' interest rate costs from doubling, gets caught up in election free-for-all. House passes student loan bill, despite Obama veto threat.
Smartphones: Is Apple or Samsung No. 1?Smartphones sales are clearly reported by Apple. But Samsung remains very vague about how many smartphones it makes.- Growing like gangbusters, Turkey says Western economies need 'serious reforms'Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan warned Friday that the US and Europe were not doing enough to resolve the core causes of the global economic slowdown.
Mad cow: Latest episode raises questions about cattle feedThe riskiest parts of rendered cows aren鈥檛 supposed to be fed back to other cows. But they are fed to chickens, whose waste can be fed back to cattle in what one critic calls 鈥榗ow cannibalism.鈥�
401(k) plans: A way to save for house down payment?401(k) plans sometimes allow you to borrow from them. So are 401(k) plans a good way to save for buying a home? Question No. 6 in this reader mailbag.
Rough first quarter GDP shows 2.08 percent growthThe first estimate of the first quarter Gross Domestic Product shows that on a year-over-year basis, real GDP increased 2.08 percent while the quarter-to-quarter non-annualized percent change was 0.55 percent.
Nutella settles lawsuit. You can get $20.Nutella settles lawsuit over false advertising claims. Because the maker of Nutella settles lawsuit, it agrees to set up a $3 million settlement fund to repay customers up to $4 a jar.
Never buy retail again. 15 ways.There are so many ways to avoid paying retail that it鈥檚 almost never necessary. Here are 15 ways to never pay retail price again.
Corporate earnings soar. Don't get too excited.The growth in corporate earnings has been impressive this year, but such growth is par for the course.
