All Economy
Economic rebound? Not for most of us.For the richest Americans, the recovery is in full swing. But everyone else is losing ground.
Myth buster: There is no health care tax on most home salesIt is the unfounded rumor that never dies: You will have to pay a 3.8 percent federal health care tax on the sale of your house. For all but a handful of taxpayers, this is not true.
Will J.C. Penney's new pricing policy succeed?Retailer J.C. Penney announced聽a new pricing policy that will make its prices more rigid and other retailers are moving in that direction.
Gas prices a top issue for US-Canada-Mexico summitGas prices, Mexican oil exports, and Keystone pipeline should figure prominently in Obama's summit with Canada's Harper and Mexico's Calderon. High gas prices threaten fragile US recovery and Obama's reelection.聽
Stock market rise fades on Europe's slumpStock market bullishness in Asia dissipates in European trading, as euro-area unemployment reaches record high. Stock market in US poised to open flat.
Tax tips: Top 5 reasons to hire a tax proTax tips can take you only so far if you're filling out your own returns. Sometimes, you need a tax pro. Most taxpayers, to the tune of 60 percent, opt to go with a tax professional. That share has climbed steadily: Just 41 percent used a professional preparer 30 years ago. Although a growing swath of the population 鈥� about 20 percent 鈥� is using tax-preparation software to complete returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it seems that software isn't displacing accountants as much as it's simply becoming the mode of choice for do-it-yourself filers. As the Tuesday, April 17, tax filing deadline nears, here are five cases in which it might be wise to consider bringing a pro aboard:
Mega Millions: Will lotteries and other gambling move to the Internet?In December, the聽US Department of Justice聽announced that it was reversing its position that all Internet gambling was illegal, clearing the way for a potential boom in online gambling.聽
Secret Service probes major credit card breachCredit card breach at an Atlanta card-processor affects Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. The number of accounts affected by the security breach is not yet known.聽
Final Four: What UK vs Louisville means for the Bluegrass stateA Final Four berth means exposure and often major dollars for universities. But two聽Final Four berths? University of Kentucky Wildcats vs. the Louisville Cardinals is a huge boon for the state of Kentucky.聽- Do jobs trump environment? Bucolic Swedish town faces uranium dilemma.The Swedish town of Oviken, whose pristine natural surroundings have made it popular with tourists, has the blessing 鈥� and burden 鈥� of uranium deposits below its soil.
Wall Street closes out best first quarter in 14 yearsWall Street sees dramatic gains for indexes in first quarter of 2012: Dow climbs 8 percent; S&P rises 12 percent; Nasdaq is up 19 percent. 聽
When should you buy brand name clothes?Almost every article of clothing you buy has a brand label on it somewhere. Does paying attention make you a "brand snob" or a discerning consumer?聽
Social media: Is it too feminine?Social media use tilts toward women, who like its sharing aspect. But a handful of entrepreneurs are trying to retool social media for men.
Who'll win the Mega Millions lottery? The states.Mega Millions jackpot is the world's largest. But the chances of winning the Mega Millions are so slim that the only sure winners are the states, which get a little over a third of the take.
Las Vegas taxi drivers face high tech challengeTaxis have long been the main transportation method in Las Vegas.聽Now a San Francisco company called Uber Technologies Inc. wants to challenge their dominance through a transportation service based on smartphones.聽
Dallas Fed: Break up the big banksAccording to the Dallas Federal Reserve, one of the nation's most conservative regional banks, taxpayers will be on the hook for another giant Wall Street bailout, and the economy won鈥檛 be mended, unless the nation鈥檚 biggest banks are broken up.
Best Buy closings: steep cuts. More to come?Best Buy closings involve 50 big-box stores, 400 jobs at headquarters, and probably thousands more retail layoffs. Best Buy closings are the steepest yet for troubled retailer.
GDP report: US economy is expandingThe economy may be growing at a faster rate than initially thought, with the real GDP expanding at聽 an annualized rate of 3 percent from the third quarter of 2011.
Stocks mixed; Dow rallies lateAfter dropping as much as 94 points earlier Thursday, the Dow rallied late in the day to close up 19 points, at 13145.
Student loans: the more you can pay at once, the betterStudent loan bills reach six figures for one married couple, who wonder if they should throw as much money at the loan as possible or stick to the payment plan. Student loans are question 6 in this week's mailbag.
