All Economy
- Fed stimulus sends stocks soaring to 4-year highUS stocks rallied after news that the Federal Reserve will spend $40 billion a month to buy mortgage securities. Nearly four stocks rose for every one falling, and the Dow closed at its highest level since December 2007.
- Do corporate tax breaks benefit the middle class?Revisions in the definition of the corporate income tax may assume that workers bear some of the corporate tax burden.
- Health-care costs shift from employer to employeeEmployees increasingly have to choose between health insurance with sky-high premiums or health insurance with expensive co-payments and deductibles, Reich writes.
- A drop in gas prices on the horizon? Maybe.With Hurricane Isaac behind us and winter approaching, we may be in for a break on gas prices, Read writes. But hurricane season isn't over yet, and access to the Strait of Hormuz remains in question. Gas prices could spike again.
- Health-care insurance: Coverage expands as law kicks inHealth-care insurance covered an extra 1.3 million Americans last year, according to new census data. US posts first improvement in health-care insurance since 2007.
- The ExplainerApple vs. Samsung: Who owns smart phones?Why Apple and Samsung suits and counter suits still fly, and what's next.
- BAE and EADS talk aerospace defense merger; stocks slideBAE Systems and EADS, leading aeropspace and defense companies, are in talks to merge and create a global aersopace defense giant. Stocks of both BAE and EADS Systems fell as the news leaked.
- Jobless claims increase by 15,000Jobless claims jumped to 382,000 claims from a revised 367,000 claims for the prior week, according to today's jobless claims report.
- Housing rebound? Foreclosures dive in August.Foreclosures in the US fell on a year over year basis, dropping from a 17-year high in August 2011. At the same time, foreclosure starts increased almost exclusively in states like Florida and New York, where the courts must sign off on foreclosures.
- McDonald’s adds calorie counts. Will other chains follow? YesMcDonald's will introduce calorie counts on its menu boards nationwide, starting next week. Other chains will have to follow McDonald's soon enough: Obama's health-care law will soon require restaurant chains with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts on their menus.
- Facebook stock gets a much-needed Zuckerberg boostFacebook is still riding the wave of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's first public comments since the IPO went public. Zuckerberg's acknowledgement that the company cares about making money as well as making the world more 'open and connected' sent Facebook stock up 7.7 percent Wednesday.
- Prius Plug-in off to a strong startThe 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid has sold over 6,000 units in its first six months on sale. Ingram writes that the demand is due to the Prius Plug-In's excellent fuel economy and its relative value next to the Chevy Volt.
- US incomes fall to 1989 levels. How did that happen?A Census report signals that for much of America, the economic downturn has produced not one lost decade but two. But the data also show that federal safety-net programs helped keep people out of poverty.
- Obama's health-care law saved Americans $2.1 billion: Is it working?A government report shows that rules in Obama's health-care law saved consumers $2.1 billion in premiums last year. It shows that states are using the law to their advantage, experts say.Â
- Save money on insurance by bundling policiesHamm advises bundling your policies for a discount on your insurance. Insurance companies will regularly offer you better insurance rates if you buy multiple insurance policies from the same company.
- Stocks up after European rescue fund rulingStocks rose Wednesday after a German court cleared the way for that country to participate in a European rescue fund. The ruling helped push Germany's main stock index, the DAX, to its highest level since July of last year.
- The most fuel-efficient cars that aren't hybridsInterested in great gas mileage but reluctant to buy a hybrid? Ingram offers up five fuel-efficient options for the hybrid-averse consumer.
- Jerry Wipes: Smudged glasses. Viral video. Now, a Cowboys product.Jerry Wipes, inspired by a viral video of Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones getting his glasses cleaned, will be sold in the Dallas Cowboys online store. Jerry Wipes aren't the first instance of the polarizing NFL owner poking fun at himself – or making money.
- Make the most of your insurance discountsInsurance companies may advertise attractive discounts but they don't always apply them to your bill. Hamm explains how to know if you have received insurance discounts and how to make them count.
- Are US credit ratings in trouble again?Reich writes that Moody's Investors Services may downgrade government bonds if Congress and the White House don’t reach a budget deal before $1.2 trillion in spending cuts and tax increases automatically go into effect.