All Economy
How Sweden busted Estonia's economySweden's economic slowdown is affecting exports from Estonia in yet another example of how a weak economy in one country can drastically affect others.
Mortgage rates inch up, but downward trend continuesThe average rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage increased 1 basis point to 3.98 percent since last week, but the downward trend has yet to find its bottom.
Got your driver's permit? Top 5 things to know about your car. You have your driver鈥檚 permit? Congratulations. You've learned the rules of the road and earned the right to drive. But there's a lot more to driving. If you want to drive safely and save money, you have to know how to keep your car properly maintained. One of our recent surveys at AutoMD.com found that two-thirds of parents of teen drivers rated their teen's basic knowledge of car maintenance as "somewhat or completely clueless," or "average." Teens can use online resources on our site or other websites to learn more. Here are five car maintenance and repair tips to get you started:
Why the food stamp program is a fraudThe federal government vastly overstates the benefits the food stamp program provides low income families 鈥� which isn't worth the cost to the taxpayer.
Retirement plans? Don't forget about state, local taxes.Retirement plans should include an appraisal of the impact of state and local taxes. Levies on income, benefits, property, purchases, and estate can make a difference in your retirement plans.聽
Payroll tax deal: Congress moves toward agreementPayroll tax cut, long-term unemployment benefits would be preserved under a bipartisan deal. But negotiators won't predict whether Congress will pass the payroll tax deal by Friday.
Why you should pay for car repairs with a credit cardCredit cards make it easy to get into serious debt trouble. But when it comes to expensive emergency repairs, some credit cards can offer protections that cash can't.
Obama proposes bringing jobs home from overseas. Would his plan work?To achieve his goal of 'insourcing,' Obama proposes rewarding firms that create jobs in the US while imposing higher effective taxes on profits earned by overseas operations.
The Apple stock roller coasterUp $25 in early trading, Apple stock plummeted late in the day, dragging the rest of the market down with it.
Unemployment benefits 101: When will your state cut off extended benefits?Congress is nearing a deal to extend long-term unemployment benefits to the end of the year. But many states plan to cut off the benefits well before Dec. 31.聽
Apple, Greece pull Dow to worst 2012 showingThe Dow slid 97 points to close at 12780 as Greece slogged though bailout negotiations and Apple stock zigzagged wildly.
Could you ride out a Great Depression?When the Great Depression hit, many Americans were able to live off the land and wait it out.聽 In today's sour economy, that's less of an option.
Best in Show: Costly Westminster win for Malachy the PekingeseBest in Show at Westminster will garner Malachy the Pekingese聽prestige and fame, but not much else. What did his Best in Show run cost?
An FDA for financial products?A new paper proposes that new financial products be put through screening by a federal agancy, similar to the Food and Drug Administration. Could this prevent future financial meltdowns?
Payroll tax deal close: Why did Republicans back down?Senate Republicans came to a realization on the payroll tax cut fight: We got the policy right but the politics wrong and it鈥檚 time to move on. Specifics of the deal are still being hashed out.
Kellogg to buy Pringles brand for $2.7 billionThe addition will help Kellogg with its goal of becoming as big globally in snacks as it is in cereal. The聽Pringles business will add to Kellogg's stable of snack brands that include Keebler, Cheez-It and Special K Cracker Chips.
Africa Rising: Ethiopia moves to diversify exportsIn an effort to move beyond just coffee, Ethiopia now exports leather, vegetables, flowers, and yes, the occasional bottle of wine.聽
Retail sales are up 4.8 percent from last yearRetail sales in January increased 0.4 percent from December and 4.8 percent from last year. The data shows a rough correlation between home value appreciation and retail spending.聽
Five private companies helping to reduce hungerPepsico, Kraft, Cargill, Land O' Lakes, and TNT Express are among many companies that have created nonprofit divisions to help alleviate hunger in developing countries.
Why Congress actually failed on payroll taxAfter months of squabbling, it looks as if Congress is about to extend a 鈥渢emporary鈥� tax cut for another 10 months, borrowing $100 billion to do it. That would be OK if this was just a short-term stimulus.聽