Company News
Apple Is Suddenly in a Rut
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There's no dying that Apple, the world's most valuable company, is suddenly in a rut. Here's the evidence of the tech giant's recent troubles.
Continue reading »Investing
Stock Upgrades: The Force Is With Walt Disney
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Clocks and stocks both went back last week, with the Dow%u2018s daylight savings being depleted 0.11% as markets endured their first weather-related shutdown for 27 years. ACCO Brands, which makes Trapper Keepers, surged some 26.41%, while Generac gained 31.06% to reach the highest level in its history in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Continue reading »Taxes
Home Damaged by Hurricane Sandy? Get Some Tax Relief
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If Hurricane Sandy damaged your home, you may face months of waiting for much-needed repairs and insurance reimbursements. And even after the final insurance checks come in, you may find yourself left with a hefty bill. But you might find some relief from an unlikely source: the IRS.
Continue reading »Election 2012
Election Home Stretch: 5 Things to Watch for Before Nov. 6
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With less than a week to go before Election Day, there are usually a few clear indicators that one candidate has momentum, some idea of how the remaining undecided voters are going to break. It was obvious in 2008. Between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012, that's just not the case.
Continue reading »Retirement
5 Ways the Election Results May Affect Your Retirement
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Whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney wins this election, it's going to impact a host of things beyond those the political ads have been focusing on -- among them, your retirement. Here are the five biggest the next president could make your golden years more -- or less -- secure.
Continue reading »Retirement
How to Withdraw Retirement Funds Penalty-Free Before 59
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One of the biggest challenges for early retirees, aside from needing to save enough extra money that it can last though a longer retirement, is that there are early withdrawal penalties on most pre-tax retirement accounts. Luckily, there are many ways to dodge those penalties.
Continue reading »Insurance
The 11 Costliest Hurricanes in U.S. History
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When Sandy struck New York City and other major East Coast population centers, it immediately vaulted onto the list of the most expensive storms in U.S. history. Repairing the damage will ultimately cost tens of billions of dollars. Here's how Sandy stacks up to other devastating Atlantic storms.
Continue reading »Retirement
3 Ways a Reverse Mortgage Could Enhance Your Retirement
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You may have heard of reverse mortgages as a way for seniors to tap the equity in their homes to pay for living expenses, but there are other ways that older homeowners are using their homes to get by.
Continue reading »Consumer Ally
Safeway's 2 Bad Habits: Overcharging, and Not Obeying the Courts
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California has repeatedly sued Safeway since 2003 for overcharging shoppers. Now, a new CBS San Francisco report says that the company is not only continuing that practice, but also disobeying a court order intended to provide customers with restitution.
Continue reading »Retirement
Best Places to Retire for Under $40,000
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Many baby boomers who haven't saved enough to retire well are contemplating delaying retirement. But if working into your 70s isn't possible (or appealing), moving to a place with a lower cost of living can help stretch your savings and finance a better quality of life.
Continue reading »Market News
Stock Upgrades: Macy's Miracle on 34th Street
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Macy's jumped 6.44% yesterday and near neighbor Madison Square Garden minutes ago beat the Street by a nickel. The real Miracle on 34th Street, however, will be when its subway system works again.
Continue reading »Features
Pop Quiz: Who Is Living America's Middle-Class Dream?
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America's middle class has gotten a lot of attention in the 2012 election, but what, exactly, does "middle class" mean? If you've ever wondered -- and wondered whether or not you're a member of it -- take a peek at our middle-class quiz.
Continue reading »Economy
U.S. Economy Adds 171,000 Jobs in Oct., Unemployment Rate at 7.9%
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U.S. employers added 171,000 jobs in October and hiring was stronger over the previous two months than first thought. The unemployment rate inched up to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in September.
Continue reading »Economy
Consumers Give U.S. Economy a Lift Before Election
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Consumer confidence surged in October to its highest level in nearly five years. Americans were encouraged by recent declines in the unemployment rate. And they responded by spending more on cars and trucks, at retail businesses and on goods produced at U.S. factories.
Continue reading »Company News
Berkshire Hathaway to Buy Oriental Trading Company
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Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc is to buy direct marketing toy and party supplies merchant Oriental Trading Co for $500 million, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing a person involved in the deal.
Continue reading »Features
Hurricane Recovery for Homeowners: Surviving and Rebuilding After an Epic Storm
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Hurricane Sandy caused the evacuation of more than a million homes in the Northeast and an estimated $10 billion to $20 billion in damages -- a costly and long cleanup process that for many homeowners looks seemingly insurmountable. But it can be done.
Continue reading »Retirement
5 Years From Retirement? 5 Things to Do Right Now
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With just five years left before you retire, you need to begin solidifying your plans. Make sure you're still on track, but also nail down where you'll live and how you'll meet your health care needs. Here's how:
Continue reading »Election 2012
Campaign Donations: The Donors You Know, and Those You Don't
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Two years ago, nobody knew anything about Foster Friess, Sheldon Adelson or Frank VanDerSloot. Today, these deep-pocketed money men are household names. But while super PAC supermen are exciting, they're hardly the only folks giving to political campaigns, and you can find out about the less-known names too.
Continue reading »Investing
3 Rules for Kick-Starting a Crowdfunded Business
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Crowdfunding -- in which several investors put up cash for a project or business idea posted to the Web -- has become a major source of capital for start-up entrepreneurs. But just because you can go to the Web to raise seed money fast doesn't mean you should, or that it'll be easy.
Continue reading »Investing
Can Tweets and Status Updates Really Predict Stock Moves?
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Investors looking to predict how the stock market will move have produced countless beat-the-market strategies over the centuries. The latest is a theory that suggests tweets and status updates can be used to foresee a company's fluctuations on Wall Street. Crazy ... but could it work?
Continue reading »Labor
U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Dropped Again
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The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign the labor market's slow recovery was gaining traction. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 363,000, below the median forecast in a Reuters poll of 370,000.
Continue reading »Earnings
Wall Street Watch: Icahn Streams Into Netflix, Buys a 10% Stake
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Carl Icahn is making a move on Netflix. The infamous activist investor and corporate raider has taken a nearly 10% stake in the DVD rental and video streaming giant, which means he must see a way to make a profit on its recent troubles. So does Icahn have a buyer in mind?
Continue reading »Technology
Amazon Leaps Into the Mobile Gaming Game with 'Air Patriots'
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Amazon released its first mobile game, "Air Patriots" on Thursday, The classic tower defense strategy game is a free download for Apple iOS and Android devices; but can the world's largest online retailer compete in a marketplace filled with thousands of nimble little competitors?
Continue reading »Market News
Stock Upgrades: Tupperware Can't Contain Its Excitement
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Facebook, which surged some 15% last week amid news its nemesis was arrested, slumped yesterday after the less welcome freeing of a stock lockup. Beacon Roofing Supply jumped to an all-time best but it looks like the roof is once again about to cave in on our debt ceiling.
Continue reading »Government
Sandy Reminds Us What Election Is About: 2 Very Different Visions
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency is doing much of the heavy lifting in the clean up and relief efforts from Hurricane Sandy. But FEMA's also on the front lines for Republican budget cuts. Which puts a key question of next week's election into sharp focus: What kind of federal government does America want?
Continue reading »Technology
Boxee TV: Walmart Wants You to See It; Your Cable Guy Doesn't
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Starting Thursday, Boxee TV will be sold exclusively at 3,000 U.S. Walmart stores. The $98 device features a built-in antenna to grab free over-the-air broadcast TV, and it also tethers to the Internet to stream YouTube, Netflix, and Pandora. Is this a way for you to ditch your cable bill for good?
Continue reading »Retirement
Why the 99% May Never Retire
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Large numbers of middle-class Americans still aren't in a financial position to make saving for retirement a priority again, but on the whole, they're quite worried about it. Problem is, they may not be worried enough.
Continue reading »Technology
AT&T; and T-Mobile Combine Wireless Coverage in Sandy-Affected Areas
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AT&T; and T-Mobile have signed an agreement that lets subscribers to either company roam on either network in devastated parts of the country where Hurricane Sandy has left users with poor cellular coverage.
Continue reading »Banking
Sandy Gives Big Banks Some Humanity
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The worst recession in decades wasn't enough to make big banks relent in their pursuit of income, but Hurricane Sandy apparently gave them pause: Several banks have stepped up to make things easier for their customers during their current time of need.
Continue reading »Investing
Syria Is Burning, but Still a Better Place to Invest Than Greece
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Syria's ongoing civil war has claimed more than 28,000 lives, left 1.5 million people homeless, and sent 500,000 Syrians into exile. But as far as CFOs are concerned, it's still a better place for foreign investment than debt-battered, austerity-riven Greece.
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Internet service feels like a necessity these days, but the costs can add up. Here's how you can get the most megabytes for your buck. Watch Video