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Student loan giant Sallie Mae andsome of the nation's biggest banks are bracing for a fight inthe Democratic-led Senate over a problem facing manymiddle-class voters -- how to pay for college.
In hearing...
Jeff Block is pensive about cashing in his life insurance policy, wistful about putting off his wedding engagement, fearful about making the big purchase.
One thing the 31-year-old financial analyst is s...
More and more Indians are making use of credit cards, or some form of plastic money, be it in the form of an ATM card or a debit card, a smart card or a credit card.But as plastic money usage grows, more and more stories of credit card frauds and mis...
TWO YEARS AGO, Paul Young, a company manager whose business trips rack up 75,000 to 100,000 miles each year, did something shocking: He abandoned his quest for frequent-flier miles. Young had been loyal to Delta ...
(more)Investing a $20k inheritanceQuestion: I've just received a small inheritance of about $20,000. Is there something I can do with it that's smarter than just sticking it in a savings account?
- Liz, Fairbanks, AlaskaAnswer: Sure, there are plenty of smarter things you can ...
(more)What is Human Life Value?The concept of Human Life Value (HLV) is something that we all hear about (especially from the insurance agent!) but do not really know how to calculate. The reason being there is no definitive source of information on the subject. The fact that ther...
(more)Extreme House-Selling StrategiesIT'S A TOUGH TIME for home sellers. While the media competes for the direst gloom-and-doom real-estate-bubble headline, crowded open houses and bidding wars are becoming a quick-fading memory. Homes prices are dow...
(more)Inside Bush's health planPresident Bush in his State of the Union address Tuesday laid out a plan intended to make healthcare more affordable, give everyone who buys insurance the same tax break and incentivize you to be more cost-conscious in how you spend your healthcare d...
(more)Tax-saving funds: Where to invest?Being in the last quarter of the financial year, tax-planning is a top priority for most investors. Investments in designated avenues are eligible for a deduction (of up to Rs 100,000) from gross total income under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. ...
(more)IRS: Do not claim old phone tax refundThe
warned Thursday that it will take prompt action against taxpayers and preparers who claim improperly large refunds from a discontinued...
(more)Ugly Credit Card TrendsWONDER WHAT CREDIT-CARD companies have in stock for you in the coming year? It's no gift card. From fee hikes to new technologies that encourage spending, credit-card companies will look to improve their bottom li...
(more)Dollar boosted by durable goods orders, home salesThe dollar gained ground in the wake of robust US economic news as durable goods orders remained robust and as new home sales rose by more-than-expected last month.
The upbeat economic news gave the doll...
(more)When Air Travel Goes Wrong, Here's How to Get CompensatedFOR THE PAST FOUR months, Mahesh Soori has been engaged in a slow and torturous battle with United Airlines for what he says is a well-deserved refund.The refund stems from travel his parents endured last summer. ...
(more)Why you should pay an annual credit-card feeIn most instances today, it would be silly to pay an annual fee for a credit card simply because most cards don't have them anymore. But in a Senate Banking Committee hearing examining credit card practices this week, one consumer advocate suggested...
(more)Home sales fall; show faint life-signsNew home sales fell in 2006 by the largest amount in 16 years, but they were up for a second straight month in December, raising hopes that the worst of the housing downturn is coming to an end.
The
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Bank of America, Countrywide in merger talks: FT
), the No.2 U.S. bank, and Countrywide Financial Corp. (NYSE: - ), thelargest U.S. mortgage lender, are in talks that could lead to ajoint venture or merger, the Financial Times said on its Website on Friday....
(more)U.S. new-home sales, durable goods show strength) ended down 15.54points at 12,487.02. It had been down more steeply earlier butrecovered some of those losses on talk of possible bankmergers. The high tech-laden Nasdaq composite index ( - )eked out a 1.25-point gain to close at 2,435.49.Bond price...
(more)Millionaire in the MakingSherelle Derico, 36, had a three-week-old daughter and no job when she and her husband split in 1996. But the challenges of the separation and single motherhood didn't deter her from seeking financial success."It was frightening. Most definitely...
(more)How some mutual funds beat riskHow do you measure mutual fund performance? In simple terms, it is the change in your net asset value over a period of time. But academics say that while returns are important, what is equally important is the degree of risk taken to achieve that ret...
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