Gas prices hold steady as July 4 nears

Despite travelers taking to the road for vacations and the Independence Day weekend coming up, gasoline prices in the United States are unchanged from two weeks ago, according to a survey published Sunday. Read More

Michigan to California: Send us your prisoners
Financially strapped states consider a 'mutually beneficial' deal.
Michigan has to close prisons to save money. California's are bursting at the seams.
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Gas prices strain struggling households
The recent spike in gasoline prices comes at a particularly unfortunate time -- many Americans are still reeling from the economic downturn. Here is how some people have responded to the return of pain at the pump. Read more

Buffett: economy has 'no bounce'
The legendary investor says it will take time for the U.S. economy to recover but hints that the worst is over. Read more

New home sales fall unexpectedly
Sales ticked down 0.6% last month, down 32.8% from last year. Read more

Durable orders in surprise gain
Long-lasting manufactured goods orders increase 1.8% in May, third advance in past 4 months. Read more

Higher gas prices to hit July 4 travel
AAA says fewer Americans will travel 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend.
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Mortgage due, severance pay is running out
Raul Camejo had always been in high demand as an internal auditor - until just before he was laid off earlier this year, when calls from recruiters suddenly dried up. Read more


Personal Finance


Obama’s automatic IRA
Just about all parents tell the same war stories from childhood: “When I was your age, I had to walk two miles – in 3 feet of snow — to get to school.” Or, “When I was your age, we had only one TV in the house.” But pretty soon, parents may add this one, too: “When I was your age, I didn’t have an IRA.” Read more

Coming out of retirement at 62
Robert Bertrand thought he had planned his retirement perfectly. Now he is suddenly back hunting in a market that has little interest in older workers, no matter how experienced they are. Read more

Do the right thing in a recession
In a tough economy you may face some hard decisions when it comes to money and your relationships with family and friends. Our ethics experts weigh in on how to handle some particularly thorny dilemmas. Read more

Find a job in a tough economy
Three out-of-work professionals get makeovers from a team of four top career experts. Result: One master plan for each, full of smart strategies to find a job in a tough market. Their advice can boost your prospects too.
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Support your struggling grads
Kids having trouble paying back student loans? Help out without shelling out
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Can't afford health care? Barter for it
In these cash-strapped times, bartering is gaining popularity - even for dental surgery and prescription drugs.
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One man against inflation
Money manager Van Hoisington says unemployment and debt will make rising prices a non-issue. Read more

3 ways consumers waste money
Horror stories of $2,000 phone bills are rare, but thousands -- even millions -- of people could be wasting money on outdated telephone services.
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Drowning in student loan debt?
Starting next week, there will be a new student-loan refinancing program targeting grads with large student loan debt and low incomes. Read more

Buying your own health insurance
47 million Americans go without health insurance. Here is your guide to buying insurance on the private market. Read more

Bank smart
Find the best checking and savings deals for your cash - without getting socked by unnecessary fees. Read more

Control your debt
You have to know when to hold it and when to fold it. Make your credit work for you.
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Invest in mutual funds
It's a money jungle out there, but you can create a simple portfolio that cuts through the weeds. Read more

Save for college
Start early and keep at it. You'll give your children more choices and make it easier on your wallet. Read more


Small Business


Emergency small business loans to the rescue
The Small Business Administration says its new loan program is off to a promising start. Small businesses owners disagree. Read more

A matchmaking jukebox
A startup helps lovelorn singles by moving the online dating platform into bars.
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Analytics 101: Valuable insights from cheap tools
Savvy entrepreneurs are turning to inexpensive data-mining software to refine their Web sites and boost profits. Read more

No power outlet? No problem
You're stuck on the tarmac. Again. For hours. But while your fellow passengers fume and flip through SkyMall catalogues after their media players run out of juice, you're still multitasking: listening to Marketplace podcasts. Read more

No more free labor!
When John Trupiano and I co-founded our software company Smartlogic Solutions in 2005, we were college students who knew a lot about writing code but nothing about running a tech consulting business. Read more

Party down
A Texas hospitality company considers where to invest and where to cut back to weather the recession. Read more