Berkshire net down 18 percent, Buffett eyes successors (Reuters)

Reuters - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway
Inc said on Friday quarterly profit fell 18 percent, hurt by
lower earnings from insurance underwriting and a decrease in
investment gains.

Wall Street woes a drag on FTSE (FT.com)

FT.com - Yell was hit by heavy selling again Thursday after a US rival reduced its earnings forecast because of the weakening domestic economy.

Microsoft Will Slash Retail Prices for Vista With SP1 (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - Microsoft said on Thursday it plans to slash prices on its Windows Vista operating system sold through retail channels. The company wants consumers to upgrade to the latest version of its flagship product.

FTSE lower after Rentokil warning (FT.com)

FT.com - Rentokil Initial led the FTSE 100 lower on Thursday after a profit warning, while rumours that a London-based hedge fund was in trouble added to nervousness.

Consumer sentiment, regional factories sound recession bell (Reuters)

Reuters - The alarm bells of U.S. recession rang
louder on Friday as reports showed business activity in the
U.S. Midwest plummeted in February and consumer sentiment
slumped to a 16-year low.

Tentative recovery in German retail spending, data shows (AFP)

AFP - German consumers returned to the shops in January, fresh data suggested on Friday, raising hoped that Europe's biggest economy has rebounded after a lacklustre end to 2007.

Proposed mortgage aid would do harm: Paulson (Reuters)

Reuters - Plans for sweeping federal programs
that would aid troubled mortgage borrowers would bring unfair
relief to speculators and reward investors who made bad bets,
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Thursday.

London shares close down sharply (AFP)

AFP - UK blue chips closed sharply lower today, down over 100 points as the DJIA also posted triple-digit falls following some disappointing US data, with a batch of corporate results a depressant, notably for Rentokil Initial.

Sears, Kohl's see 4Q profits fall (AP)

AP - More evidence of a consumer spending malaise surfaced Thursday as Sears Holdings Corp. and Kohl's Corp. reported double-digit profit drops in the fourth-quarter.

FTSE turns round on US rally (FT.com)

FT.com - Marks and Spencer was in focus on Wednesday amid speculation a that US value investor had been picking up stock.

ABN Amro reveals profit leap and 1.56-billion-euro subprime hit (AFP)

AFP - Dutch bank ABN Amro reported a profits leap for 2007 on Thursday owing to special factors and despite a writedown of 1.561 billion euros (2.36 billion dollars) on account of the US subprime home-loan crisis.

Scarce shoppers sap Sears 4Q profit (AP)

AP - Department store chain Sears Holdings Corp. said its fourth-quarter profit tumbled 47 percent because of continued poor performance at its Kmart and U.S. Sears stores.

U.S. home sales, goods orders feed recession fears (Reuters)

Reuters - Sales of new U.S. single-family
homes slumped to a 13-year low in January and demand for
long-lasting goods declined more than expected, government data
showed on Wednesday, fueling fears of a recession.

Bourses fall as banking rally fades (FT.com)

FT.com - European banks gave back some of the gains achieved in the last two sessions after disappointing results from Britain's HBOS and Sweden's Handelsbanken.

Economy - Wednesday (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - Home loan demand dived 19.2% in the week ended Feb. 22 as mortgage rates continued to rebound, the Mortgage Bankers Assoc. said. MBA's applications index fell to 665.1, the lowest so far in '08 and down 39% over 3 weeks. Refi activity plunged 30.4% during the week. Mortgage applications for buying a home edged up 0.2% from the prior week's near-5-year low. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 6.27%, up from 6.09% a week before and 5.5% in the week ended Jan. 18.

Regulator investigating Office Depot (Reuters)

Reuters - The Securities and Exchange Commission
is investigating communications that Office Depot Inc
had last year with Wall Street analysts, the No. 2 office
supplies retailer said.

Wall St gains as government loosens home loan reins (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks gained on Wednesday on news
that the government will let the two biggest U.S. home loan
finance companies invest more money in the weak housing market
in a move that could help revive the economy.

Apple's iTunes Store Is No. 2 in Music Sales (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - Move over, Best Buy. Watch out, Wal-Mart. Apple's iTunes Store is now the number-two music retailer in the U.S., behind only Wal-Mart, based on the latest data from the NPD Group MusicWatch survey, which tallied the amount of music sold during 2007. Apple sold more than four billion songs, with 20 million sold on Christmas day.

US stocks edge higher despite grim data (FT.com)

FT.com - US stocks moved higher on Tuesday as investors weighed economic data that showed a stronger-than-expected uptick in January producer prices, a sharp fall in consumer confidence against encouraging corporate news.

Target, Macy's shares up amid slow sales (AP)

AP - In a slowing economy, the more upscale the retailer, it seems, the more they're struggling.

10 Tips: Renting rather than buying?

Given the current state of the housing market in many parts of the country, it might make more financial sense for you to rent for the time being rather than buy a home.

Insurers help boost European bourses (FT.com)

FT.com - European equity markets were higher on Tuesday after financial stocks enjoyed further gains, although most indices were off their best levels after a lacklustre open on Wall Street.

The Cheapest College Savings Plans (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - College will cost an arm and a leg (and maybe an ear and an eyeball, too) by the time your little ones graduate from high school. Start saving now, and consider using a 529 investment account to get some great tax advantages.

Apple's iTunes grows to No. 2 U.S. music retailer (Reuters)

Reuters - Apple Inc's iTunes digital
media store edged out Best Buy Co and Target Corp
to become the second-largest U.S. music retailer,
behind Wal-Mart Stores , according to data released on
Tuesday from tracking firm NPD Group.

Stocks jump after relief on bond insurers (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. stocks rose more than 1 percent
on Monday on signs the two largest bond insurers would
stabilize, bringing a wave of relief to a market dogged by
concerns of further bank write-downs.

Delta, Northwest shares fall amid merger doubts (Reuters)

Reuters - Delta Air Lines Inc and
Northwest Airlines Corp shares fell on Monday partly on
concerns their merger talks may fail on the inability of pilots
to agree on how to combine their ranks.

Banking bid talk boosts FTSE (FT.com)

FT.com - London equities made strong gains on Monday, with banking stocks energised by a flurry of bid speculation in the sector.

Existing home sales slip and prices tumble (Reuters)

Reuters - Sales of existing homes fell for a
sixth straight month in January, while prices tumbled 4.6
percent amid swelling inventories, according to a report on
Monday that offered no end in sight for the housing slump.

Ambac rescue talk lifts Asian shares (FT.com)

FT.com - Asian stock markets started the week on a cautiously upbeat note after speculation over the weekend of a rescue plan for Ambac, a leading US bond insurer, but comments by China's central bank helped send shares in Shanghai to seven-month lows.

Lowe's posts lower 4Q profit (AP)

AP - Lowe's Cos., the nation's second biggest home improvement retailer, said Monday that a softer U.S. housing market helped drive its fourth-quarter earnings down 33.4 percent.

India to sustain growth, control prices: president (Reuters)

Reuters - India's government will try to
sustain high rates of economic growth while keeping prices
under control, President Pratibha Patil told a joint session of
parliament ahead of Friday's federal budget.

Wall Street rebounds on bond insurer hopes (FT.com)

FT.com - US stocks rebounded in late trading on Friday on hopes that a plan to bail out troubled bond insurer Ambac Financial would soon be announced and calm fractious markets.

Answer Desk: A hostile takeover playbook

If Microsoft has the cash to buy rival Yahoo, why can’t it just call up a stock broker and? buy? all of Yahoo's stock? The Answer Desk, by msnbc.com's John W. Schoen.

Venezuela considered swap in Exxon dispute (Reuters)

Reuters - Venezuela offered to resolve its
nationalization dispute with U.S. energy giant Exxon Mobil by
withdrawing from its stake in the Chalmette refinery, a top
energy official told local media in comments reported on
Sunday.

Nokia: Delaware case unlikely to solve Qualcomm row (Reuters)

Reuters - Cellphone maker Nokia (NOK1V.HE) said
on Sunday its agreement in a U.S. court in Delaware with
Qualcomm was unlikely to solve the major legal battle over
patent fees between the two technology heavyweights.

Seldom-read home loan docs must change: experts (Reuters)

Reuters - The papers that U.S. borrowers sign
when buying a house are piled so high that few people read them
all, and even fewer absorb the information.

Talk of bond insurer rescue spurs late stock rally (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. stocks rallied late on Friday on
news that banks were near an agreement to bail out bond insurer
Ambac Financial, a deal that could prevent further damage to
the banking industry and credit markets.

EU to consider sovereign wealth fund voluntary code (Reuters)

Reuters - The European Commission will consider
a code of conduct asking sovereign wealth funds run by
countries to stress commercial goals rather than strategic
considerations when making investments, an EU official said.

3Com rebuff due to 'complexities' and costs -Huawei (Reuters)

Reuters - Bain Capital Partner's $2.2 billion
bid to buy 3Com Corp with China's Huawei Technologies
failed due to acquisition complexities and rising costs, Huawei
said in its first public comments since U.S. national security
concerns scuppered the deal on Wednesday.

Fortis rapidly merging ABN AMRO fund unit - paper (Reuters)

Reuters - The merger of the asset management
divisions of ABN AMRO and Fortis is proceeding faster than
planned, a senior Fortis banker was quoted as saying.

Fed's Fisher warns on growth but wary of inflation (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. economy is in a
slowdown that could steepen but inflation is also a threat that
must not be ignored, the president of the Dallas Federal
Reserve Bank, Richard Fisher, said on Friday.

FTSE turns lower as miners weigh (FT.com)

FT.com - London equities ended lower on Friday after a clutch of broker downgrades hit the retail sector, while falling metals prices promted some profit taking in the miners.

What Investors Need to Know About Taxes (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - In 1913, the income tax was simple, with a one-page form. Taxes ranged from 1% to 7%, and less than 1% of the population made enough money to have to pay the tax.

In denial: Why file tax returns?

While we may sometimes fantasize about just not paying our income taxes, such wishful thinking has turned into actions of denial by some would-be filers. Big mistake.

Economic fears prime US stocks for lacklustre start (FT.com)

FT.com - Wall Street stocks were set for a flat start on Friday as worries about the outlook for the US economy and the threat of inflation continued to weigh on confidence.

Vanguard names successor to CEO Brennan (AP)

AP - The Vanguard Group announced Friday that F. William McNabb III was named president and director and will take over within a year as CEO of the nation's second-largest mutual fund company.

Best Buy to ramp up China expansion, shuns partners (Reuters)

Reuters - Top U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy
Co , facing stagnant sales at home, said on Friday it
would ramp up its expansion in China but would not grow through
partnerships with local rivals.

MBIA says municipal, corporate units should split (Reuters)

Reuters - MBIA Inc , struggling to
preserve the top-level credit ratings it needs to operate
normally, said on Thursday its industry should insure municipal
bonds as a separate business from insuring riskier corporate
and asset-backed debt.

LG Elec says can win market share from Motorola (Reuters)

Reuters - LG Electronics Inc (066570.KS), the
world's fifth-largest mobile phone maker, said on Friday
difficulties at rival Motorola Inc give it a strong
chance to win market share from the world No.3.

European shares rally as miners shine (AFP)

AFP - European stock markets rallied on Thursday, boosted by a late rally on Wall Street and strong gains for heavyweight mining shares which soared on record high metals prices, dealers said.

Tech set to spur gains on Wall Street (FT.com)

FT.com - Wall Street stocks were set for a higher start on Thursday with technology stocks leading the way after an analyst upgraded Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO)'s shares and Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) raised its forecast for Blackberry subscriber numbers.

Habits for Wealth: Dump Your Debt Habit (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - Do you have an unhealthy dependence on consumer credit? See how many of these statements describe you:

Short quarter trims JC Penney 4Q profit (AP)

AP - J.C. Penney Co. said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit fell 10 percent as its middle-class customers struggled with a weakening economy, and the department store retailer predicted modest earnings this year.

Banks bear brunt of FTSE losses (FT.com)

FT.com - London equities fell fast on Wednesday with the banking sector hit by news of a big drop in annual profits at Alliance & Leicester after the extent of the damage done by the credit crunch became clear.

Global retail giants battle for market share in China (AFP)

AFP - With millions of consumers at stake, global retail giants Carrefour and Wal-Mart are battling it out for market share in China with aggressive expansion plans aimed at opening ever more stores.

10 Tips: Dating services help

Consumer complaints about dating services has jumped 73 percent. If you’re using a dating service, these tips can help you avoid feeling heartbroken because you spent too much.

Two gift retailers file for bankruptcy (AP)

AP - A weak holiday season and a struggling economy led retailers Sharper Image Corp. and Lillian Vernon Corp. to file for bankruptcy this week, and analysts predict others could soon follow them as consumer spending worsens.

Supreme Court allows retirement plan suits

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that individual participants in the most common type of retirement plan can sue under a pension protection law to recover their losses.

The most overpriced suburbs in America

While many of the nation's homeowners are worried about falling home prices, others would argue they're not falling fast enough.

Investor's Corner: Use Fund Data To Find Promising Stocks (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - Hunters follow footprints when they stalk big game. Likewise, investors can follow the tracks of mutual funds to spot winning stocks.

Wal-Mart sees modest profit gain in 'volatile economy' (AFP)

AFP - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. reported a modest four percent rise in quarterly profits on Tuesday as the world's biggest retailer appeared to weather an abrupt slowdown in US economic growth.

More people are tapping their 401(k) for cash

Trent Charlton knew the risks when he borrowed $10,000 from his 401(k) and cut his retirement savings in half.

FTSE digests mixed news on banks (FT.com)

FT.com - The FTSE 100 climbed above 6,000 on Tuesday afternoon as dealers digested the latest developments in the banking sector.

Wal-Mart profit rises, revenue up (AP)

AP - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said Tuesday its renewed focus on low prices paid off with a 4 percent rise in profit for its fourth quarter as holiday shoppers bought discounted groceries and home electronics as well as health and wellness products.

How to tell if now is the time to refinance

A sharp drop in mortgage rates has sparked a wave of refinancing. But not everyone qualifies. Here is a guide on whether refinancing might be a good option for you.

Airlines face tough times amid slowdown (AP)

AP - Improved efficiency has helped airlines better prepare for a possible global economic slowdown compared to the last major recession, but expensive fuel continues to hurt bottom lines, an airline industry group said Monday.

FTSE higher on bank dividend hopes (FT.com)

FT.com - Banks led a FTSE 100 rally on Monday at the start of a busy week for the sector.

Answer Desk: Tax rebate riddles

As readers sit down to the annual brain-teaser of filing their income tax returns, this year offers a new enigma. Will I get one of these tax rebates from the government?

Bayer stops late-stage Nexavar trial (Reuters)

Reuters - Bayer HealthCare, a U.S.-based unit of Bayer AG
, stopped a late-stage trial of Nexavar in patients
with non-small cell lung cancer, after an independent data
monitoring committee concluded that the study would not meet
the main goal of improved overall survival.

Alibaba has say in Yahoo, Microsoft talks: source (Reuters)

Reuters - Alibaba Group, the Chinese Internet
firm, will seek a stronger voice for its management team in
Microsoft's talks to acquire Yahoo , Alibaba's largest
shareholder, a source said on Monday.

Iran opens its 1st oil products bourse (AP)

AP - Iran established its first oil products bourse Sunday in a free trade zone on the Persian Gulf Island of Kish, the country's oil ministry said.

Britain nationalizes ailing Northern Rock (Reuters)

Reuters - Britain decided to nationalize Northern
Rock on Sunday, abandoning a five-month attempt to
snare a private sector buyer for the ailing bank and piling
more pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Four bidders go through in Vin & Sprit auction: paper (Reuters)

Reuters - Sweden's centre-right government has
chosen four bidders in its auction of Vin & Sprit that will be
allowed to perform due diligence of the Absolut vodka maker,
business daily Dagens Industri reported on Sunday.

Economic woes reveal a long-felt unease (AP)

AP - Even when experts were declaring the economy healthy, many Americans voiced a vague, but persistent dissatisfaction. True, jobs were relatively plentiful over the last few years. It was easy to borrow and very cheap. The sharp rise in the value of homes and plentiful credit cards encouraged a nation of consumers to get out and buy. But to many people, something didn't feel right, even if they couldn't quite explain why.

Bond insurer plan may inject positive note (Reuters)

Reuters - Efforts to rescue a distraught U.S.
bond insurance industry could inject a positive note on Wall
Street but the economic data and earnings reports on tap for
this week are unlikely to change a downward trend for stocks.

Hard times heighten long-felt unease (AP)

AP - Even when experts were declaring the economy healthy, many Americans voiced a vague, but persistent dissatisfaction.

US stocks lower amid credit concerns (FT.com)

FT.com - US stocks ended the week on a subdued note on Friday when economic data combined with heightened credit concerns sent leading indices lower.

Credit Suisse CEO sees credit crisis nadir in months (Reuters)

Reuters - The worst of the banking crisis
resulting from the subprime meltdown is likely to be over in
months rather than quarters, Credit Suisse Chief
Executive Brady Dougan was quoted as saying on Saturday.

Bleak economic reports signal recession (Reuters)

Reuters - A series of bleak economic reports
on Friday showed the mood of American consumers deteriorating
in February to a point that has usually signaled recession,
while factory activity in New York state suffered its biggest
drop on record.

Wal-Mart drives another nail in HD-DVD coffin (AFP)

AFP - Top US retailer Wal-Mart on Friday drove another nail a coffin for Toshiba's HD DVD video disks by announcing it would shift to exclusively selling Japanese rival Sony's format Blu-ray.

Toshiba to give up on HD DVD, end format war: source (Reuters)

Reuters - Toshiba Corp (6502.T) is planning to give
up on its HD DVD format for high definition DVDs, conceding
defeat to the competing Blu-Ray technology backed by Sony Corp
(6758.T), a company source said on Saturday.

Tata, EADS to bid jointly for Indian Army project (Reuters)

Reuters - India's Tata Advanced Systems said on
Saturday it planned to form a partnership with an arm of
European plane-maker EADS to bid for the Indian Army's
$1 billion tactical communications system project.

Dow and Nasdaq slip on consumer spending worry (Reuters)

Reuters - The Dow and Nasdaq slipped on Friday
on concerns about consumer spending after an index of consumer
sentiment fell to a 16-year low and retailer Best Buy
warned that shopper traffic dropped off after the holidays.

NYSE Euronext to take 5 pct stake in India's commodity exchange (AFP)

AFP - NYSE Euronext, the world's largest financial market group, said Friday it will pick up a five percent stake in Mumbai's multi-commodity exchange MCX for 55 million dollars.

Delinquencies rise at Countrywide (AP)

AP - Countrywide Financial Corp. said Friday home loan delinquencies and foreclosures rose in January as more borrowers struggled to make their mortgage payments.

Retailers impose new toy safety rules (AP)

AP - After facing recall after recall of millions of Chinese-made items, the nation's biggest toy sellers are imposing stricter measures on their suppliers ? including tougher standards for lead content ? to get ahead of expected new federal legislation.

Industrial output posts weak gain (AP)

AP - The nation's industrial output posted a modest increase in January as strength at utilities offset weakness in manufacturing and mining.

London stocks inch higher (FT.com)

FT.com - London stock markets moved higher on Friday, shrugging off Wall Street losses thanks to strength in mining groups and pharmaceuticals.

Toys "R" Us toughening safety standards (AP)

AP - Toys "R" Us will soon have stricter safety standards for the products it sells in its more than 1,500 stores.

Buying past winning stocks: easy and worthwhile (Reuters)

Reuters - Buying past winners in the stock markets
sounds like a no-brainer, but this simple momentum strategy
gives long-term returns at least twice as great as
short-selling past losers, a study showed on Thursday.

Troubled Sharper Image replaces CEO (AP)

AP - Sharper Image Corp. named a crisis management expert as its new chief executive Thursday, marking the third time in 17 months that the struggling specialty retailer has ushered in a new leader as it tries to survive a worsening sales slump.

Kerviel's losses said to be $3.2 billion in June 2007 (Reuters)

Reuters - Jerome Kerviel, the trader blamed by
Societe Generale for heavy losses, had a trading deficit of 2.2
billion euros ($3.2 billion) as early as June last year, an
adviser to his lawyer told Paris Match.

European shares climb as global markets rally continues (AFP)

AFP - European stock markets rose on Thursday, chasing US and Asian markets higher, as equity investors mulled easing economic concerns amid a flood of company earnings news.

Bond insurer woes could become market tsunami: Spitzer (Reuters)

Reuters - The bond insurer problem must be
fixed, or else it could become a "financial tsunami" that
wreaks havoc on the broader economy, New York Governor Eliot
Spitzer is due to tell the U.S. Congress on Thursday.

European stocks endure more volatility (FT.com)

FT.com - European equity markets ended largely higher on Wednesday, recovering from early losses thanks to a strong start on Wall Street.

Morgan Stanley cuts 1,000 mortgage jobs (Reuters)

Reuters - Morgan Stanley will slash 1,000
jobs, scale back its U.S. home-lending business and shut down a
British mortgage unit as new management takes a hard look at
the continued deterioration in mortgage markets.

Retail sales rebound in Jan. after slump (AP)

AP - Shoppers put aside worries about the slumping economy to go to the malls and auto dealerships in January. That propelled retail sales to a surprising rebound following a dismal December.

European stocks pare early losses (FT.com)

FT.com - European stocks pared earlier sharp losses on Wednesday as recently sold-down financial stocks continued to find favour partially offsetting losses for oil companies.

Treasurys fall on strong retail sales (AP)

AP - Treasury prices fell Wednesday after a new retail sales report showed an unexpected increase in consumer spending for January after the dismal holiday season.

Buffett bond insurer offer boosts US stocks (FT.com)

FT.com - Wall Street opened higher on Tuesday after Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor, offered to take over $800bn in municipal bonds currently insured by bond insurers Ambac, MBIA (NYSE:MBI) and FGIC.

EU Raids Offices of Intel, Computer Retailers (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - European Commission investigators have raided the offices of Intel Germany in Munich as part of a wide-ranging probe into alleged antitrust violations by the world's largest chipmaker. A European Union spokesperson said the raid is ongoing but refused to divulge the reasons.

Love can hurt — your bank account

From the first date until the time you finally head down the aisle, you can easily have spent more than $40,000 on vacations, jewelry, wedding expenses, and meals out, according to BusinessWeek's calculations .

Small businesses sour on economy in January (Reuters)

Reuters - Small businesses are losing
confidence in the U.S. economy and have little hope a spate of
interest rate cuts or economic stimulus measures will do much
to boost sales, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Oil and mining groups lead FTSE higher (FT.com)

FT.com - London stocks were modestly higher on Tuesday, supported by hopes that UK interest rate cuts were still on the Bank of England's agenda after surprisingly weak inflation data.

Swiss bank Credit Suisse says profits show subprime damage contained (AFP)

AFP - Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse sought to reassure investors on Tuesday that it has weathered the storms of the US subprime home loan crisis after ending 2007 in the black.

Wall St on defensive as AIG adds to gloom (FT.com)

FT.com - US stocks were mixed on Monday as worries about increased credit losses at American International Group (NYSE:AIG) added to fears that US companies face further credit-related turmoil.

Risk Of Loss Tends To Fade With Time (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - With the average stock fund down about 9% this year, you might be wondering if you should move your money to a safer area.

RIM and Vodafone strike deal to target retail market (Reuters)

Reuters - International wireless giant Vodafone
Group Plc and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd
announced a partnership on Monday as RIM seeks
to broaden the BlackBerry's reach.

Bush gives update on economy (AP)

AP - President Bush says the economy is structurally sound for the long haul, and that the stimulus package approved by Congress will help deal with uncertainties in the short term.

Chevron, BofA added to Dow (AP)

AP - Bank of America Corp. and Chevron Corp. will replace Honeywell International Inc. and Altria Group Inc. on the Dow Jones industrial average next week, Dow Jones & Co. said Monday.

Tax rebate math not that simple

What could be simpler than handing out tax rebates?? Alas, with all things related to the U.S. tax code, the question of who gets what turns out to be not so simple.

Countrywide to aid more borrowers (AP)

AP - Countrywide Financial Corp., under pressure to help stem growing home loan defaults, says it will expand programs to help borrowers manage their mortgage payments regardless of the type of subprime loan they have or whether they have already fallen behind on payments.

Retail in focus this week on Wall Street (AP)

AP - Americans are paying more attention to how much they spend on each box of cereal, tank of gasoline and pair of pants ? and Wall Street is, too.

Answer Desk: How much will my rebate be?

What could be simpler than handing out tax rebates?? Alas, with all things related to the U.S. tax code, the question of who gets what turns out to be not so simple.

Rio urges shareholders to take no action on BHP bid (Reuters)

Reuters - The chairman of mining company Rio
Tinto Ltd/Plc wrote to shareholders on Sunday,
urging them to take no action on a bid for the company by rival
miner BHP Billiton .

Three banks offer to securitise N.Rock loan: report (Reuters)

Reuters - Royal Bank of Scotland , Barclays
and Citigroup have offered to securitise half of
the Bank of England's emergency loan to Northern Rock ,
The Sunday Telegraph reported, without citing sources.

Reality check for Europe (Reuters)

Reuters - The extent of Europe's
infection from the U.S. subprime mortgage virus is becoming
clearer, even as the European Central Bank faces down calls for
it to follow U.S. and UK counterparts by cutting interest
rates.

For Toyota, success is a bitter-sweet pill (Reuters)

Reuters - This is the first in a series of business features by
Reuters focusing on some of the world's biggest brands and most
innovative companies.

Blue Chip panel puts U.S. recession odds at 50 percent (Reuters)

Reuters - The odds of a U.S. recession stand
at nearly 50 percent amid a spate of data showing a weakening
labor market, signs of more credit tightening and turmoil in
the financial markets, the latest Blue Chip Economic forecast
is projecting.

Wall St stumbles on fresh risk aversion (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks fell on Friday as investors
lost their appetite for risk and sold shares of financials,
home builders and other sectors that have been at the center of
the credit market crisis.

Chrysler to cut models and dealerships (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. automaker Chrysler LLC
plans to shrink its dealer network and cut some vehicles that
compete with its each other for customers to become a smaller,
profitable company, an executive said on Friday.