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Boomers: Your credit profiles matter more now than ever
(BPT) - Maintaining a good credit profile is important at all stages of life, even for baby boomers who may have paid off their mortgages and don’t anticipate the need for more big-ticket loans. But it’s important to remember credit scores are used for more than just borrowing money, and you never know when an opportuni...
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Tips on how to use Craigslist safely and responsibly
(BPT) - Need a bike to start getting into shape? Looking for a new job? Interested in renting a condo for that long-desired trip? Every day, millions of Americans turn to Craigslist.org to buy and sell items, find jobs, meet other people or find a vacation property to rent. More than 60 million people use the website  ...
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Busted: The top 4 most common pet myths
(BPT) - It’s no secret that Americans love their pets. When it comes to U.S. pet ownership, 39 percent of households own at least one dog, and 33 percent own at least one cat, according to the Humane Society of the United States . Furry family members bring joy and excitement to a household, and providing the best care...
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A 'not-so-rare' story in the journey of a rare disease diagnosis
(BPT) - In the year 2000, Lisa Wollman, a young, vibrant woman in the prime of her life, was pregnant with her second child, and like many expectant mothers, was experiencing changes in her mood and body. However, she knew something was not quite right. Lisa started experiencing anxiety and insomnia, which had not occ...
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Solid retirement planning a must for Generations X and Y
(BPT) - When it comes to making plans for retirement years , today’s younger workers are struggling to make heads or tails of all the resources and products available to them through work and personal investments. Younger professionals who fit into the Gen X and Gen Y categories also are not taking advantage of financi...
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Preserving our planet: How to celebrate Earth Day every day
(BPT) - Greenhouse gases are at an all-time high. Although some gases are naturally present in the atmosphere, such as water vapor, ozone, methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, human activities have created a new set of greenhouse gases (GHG) that are negatively affecting the ozone layer. GHGs are making it easier ...
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Simple tips to save water, money and the environment
(BPT) - There are a number of ways to save water and they all start with you.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American uses about 50 gallons of water per day at home. That means a family of four uses approximately 6,000 gallons a month. The following tips can help you save water, mon...
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Snacking on the go: perfectly portioned snacks made simple and stylish
(BPT) - In today’s busy world, snacking on the go is a fact of life. However, delicious and balanced snacks don’t need to be boring; or become bruised and forgotten items at the bottom of your purse. Here are some creative ways to spice up your snack routine and help you savor perfectly portioned and portable snacks to ...
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2013 tax season tips
(BPT) - It’s tax season and, as always, there are many new rules that can create traps for the unwary. But with a few tips and tricks, you can help minimize your taxes and maximize your overall long-term financial position. Consider the following five tax tips from Robert Fishbein, vice president and corporate counsel, Prudential Financial , who has more than 25 years of experience in tax law. 1. Last minute retirement funding - You can still make a $5,000 2012 contribution to your tradit...
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Knowing your health heritage: the familial link of diseases
(BPT) - Family members can have many things in common, including physical characteristics and personality traits. While some traits are obvious, like having red hair or blue eyes, some shared traits are not as obvious, such as the risk for developing a common medical condition, like high cholesterol, or a rare disease. ...
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Five common credit report errors to watch out for
(BPT) - Everyone makes money mistakes. Some are harmless – like writing last year’s date on checks or buying a big-screen TV the day before they go on sale. Others can be downright harmful, especially when they could mean the difference between getting a good interest rate and paying thousands more in interest over the ...
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Taking the intimidation out of saving for retirement
(BPT) - Saving for retirement is a scary prospect for many Americans. In fact, just 14 percent feel confident they will have enough money to live on when they retire, according to the 2012 Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute . And 60 percent say they have less than $25,000 saved for ...
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national news

Danielle Stephan holds boyfriend Thomas Layton as they pause between salvaging through the remains of a family member's home one day after a tornado devastated the town Moore, OklahomaBy Ian Simpson and Alice Mannette MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescue efforts in the tornado-ravaged Oklahoma City suburb of Moore continued through the night into Wednesday morning, with officials increasingly confident that everyone caught in the disaster had been accounted for. The massive tornado that tore through the area on Monday wiped out blocks of houses, killed at least 24 people and injured about 240. ...


Wed May 22 01:36:24 UTC 2013

Greuel speaks to supporters during her election night party in Los AngelesBy Steve Gorman and Sharon Bernstein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti opened a narrow election night lead in his bid to become mayor of America's second-largest city as it faces an increasingly gloomy financial outlook, early returns showed late on Tuesday. Garcetti drew 52 percent of the vote, compared with 48 percent for his opponent, city Controller Wendy Greuel, after tabulation of 23 percent of all ballots cast at polling places on Tuesday and all mail-in ballots received as of last Friday. ...


Wed May 22 02:00:47 UTC 2013

City of Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson holds a news conference in Harrisburg PennsylvaniaBy Michael Sadowski (Reuters) - The embattled mayor of Pennsylvania's financially crippled capital of Harrisburg was ousted on Tuesday when she lost the Democratic primary to the owner of an independent bookstore. Mayor Linda Thompson's loss to Eric Papenfuse comes after a tumultuous term in which her outbursts and statements caused a loss of confidence in her administration. Papenfuse is likely to win the general election in this heavily Democratic city in November, but he must still face off against independent candidate Nevin Mindlin. ...


Tue May 21 23:59:17 UTC 2013
[Updated at 2:30 p.m. CT] MOORE, Okla. –As a hailstorm bore down on the devastated region Tuesday afternoon, first responders continued to sift through debris to try to find survivors and figure out how many people died in the massive tornado that ripped through southern Oklahoma City and other towns a day earlier. Twenty four [...]
Tue May 21 18:36:00 UTC 2013