Online Features
Money & Finance
How to keep cool and cut home energy costs
The warm weather and long days of summer can give us a free and easy feeling - that is, until it's time to pay the utility bill. Utility costs can add up fast with increased use of the air conditioner, appliances and other household items during peak times. Yet it's easy to cut energy bills if you take simple steps to ad...
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Declaring energy independence for a brighter future
It is time to make history by changing history. For more than 40 years - and through eight presidents - the United States has been dependent on foreign oil to power the nation. Today, energy independence is a realistic goal, one founded on American innovation, technology and hard work. Here is what you need to know.
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Chalk up more back-to-school savings by shopping online
Before school starts in the fall, parents will tackle the task of back-to-school shopping. The "must-buy" list often doesn't change much from year to year. Students of all ages and schooling levels will need pencils, notebooks, new clothes, backpacks and folders. As you develop a shopping list for your children this year...
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Five ways to invest in gold
In the dark about how to invest in gold? Despite gold's increasing value and popularity, many folks don't know where to get started. If that includes you, you're not alone. Here are five options to get you started.
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The marriage merge: practical tips for combining your lives
Your wedding is sure to be the happiest day of your life, but marriage stretches well beyond those 24 hours. Merging your lives as husband and wife starts even before you say your "I do's" and will require some effort and patience - which will be good practice for your future life together.
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Why debt is a four letter word
There are many "do's" and "don'ts" when it comes to wise financial planning and stewardship. But many financial planning experts would agree that at or near the top of the don't list would be the following simple piece of financial advice: Don't fall into debt.
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The most-overlooked financial planning tool that's free to everyone
What did you do with that envelope that used to arrive once a year with estimates of your future Social Security benefits? You might have reviewed the information. You may have even filed the statement away as a reference. Now, this powerful financial planning tool is as close as the nearest computer.
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Squeeze more savings out of the gas pump this summer
With gas prices on an eternal upswing and the summer driving season in full force, drivers are looking for ways to alleviate the pain at the pump. Some simple steps can make a big difference in your fuel economy so you can save money and get the most out of every gallon.
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Online coupons: a great way to save money on weekly shopping lists
Online coupon usage is on the rise, according to a Business Wire publication. Consumers are using online coupon sites to find discounts on everything from A to Z on the shopping list, including personal items to apparel, medical supplies to home decor, eye wear to flowers, large restaurant equipment and more.
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Financial bliss after 'I do'
Wedding season is here. It's estimated that more than 2 million couples will be married in the United States this year. As couples young and old unite their hearts and lives, they will also face the challenging task of uniting their finances.
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By Malia Mattoch McManus HONOLULU (Reuters) - The city of Detroit may be facing a deepening financial crisis but that hasn't stopped four trustees of its public pension funds from spending $22,000 of retirement system funds to attend a conference in Hawaii this week. The trip 4,500 miles west to a four-star resort on the world-famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu doesn't sit well with the top officials now running Detroit's finances under an emergency order from the state of Michigan. ...
By Tim Gaynor NACO, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican activist Maria Elena Borquez takes up a paintbrush and daubs a bright splotch of color on the rusted steel fence separating the small Mexican town of Naco from a neighboring town in the United States. "The wall projects hostility," she said, paint pot in hand and surrounded by youngsters from both the United States and Mexico. "The idea is to transform it with art, friendship, colors and life ... into something that unites us," said Borquez, who is director of the local museum. ...
By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - The foreman of an Arizona jury that deadlocked over whether Jodi Arias should be put to death for murdering her ex-boyfriend believes she was mentally abused, but said on Friday that had not been enough to excuse her crime. Arias, a former waitress from California, was found guilty this month of murdering Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home in June 2008. He had been stabbed 27 times, had his throat slashed and been shot in the face. ...