Online Features
Money & Finance
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Celebrate the grads in your life with financial gifts
(BPT) - Do you have a child in your life who will be graduating this spring? Whether it’s from kindergarten or college, graduation marks the completion of one chapter in a young person’s life and the start of a new adventure. Honor your grad’s achievement by helping him or her save for the future with a digital U.S. Sa...
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Financial planning insights for the LGBT community
(BPT) - Over the last decade, many companies have paid increasing attention to the buying power and consumer habits of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) market. But until recently, little attention has been focused on the financial experience of LGBT individuals. The groundbreaking “LGBT Financial Experience 2012-2013 Research Study” by Prudential Financial takes an in-depth look at the financial challenges and concerns of LGBT Americans, and provides eye-opening insights fo...
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Select the right insurance for your home-based business
(BPT) - Home-based businesses are booming. About 36.6 million businesses operate from U.S. households, according to the Home Based Business Institute. And the Small Business Administration notes that 53 percent of all small businesses located in the U.S. are home-based, with those numbers expected to grow substantially...
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Is it time for a financial checkup?
(BPT) - For most of us, checkups are a regular part of life. Dental visits, auto maintenance appointments and even glances in the bathroom mirror all help us catch potential problems and assure that all is – or will be – well. What’s true of teeth, engines and grooming is also true of finances: regular checkups are reco...
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Free birth control gives women more choice
(BPT) - Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as “Obama Care,” an estimated 47 million women are gaining access to all FDA-approved methods of birth control free of charge. This new law provides access to birth control methods that may have been too expensive for many women with private health insurance p...
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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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What you should know about life insurance [infographic]
Life insurance is a big deal. For many people, it’s among the most important purchases they will ever make. A well-chosen life insurance policy can protect families from hard financial times after a loved one passes. It can help families cover the costs of a funeral, major remaining debts and higher education for children, and replace lost income from the deceased. Still, many people don’t understand life insurance and what it can mean to them and their families. They either don’t think it ...
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Advice for choosing a financial advisor
(BPT) - Saving for retirement is an essential task, but one that can be complex and demand a lot of attention. With the arrival of April – Financial Literacy Month – focusing on your existing saving strategies should be a priority. It’s also an ideal time to talk to a financial professional who can help you shoulder the...
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Where your tax refund will go [Infographic]
More Americans will use their 2013 tax refund just to pay basic necessities. This tax season, nearly two-thirds of Americans report paying bills as the highest priority for spending their refunds, according to a recent Cricket Wireless survey, a sharp increase from 2012 (50 percent).
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It's all in the details - how to accessorize your home exterior
(BPT) - When considering exterior home improvements, many homeowners go for updates such as the replacement of siding or windows. These projects can make the home look great while boosting energy efficiency, but no matter how much homeowners invest in siding or windows, it will only look as good as the trim used to comp...
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Budgeting 101: How new graduates can conquer entry-level income challenges
(BPT) - Spring is the perfect time for young Americans to take a look at their budgets and become financially fit. Not only is April Financial Literacy Month, complete with nonprofit organizations around the country offering free seminars and online resources, but millions of high school and college students are also preparing for graduation and the next phase of their lives. But are new grads ready for the financial challenges that lay ahead? The average student loan debt for borrowers in ...
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national news
Man accused of kidnapping Cleveland women to face more charges

Ariel Castro enters the court room for a pre-trial hearing in ClevelandCLEVELAND (Reuters) - Authorities plan to present evidence next week to a grand jury as they seek to bring more charges against the former Cleveland bus driver accused of holding three women captive in his home, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty said Wednesday. Ariel Castro, 52, has pleaded not guilty to more than 300 charges against him, including rape and kidnapping, for holding the women and prosecutors are seeking to indict him on more charges related to later periods, McGinty said. ...


2013-06-19 09:06:52 -0500
Arizona bridge collapse kills one, injures one
(Reuters) - A freeway bridge under construction collapsed in Mesa, Arizona, on Wednesday, killing one worker and injuring another, a fire department spokesman said. The collapse occurred when four workers were removing supports from the bridge being built for the State Route 202 freeway, Captain Forrest Smith of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department said. One man was found dead under the debris. Another worker was injured and taken to a hospital for treatment, Smith said. The cause of the collapse was unknown. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Scott Malone and Gerald E. McCormick)
2013-06-19 09:13:05 -0500
FBI's search for Jimmy Hoffa's body continues a third day

A federal investigator carries yellow crime tape at field where Hoffa investigation is ongoing, in suburban DetroitBy Joseph Lichterman OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, Michigan (Reuters) - Investigators looking for the remains of former Teamsters boss, Jimmy Hoffa, in a suburban Detroit field continued their search for a third day Wednesday, seeking to verify a mobster's claim that the labor leader was buried alive on the property in 1975. The search of the 40- to 50-square-yard (33- to 40-square meter) area would continue for at least another 48 hours, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said late Tuesday. Police and FBI officials remained optimistic but had yet to send any evidence to the laboratory for analysis. ...


2013-06-19 09:26:05 -0500
TWA Flight 800 crash wasn’t due to gas tank explosion, former investigators claim
The producers of an upcoming documentary on TWA Flight 800—which exploded and crashed into the waters off of Long Island on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 people on board—claim to have proof that an explosion outside the Paris-bound flight caused the crash. And six former investigators who took part in the film want the [...]
2013-06-19 09:16:24 -0500