Online Features
Money & Finance
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Money and marriage: Tips to achieve financial happiness
(BPT) - Fights over finances are a commonly known cause of stress and divorce, and a new survey indicates that while the average couple fights over money five times a year, they discuss finances reasonably fewer than two times a month. Every couple knows there are some topics you just don’t bring up – his mother’s dre...
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Making money health more manageable
(BPT) - When you stray from your fitness goals with a fast-food meal or by skipping a few days at the gym, it’s important to not use those moments as an excuse to stop trying. Financial fitness is the same. When you miss a month of paying into your savings, or allow a credit card balance to roll over to the next month, ...
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Window checklist: 5 questions to ask your contractor before replacing windows
(BPT) - Summer’s a good time to tackle home improvement projects that will look great, but also save energy. Window replacement is one project that will help increase the energy efficiency of your home and improve curb appeal. There are often telltale signs a home may be in need of new windows, including air leakage, d...
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Five questions to ask before you tie the knot
(BPT) - “I’m so lucky I’m marrying my best friend,” is a phrase you often hear in wedding toasts. Now that you’ve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, make sure you protect each other by considering the bigger financial picture. According to Wedding Paper Divas , 47 percent of engaged couples...
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Tips for taking the worries out of finding an investment advisor
When it comes to financial advice, who do you trust? With so many financial professionals to choose from, how do you evaluate who will best be able to guide you? It can be difficult to know who to turn to, and how to gauge the trustworthiness of potential advisors. Economic events of the past few years have fostered a ...
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Thirteen smart financial steps to take in 2013
Many Americans dutifully make New Year’s Resolutions, but unfortunately most get  broken or forgotten before too long. So let’s not call these “New Year’s Financial Resolutions.” Instead, here are 13 smart financial steps that you can take to help get and keep your finances on track in 2013: 1. Establish a budget. Many...
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Tips for managing your credit while traveling
(BPT) - When it comes to the excesses and indulgences of vacation, you might like to think that “what happens in Vegas (or wherever you travel) stays in Vegas.” Unfortunately, poor spending and credit choices made on vacation definitely come home with you, so it’s important to take steps to protect your credit – both be...
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Insurance fraud: A $40 billion battle
(BPT) - The last thing anyone wants is for his or her insurance rates to increase. Most policyholders would be surprised to know it’s the last thing their insurance company wants to happen, too. That's why most major carriers have a department of investigators dedicated to stopping one of the primary causes of rate hike...
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Don't duplicate the stress: think taxes year-round
(BPT) - Now that the April 15 tax filing deadline has passed, so too has the stress associated with filing taxes for most people. This year, resolve to think about taxes early and often so you don’t get caught in a last-minute panic.  Not only does this advance preparation help reduce anxiety, but it also positions you...
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A borrower's guide to impressing a mortgage lender
(BPT) - Who doesn’t like to make a good impression? Whether it’s a first date, meeting the future in-laws for the first time or interviewing for a job, making a good first impression can pave the way for some of life’s happiest experiences. That’s especially true for home-buyers, whose ability to secure their dream home...
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Don't miss out on extra savings this tax season
Tax season is in full swing, and many families are gathering all their information to help them calculate how much of a refund they’ll receive this year. Families have several opportunities to qualify for tax exemptions or refunds, which can add up to a sizeable refund check from the federal government. If you’re expecting a refund this year, be sure to put it to good use. For example, if you have any outstanding credit card debt, a payday loan online or other debts, consider using the re...
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Soul-lifting home improvements that are good for your wallet, too
(BPT) - No matter how value conscious a homeowner may be, few people ever make a home improvement simply to increase their house’s resale value. People also undertake home improvements to enhance their enjoyment of their home – or to fix a problem, which, in its own way, is good for the soul, too. When it comes to deci...
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national news
Boston poised to begin condom giveaway in high schools

A bowl of free New York City condoms are seen in a lobby at the AIDS Service Center of New York City (ASC/NYC) lower Manhattan headquartersBy Stephanie Simon (Reuters) - Students at all Boston public high schools may soon be able to obtain free condoms at the front office - as long as they sit through a few minutes of counseling about safe sex - under a policy due to be voted on Wednesday by the school board. Condoms are already available in 19 high schools with on-site health centers. The policy, up for a vote by the Boston School Committee, would expand distribution to all 32 high schools in the system. Parents would have the right to exempt their children. Several U.S. ...


2013-06-19 14:05:28 -0500
Jury selection in Trayvon Martin murder case moves into final phase

Defense Attorney O'Mara and prosecutor de la Rionda talk as jury selection continues in George Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial in SanfordBy Barbara Liston SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - The final round of jury selection began in Florida on Wednesday in the trial of a former neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, who is charged with the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager in February last year. Lawyers on both sides are working to whittle down a group of 40 potential jurors to form a panel of six and at least four alternates with the expectation that prosecutors and lawyers will deliver opening arguments on Monday. ...


2013-06-19 13:48:47 -0500
Theft of F-35 design data is helping U.S. adversaries: Pentagon

Handout photo of three F-35 Joint Strike Fighters flying over Edwards Air Force BaseBy David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The theft of sensitive design data by hackers targeting programs like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter takes away a big U.S. advantage by allowing rivals to speed up development of their own stealth aircraft, a top Pentagon official said on Wednesday. Defense acquisitions chief Frank Kendall told a Senate hearing he was reasonably confident that classified information related to the development of the F-35 was well-protected. "But I'm not at all confident that our unclassified information is as well-protected," he said. ...


2013-06-19 13:41:54 -0500
TWA Flight 800 crash not due to gas tank explosion, former investigators say
The producers of an upcoming documentary on TWA Flight 800—which exploded and crashed into the waters off Long Island, N.Y., on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 people on board—claim to have proof that a missile caused the Paris-bound flight to crash. And six former investigators who took part in the film say there was [...]
2013-06-19 09:16:24 -0500