Online Features
Money & Finance
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Five steps to help improve financial - and physical - health
(BPT) - Plans to improve health and finances are among the most common resolutions Americans make each year. Both are worthy goals, but did you know that improving your financial health may boost your physical health as well? “Money problems are a well-known cause of stress, and the negative impact that stress has on o...
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How to protect yourself from identity theft
(BPT) - Identity theft occurs more frequently in the United States than people want to believe. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, identity theft and identity fraud are referred to as “all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud...
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A 2012 IRA contributions and deductions guide [Infographic]
As tax time nears, it’s helpful to review IRS code for the current rules and limits on retirement contributions . Let the following infographic guide you as you make sure you are getting the most out of your retirement dollars, and aren’t exceeding any federal limits as you close out your finances for 2012.  
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Five tips to improve your financial health in 2013
(BPT) - Creating better financial habits tops many New Year’s resolution lists every year. If it is on your list for 2013, there are a few steps you could consider to help you pursue your goals. According the Fall Merrill Edge Report , 77 percent of mass affluent Americans – those with $50,000 to $250,000 in investabl...
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What Millennials know, don't know and should know about saving for retirement
(BPT) - While it’s never a good idea to make blanket assumptions about any group of people, Millennials, in particular, are defying stereotypes. Take, for example, the convention that holds young people are too busy spending their income to think about retirement. A recent survey by Prudential Financial indicates this...
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The six most common identity theft risks at tax time
(BPT) - Tax time is always tough. Whether you will owe or anticipate a refund, plan to do your own taxes or pay a professional to do them for you, preparing and filing your taxes can be a tedious task. It can also be a risky one: the information needed to prepare your taxes is a treasure trove for enterprising identity ...
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The 10 'never-break' rules of good credit
(BPT) - Some rules are meant to be broken – like the one about not wearing white after Labor Day. Others should remain sacrosanct, such as the rules of good credit. Those are the kind of rules that can make life easier and happier when you follow them – and help ensure your finances stay in good order, too. Unlike fash...
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Six steps to getting the best deal on a used car
(BPT) - When it comes to value purchases, there are few that compare to buying a used car over a new one, since new cars begin to depreciate the minute they are driven off the lot. If you are able to find a used car that still has plenty of life, you can save thousands from what you would pay for a new car. While buyin...
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How to achieve 4 common financial goals
(BPT) - Whether it’s the new year, a new job, a new baby or simply the right time to get your finances order, the process usually starts with setting some goals. The first step in the process of achieving your financial goals is to recognize what needs to be done to put yourself in the position you want to be in. Once...
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Shape your financial future by checking your credit report and scores
(BPT) - Do you know what’s on your credit report? Do you know your credit scores? If you don’t, you’re not alone, but now is a good time to better understand how they work before you go apply for that loan. By waiting to check your report and scores until you want to buy a car or house, you may discover too late your fi...
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This holiday season, share your financial and care inventory with those who need to know
(BPT) - Each year, thousands of Americans are thrust into the uncomfortable role of making long-term care decisions for their family members. These emotional decisions can create stressful situations for the entire family, in addition to being time-consuming and expensive. Fortunately, there is a way to help reduce the...
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Closing the financial planning gender gap
(BPT) - While it’s a bit of a stereotype to say men are from Mars and women are from Venus, when it comes to financial planning styles, the fact remains the sexes are worlds apart in their approach to saving and investing. Prudential Financial’s latest biennial study on the Financial Experience and Behaviors Among Wome...
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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 Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Rescuers went building to building in search of victims and survivors picked through the rubble of their shattered homes on Tuesday, a day after a massive tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, wiping out blocks of houses and killing at least 24 people. ...


Tue May 21 20:29:24 UTC 2013

Rescue workers look through the rubble at Plaza Towers Elementary school in MooreBy Ben Berkowitz and Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters) - Moore, Oklahoma, has had the bad luck of being hit by two highly destructive tornadoes, both in the month of May, 14 years apart. But the Moore that got struck on Monday is not the same as in 1999. Like a lot of towns across America and in the so-called "Tornado Alley," rapid growth has made it a bigger target, vulnerable to more damage. The tornado, with winds that may have topped 200 miles per hour, killed at least 24 people and injured hundreds more, with many of the casualties children from two schools that were destroyed. ...


Tue May 21 15:34:25 UTC 2013

General view of a landscape almost cleared of debris from a tornado in Joplin, MissouriBy Kevin Murphy KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Less than three hours after a deadly twister on Monday flattened a swath of Moore, Oklahoma, tornado warning sirens sounded in Joplin, Missouri, 215 miles to the northeast. While no twister touched down, the Oklahoma disaster and the sirens stirred painful memories in Joplin, which on Wednesday observes the second anniversary of one of the most catastrophic tornadoes in American history. "It brought back a lot of fear, especially since there was a chance that a tornado could hit here," Sarah Jo Radcliffe, a Joplin resident, said on Tuesday. ...


Tue May 21 17:13:55 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