Only 28 homeowners have received checks so far from Louisiana's $7.5 billion hurricane housing aid program, but the private contractor running it assured Gov. Kathleen Blanco on Wednesday that it is dramatically picking up the pace. Read more…

A typical savings account comes with between 1 and 3 percent interest with a minimum balance. Read more…

SUMMARY: Two women are listed as parents on the birth certificate of a baby born this week in New Jersey, one of the first implications of a state Supreme Court ruling. Read more…

After months of protests, discussions and a virtual standoff, the United Teachers of Dade announced on Wednesday a tentative contract agreement for Miami-Dade teachers. Read more…

Health care insurance reform comes to Massachusetts on Jan. 1. Read more…

She is only in the seventh grade. But 12-year old Hortense Richey of Hughes Middle School in Greenville has become an expert of sorts on insurance fraud. Read more…

BB&T Corp. said this week that it is willing to discuss what it called a "merger of equals," according to published reports. Read more…

The Ontario Power Authority, which is responsible for carrying out Ontario's energy plans, recommended on Wednesday that the province keep half its remaining coal-fired power stations open for another eight years. Read more…

There are many good reasons for a small business owner to hold a holiday party for customers or employees. At the same time, owners should be aware of some of the possible pitfalls that can turn a festive event into a nightmare. Read more…

A great exercise to go through is trying to figure out how much a car will cost you over its life. It can help you make smart decisions about which vehicles to buy, sell, and keep. Read more…

Leading shares closed firmly ahead, at an intraday high, with M&A talk fuelling gains in the insurance sector and a large deal in the US buoying airline stocks, while Wall Street remained on positive terrain, dealers said. Read more…

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Read more…

High-tech manufacturing and services conglomerate Tyco International Ltd. on Wednesday posted a 38 percent jump in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit. But the company said it found errors in its stock-option granting practices under prior management that will cost $171 million in after-tax expenses. Read more…

The federal agency that insures private pension plans for millions of Americans logged a deficit of $18.1 billion this year, a big improvement from last year as a new law helped to put the agency on better financial footing. Read more…

When stocks roar ahead, as they have been in Eastern Europe lately, having a strict buy and sell discipline and holding cash can help ease the whiplash when they turn south. Thomas Neuhold navigates The World Funds -- Eastern European Equity Fund (NASDAQ:VEEEX - News) in Vienna as a bottom-up value investor who examines the profitability and valuation levels of companies before he dips in. He Read more…

Citigroup Inc. , was set to announce victory in a protracted $3 billion bid for a Chinese bank on Thursday, beating rival Societe Generale , two sources close to the deal said on Wednesday. Read more…

Jenny Bagent considers herself a Democrat and knows she should be thrilled her party won control of Congress. But the mother of two is skeptical life is suddenly going to get better for ordinary Americans. Read more…

The state of Florida owes 8 million people in Florida cash and you could be one of them. Read more…

Officials at Kahuku Hospital announced on Tuesday that the facility will close by the end of the year. Read more…

Flawed government policies and negative stereotyping of minority men have limited their economic opportunities, a new study says. It urges improved health care and education for minorities and less media consolidation. Read more…

Members of the Navy came to the aid of one of their own on Tuesday after a woman's home was destroyed by an overnight fire. Read more…

Homeowners in hurricane-weary Florida should be able to get bare-bones property insurance, coverage for only part of their home's value or even a policy that doesn't cover hurricane damage, according to draft recommendations from a state task force. Read more…

Most Americans believe smokers and obese people should pay more for health insurance, but they have mixed views on how to help the millions without any health insurance, according to a survey published on Tuesday. Read more…

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on America's Health Insurance Plans' (AHIP) proposal to extend health insurance to all Americans Read more…

The tide may have finally turned for multiline insurance behemoth American International Group (NYSE: AIG - News). Read more…