Business Merger to Create Credit-Card Giant June 30, 2005 • Bank of America has announced plans to merge with MBNA Corporation. The deal is estimated at more than $30 billion, and would create one of the nation's largest issuers of credit cards. But 6,000 jobs are on the chopping block.
Health Care Canada Eyes Changes to Large Prescriptions June 29, 2005 • Canada's minister of health is announcing new proposals that could restrict exports of prescription drugs to the U.S. He wants to head off sales of Canadian drugs to large chain stores in the United States. The proposals include requiring proof that patients have established a relationship with a Canadian doctor before a pharmacy fills an order. It's unclear how the new rules will affect the sales of prescription drugs between the two countries.
Paying at the Pump Rising Oil Prices Fail to Deter Consumption June 28, 2005 • Oil prices closed Monday above $60 a barrel, another record. Growth in worldwide demand seems to be unaffected by the rise in prices, and U.S. drivers aren't doing much about it, either.
The Color of Money Listener Letters: Consolidation, Interest-Only Loans June 28, 2005 • Our own Day to Day personal finance contributor answers listener questions about student loan consolidation, car purchases and interest-only home loans. Singletary writes the syndicated column "The Color of Money" for The Washington Post.
Digital Photo Price War June 27, 2005 • Most digital photos are stored, e-mailed or shared electronically. Only a small number are printed -- the majority of those at home. But that is changing. Online photo processors and retailers have slashed the price of printing and made it easier to turn digital images into old-fashioned prints.
Uncovering Hidden Fees June 26, 2005 • Cameron Stracher, publisher of the New York Law School Law Review, talks about hidden fees found these days in everything from the E-Z Pass you use on toll roads to the gift cards your aunt gives you for your birthday.
Business Sour Times for Winn-Dixie, Krispy Kreme June 25, 2005 • The Winn-Dixie supermarket chain, confronting bankruptcy, is laying off 22,000 workers and closing more than 300 stores. And doughnut maker Krispy Kreme fired six top executives amid sagging stock prices.
Business 'Rogue' Movers Hiking Prices Once Boxes are Packed June 24, 2005 • People who need to pack up and move are being taken advantage of by "rogue movers." These scammers low-ball moving estimates and then raise the price and hold people's belongings for ransom. Tim Walker, a former victim who started a Web site to help people avoid getting scammed, talks about the crime.
Business Vigilantes Go on the Offensive to Bait Net Crooks June 24, 2005 • A group of dedicated computer wizards are fighting back against Internet scams that promise millions of dollars. Calling themselves "scambaiters," they have collected enough information on the scammers' tools and techniques that even the FBI has taken notice.
Law High Court: Property Can Be Seized for Private Development June 23, 2005 • The Supreme Court rules that local governments can seize a person's home or business in order to make way for private economic development. The 5-to-4 decision was a defeat for seven Connecticut property owners whose homes are slated to be torn down for a development project that would include a hotel and offices.
National Creative Tips for Balancing Work, Family Life June 22, 2005 • Many working people struggle to find a balance between job and family. Sue Shellenbarger, who writes the "Work & Family" column for The Wall Street Journal, offers advice on balancing work and home, short of quitting.
Business Feds Investigate Credit Card Security Lapse June 22, 2005 • Federal banking regulators have begun an investigation into the credit card payment processing company whose security breach put millions of American cardholders at risk for fraud. One of the security steps the firm might have taken, but did not, is encrypting the data.
Economy Auctions Win More Business in Real Estate Market June 22, 2005 • When existing home sales numbers come out on Thursday, they are expected to show the housing boom continuing. One way some buyers are snapping up properties is at auction. Auctions have yet to take off in the United States the way they have in some other countries, like Australia.
Economists Raise Concern over Creative Home Loans June 21, 2005 • If you want to buy a house in an overheated market like San Diego or New York, a drop in home prices might not sound like such a bad idea. But economists say a sudden decline would strand some people in homes they can't sell. And the growing use of interest-only mortgages and other creative financing ideas could worsen their plight.
The Color of Money Getting to Know Your Timeshare Vacation Home June 21, 2005 • Our very own Day to Day personal finance contributor talks with Madeleine Brand about what consumers should know about timeshare vacation homes. Singletary writes the syndicated column "The Color of Money" for The Washington Post.