Confusion and fear at Toyota dealerships

Toyota drivers are feeling mounting confusion and frustration as they attempt to fix their recalled cars. And Toyota dealers are under the gun as they face sometimes angry customers.
"It’s just getting crazy," said Andy Phillips who heads the service department at Sandy Springs Toyota in Georgia. "Well, you know. I’m tired, the phones are […]

Foreclosure experts meet, debate strategies

JEFFERSON CITY — Foreclosures are running at an all-time high. And few think that will change any time soon.
So what do you do about them?
That was the subject of a conference here Thursday, where dozens of foreclosure counselors and experts from across the state gathered to talk about ways to try to […]

More registers ringing this holiday season

Shoppers may have boosted retailers with slightly better sales this year. But only when compared to a disastrous 2008. And that’s no guarantee that consumers’ shop ’til you drop mentality is back.
Most retailers won’t report their December sales results until next month, but early forecasts indicate things could be less awful than last year. […]

Gold hits record on talk of Indian buying

Gold prices hit record highs above $1,180 an ounce in Europe on Wednesday, boosted by the euro’s move through $1.50 against the dollar and by a report that India may consider buying more bullion from the IMF.
U.S. gold futures for December delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $21.20 […]

Fed’s Bullard says shrinking reserves key to exit

A senior Federal Reserve official said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank may start tightening financial conditions by adjusting its extensive asset purchase programs rather than raising interest rates.
“The market’s focus on interest rates is disappointing, given quantitative easing,” St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said in a presentation to a group […]

Dodd proposes bold financial overhaul

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee introduced a financial regulation reform bill on Tuesday that leaps beyond earlier proposals, calling for new government agencies on financial stability, bank supervision and financial consumer protection.
Senator Christopher Dodd, a Democrat, released the bill after intense closed-door negotiations, raising the ante in a debate over tighter […]

Cadbury awaits Kraft bid deadline

Cadbury’s shares edged up in early trade on Monday as the clock ticked toward a 1700 GMT (12 noon EST) deadline for Kraft Foods to either make a formal takeover bid for the British confectionery group or walk away.
Cadbury is the world’s second largest confectionery group while Kraft is number five with brands such […]

Half a million pounds of beef recalled on E.coli fears

A voluntary recall was announced Monday for more than half a million pounds of ground beef because it may be contaminated with bacteria linked to at least two deaths, officials said.
Fairbank Farms of Ashville, New York, said the recall was issued Saturday for approximately 545,699 pounds of ground beef produced between September 14 and […]

Madoff victims get half a billion … and counting

More than $500 million has been returned to the victims of Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff, according to the trustee in charge of recovering stolen assets.
Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee in charge of recovering and distributing assets, said Wednesday that the Securities Investor Protection Corp. (SIPC) has turned over $534.25 million to 1,558 investors in […]

Irish Cut Beer Prices After Left ‘High and Dry’ by Pound Slide

Hugh McGee is cutting the price of Guinness by about 20 percent at his bars and hotels in the Irish town of Letterkenny to keep customers coming across the border from Northern Ireland after the euro’s surge against the pound.
McGee reduced the price for a beer this month to 3.50 euros ($5.18) at […]