Fixed-rate mortgages average 5.05 percent

Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey said that was up from last week, when it averaged 4.38 percent. Last year at this time it averaged 5.14 percent.

Fixed-rate mortages average 5.05 percent

Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey said that was up from last week, when it averaged 4.38 percent. Last year at this time it averaged 5.14 percent.

Fannie, Freddie chiefs may get $6 million

That figure would include incentive bonuses.

RIM BlackBerry outages causing outrage

The Crackberry blog was flooded Thursday with complaints from users saying RIM has lost its edge on customer service, InformationWeek reported.

Gifts: Under the tree, expect some cash

Online banking service PayPal said its Send Money gift service business rose 164 percent in the second half of the year, while Lottay.com, a PayPal partner, said cash gift-giving rose eight-fold since November, USA Today reported Thursday.

Durable goods, labor support market gains

The increase was slight, 0.2 percent over October, following a 0.6 percent decrease a month ago.

Nuclear loan program ready to lend money

We have a dormant nuclear industry. We have to start it up in a way that gives the people who are going to make investments the confidence that this is economically viable, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu told The New York Times in a story published Thursday.

Greece passes austerity budget for 2010

After three rating downgrades in one month, members of Parliament voted along party lines with the Socialist majority, approving a budget meant to bring the public deficit down from 12.7 percent of Greece's gross domestic product to 9.1 percent next year, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Madoff likely assaulted in prison

ABC News reported Thursday that Madoff, convicted of 11 counts of fraud and serving a 150-year sentence for operating a multi-billion Ponzi scheme, was released from the Duke University Hospital Tuesday after being admitted the Friday before with facial fractures, broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

SEC charges former World Health execs

The suit charges former Chief Executive Officer Richard McDonald, Marc Roup, a former CEO and board member, former accountant Deanna Seruga and the firm's outside counsel Joseph Emas with a variety of charges, including falsifying records to make the company appear profitable, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Thursday.

Durable good orders up slightly

Durable goods orders rose by $300 million in the month, the department said Thursday. Economists, however, had forecast the increase would be twice that.

Durable goods report supports market gains

The increase was slight, 0.2 percent over October, following a 0.6 percent decrease a month ago.