Apple, app makers hit with privacy lawsuits

Consumers who say their personal information has been sent to advertisers without their knowledge have launched a legal battle against Apple and the makers of some of its most popular apps, the latest skirmish in the fight over the boundaries of privacy online.

2010 worst year for bank failures since 1992

More banks failed in the United States this year than in any year since 1992, during the savings-and-loan crisis, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Washington region posts gains as home prices still falling in most U.S. cities

The Washington region posted the highest year-over-year home price gains in the nation this fall, as real estate values slumped in nearly every other metropolitan area, a key housing report said Tuesday.

Looking back at 2010, writing more about financial 'reform' would have been wise

Ihave performed a painful annual ritual ever since I began writing a column about 20 years ago: rereading my work for the year and telling you, my audience, about the things I got wrong and the things I wish I had done differently.

Obama administration steps up monitoring of banks that miss TARP payments

The Obama administration has begun monitoring the high-level board meetings of nearly 20 banks that received emergency taxpayer assistance but repeatedly failed to pay the required dividends, according to Treasury Department officials and documents. And it may soon install new directors on some o...

Gift-card sales rise after falling for two years

The gift card is back. For the first time since the economic downturn began, sales of gift cards are slated to rise this holiday season amid a broader resurgence in consumer spending. That is expected to help make the week after Christmas particularly lucrative for retailers as shoppers return to...

Corporate mergers up, but effect acquisitions may have on job market is unclear

The volume of global mergers this year rose 19 percent as firms looked for ways to deploy the record amount of cash on their balance sheets. But companies often shed jobs when they combine, so a renewed enthusiasm for mergers and acquisitions could spell trouble for some workers.

2011 Nissan Leaf SL

Bottom line: The Nissan Leaf SL is a real automobile. That's the first and most appealing thing about it. As an all-electric with a 100-mile range per full charge, it makes perfect sense as an everyday commuter vehicle, especially in traffic-congested city centers where mobile-source air pollution...

2011 Nissan Leaf SL: Warming to a cool technology

The outside temperature was 27 degrees Fahrenheit. The air on this clear, moonlit night looked ice blue. It was the tail end of the Christmas shopping season. The stores were open late.

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Except on the snow-struck East Coast, shoppers storm the malls for after-Christmas buys

ATLANTA - While an East Coast snowstorm put a damper on after-Christmas buying Sunday, shoppers across the rest of the country scoured clearance racks and spent gift cards in the afterglow of what appears to have been the best holiday season for retailers since 2007.