Third quarter gives prominent retailers an unexpected boost
Target, Saks and TJX Cos. see improving sales and are cautiously optimistic about the holidays.
[November 18, 2009]

Dip in factory output shows buyers cautious
A drop-off in auto production leads the decline, and analysts are predicting a slow recovery in the sector.
[November 18, 2009]

Bill would end Fed's oversight role
The Senate plan seeks better regulation of risky practices by shifting the policing of financial firms.
[November 11, 2009]

October auto sales show some spark
Most companies report increased sales from a year ago, a sign that a gradual recovery is under way.
[November 4, 2009]

Britain to split biggest banks
RBS and Lloyds must sell off some of their businesses to ensure competition.
[November 4, 2009]

'Stress test' indicates uneven recovery
Northern counties and states, including Maine, are doing better than their Southern counterparts.
[November 3, 2009]

More good numbers for economy, tempered by some concern
Manufacturing picks up, but analysts have doubts about a sustained trend.
[November 3, 2009]

Consumers not in spending mood
Amid job worries, they're losing confidence in the economy and scaling back plans for purchases.
[October 28, 2009]

Deal near for dissolving big firms
The government will not recover costs ahead of time, but could seize the assets of big firms.
[October 27, 2009]

Companies game the system to make earnings look good
The recent focus on expectations can distract investors from more meaningful numbers.
[October 26, 2009]

Banks boosted CEO perks 4 percent
In contrast, such benefits at nonfinancial Fortune 100 companies declined over 7 percent last year.
[October 21, 2009]

Companies tied to emerging markets recovering
Shipping to India and Asia is providing hope while business in Europe and the U.S. is slower.
[October 21, 2009]

Cut budget deficit, Fed chief urges
Ben Bernanke says Asian nations' consumers are still saving too much and Americans too little.
[October 20, 2009]

Report: Stimulus aided teachers most
Early data indicates billions in recovery funds went to stabilize state budgets and avert teacher layoffs.
[October 13, 2009]

Recovery of 7.2 million lost jobs will take years, says business panel
Economists point to 2012 or later for a full reversal, but say housing should rebound at a faster pace.
[October 13, 2009]

Retailers anticipate blue holiday shopping season
Stores are likely to slash prices and offer other promotions to lure holiday shoppers again this year.
[October 13, 2009]

Service sector shows growth
An index of activity in non-manufacturing businesses rises for the first time in over a year.
[October 6, 2009]

SEC watchdog proposes changes
The inspector general says staff failed to thoroughly review a complain about Bernard Madoff in 2001.
[September 30, 2009]

FDIC aims to rebuild fund
The board proposes a way for banks to add $45 billion to the federal deposit insurance fund.
[September 30, 2009]

FDIC may order banks to prepay fees
The agency's board is expected to call for early premiums to replenish the deposit insurance fund.
[September 29, 2009]

U.S. home prices rise, indexes show
Two reports support evidence that the decline is over and feed hopes that a bottom has arrived.
[September 23, 2009]

FDIC weighs options for bank fund
The agency is struggling to find a way to replenish the fund used to insure deposits at U.S. banks.
[September 23, 2009]

Manufacturers leading initial recovery
Although consumers are holding back, growth in other areas could pick up some of the slack.
[September 17, 2009]

Obama warns Wall Street against repeating the past
The president tells investors not to expect another bailout and calls for tighter regulation.
[September 15, 2009]

Consumers turn to layaway in droves
Shoppers who are short on cash and shut off from credit find it's easier to pay a little at a time for school supplies.
[August 25, 2009]

Credit card companies scale back on rewards
Customers are getting less back as the industry adjusts to a new law.
[August 18, 2009]

Will Fed unwind rescue efforts?
It's likely to signal today how long it plans to keep special programs to prop up the economy in place.
[August 12, 2009]

S&P tops 1,000 for first time in 9 months
'The market is beginning to smell economic recovery,' one analyst says of the stock rebound.
[August 4, 2009]

White House plans swift sale of auto shares
The treasurers of Chrysler and GM tell lawmakers that they foresee no problems paying back their loans.
[July 28, 2009]

Proposed Fed supercop role has skeptics
Chairman Ben Bernanke assures a House panel the Fed can handle big financial companies.
[July 22, 2009]

Dow's back in black for 2009
News of CIT's deal and optimism over better earnings reports whets investors' appetite for risk.
[July 21, 2009]

Record deficit exceeds $1 trillion
The gap could approach $2 trillion by this fall, aggravating fears about inflation and interest rates.
[July 14, 2009]

Luxury retailers respond as rich hold back
The affluent market, key to U.S. economic recovery, is forecast to decline 10 percent this year.
[July 7, 2009]

Analysis: Ad-spending slump near bottom
A forecast predicts global outlays will be down 8.5 percent this year, then start a slow rebound in 2010.
[July 7, 2009]

GM gets OK to sell its assets
The transfer to a 'new GM' will be appealed by people who have sued the 'old' automaker.
[July 7, 2009]

June lets the air out of rising confidence
After gains in April and May, job insecurity and other realities lower consumer expectations.
[July 1, 2009]

Tumbling credit scores distress borrowers
To cut risk, lenders seek higher scores, putting credit further out of reach for more consumers.
[June 23, 2009]

Home construction up sharply in May
That and other economic news provide fresh evidence of slow recovery.
[June 17, 2009]

Jet orders trickle in at industry air show
Boeing comes up empty as slower military sales and the recession force it to focus more on exports.
[June 16, 2009]

For auto suppliers, risk isn't over until it's over
Cash infusions and timely payments by automakers avoid disaster, but now factory shutdowns loom.
[June 16, 2009]

Ten banks get to repay bailout funds
Experts say that's a sign of some stability returning to the financial system, but the crisis is far from over.
[June 10, 2009]

Hiring on the rise, but more people looking
Economists say that many employers are waiting for the economy to improve.
[June 10, 2009]

Government jobs ease stress
In the counties that enjoy relative prosperity, large numbers of workers get government paychecks.
[June 9, 2009]

GM reaches deal to sell Hummer
Other buyers are reportedly interested in Saturn and Saab.
[June 3, 2009]

GM: Owners, workers, retirees affected
Answers to common questions about the bankruptcy
[June 2, 2009]

Analysts expect recovery this year
More than 90 percent of economists say the recession will end in '09, and the rebound will be bumpy.
[May 27, 2009]

Geithner to execs: Don't worry about federal cap on pay
The U.S. will only impose broad limits, aimed at minimizing incentives to take big risks, the treasury secretary says.
[May 19, 2009]

As jobs grow scarce, new hire pay falls
Employers cut pay offered to new workers as a way to deal with the recession.
[May 13, 2009]

Economy shows signs of stabilizing
Even as the trade deficit widens, economists say the worst of the declines are behind us.
[May 13, 2009]

Bernanke expects upturn this year
But the jobless rate will likely climb 'somewhere' around 9 percent, he says.
[May 6, 2009]

Learn More

General

Maine Answers Tough Times:
A collection of helpful links

Banks

Does your bank have toxic assets?
Learn about your bank's financial details.

Resources for the unemployed

Read Getting Covered: Finding Health
Insurance When You Lose Your Job

FAQ about COBRA from US Labor Dept

Health care resources from the Maine
Career Center

Link to article about additional COBRA
benefit proposed by the Baldacci administration

Read Navigating Maine's Health Care System
from Consumers for Affordable Health Care.

COBRA information for employers

Applying for unemployment benefits in Maine


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