Back in 2008, a South Florida financial executive found himself firing each of the 70 employees reporting to him. Then, he, too, became a casualty of the crumbling economy. The executive asked for some anonymity in exchange for his honest account of what followed. Sweating through an unfriendly job market, he [ Read More → ]

Anna and Charlie Reynolds of St. George, Utah, were worried about losing their home to foreclosure last year. Then they got a lucky break—from an unlikely savior. Some investment funds are emerging as the best hope for millions of U.S. households, like the Reynolds, above, who were behind on [ Read More → ]

As you help pack up the minifridge, laptop and extra-long twin sheets for your college freshman, you might consider a few other last-minute chores: • Scour your health-insurance coverage for loopholes. • Reread your homeowner’s insurance policy. • Call your lawyer.Sending a child off to college for the first time is wrenching enough, [ Read More → ]

Q. I have $27,600 left in my IRA. On my quarterly statement it looks like I received 96 cents in interest. This is in a money market account. I just can’t leave this money and receive only 96 cents in a quarterly statement. This is all the money I have. [ Read More → ]

A California woman deep in credit card debt turned to a debt-settlement company that immediately began deducting money from her bank account for its promised services. After three months, the woman started getting calls from her creditors and learned they had never heard from the company. She asked for her money [ Read More → ]

WASHINGTON - Unable to make a sizable dent in unemployment, Democrats are on the political equivalent of a golden oldies tour, pledging support for Social Security, Medicare and other venerable programs while trying to stoke voter fears about Republican intentions. The Voting Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and most recently, [ Read More → ]

Allied Nationwide Finance’s efforts to satisfy its trustee, over what the trustee deems to be a breach of the finance company’s Trust Deed, are going to the wire with no announcement likely today. Bryan Connor, general manager for corporate trusts at trustee Guardian Trust, said not to expect an announcement on [ Read More → ]

There are a lot of bank fees that deserve the “Slater Slide.’’ Steven Slater is the JetBlue flight attendant who allegedly cursed a rude passenger and then opened an emergency exit and jumped down the aircraft’s slide. He slid into infamy or history — depending on your take on [ Read More → ]

By handing over the reported £4.6 million advance to charity, his personal tax bill will be cut from £2.3 million, according to leading accountants Grant Thornton. However, he will still be out of pocket because the money he has earned has gone to charity, they said. Mike Warburton, of accountants Grant Thornton, said: [ Read More → ]

A state recovery fund designed to reimburse Floridians who were scammed by their contractors is bankrupt. Set up after Hurricane Andrew, the Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund ran out of cash two years ago. The account is replenished with fees charged on building permit applications, but with construction statewide at a near [ Read More → ]