Money: 2007

Monday, December 31, 2007

Stocks in year-end malaise

Stocks continued to decline Monday, halfway through the last trading day of the year, as investors dress their portfolios for the year's end.

Help! Our kids are driving us broke

Kerri and Mike Miller have a spending problem. Three of them, in fact.

Stocks tumble as techs and financial stocks are weak. Existing-home sales show a tiny gain for November but are still down 20% from a year ago. Take a look back at the winners and losers for the year.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

10 ways to simplify your life in 2008

With a little upfront effort, you can streamline how you bank, pay bills and track your money. Now is a good time to set up a financial system that will pay off all year long.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Kerkorian buying into Delta Petroleum

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Your 'safe' money isn't so safe

Did you abandon the roiling stock market for the security of a money market fund? Gulp -- the mortgage mess has probably put your investments there at risk, too.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Homebuilder shares rise

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The IRS might have a gift for you

The tax agency has $110 million in unclaimed refunds awaiting 115,000 rightful owners. Does some of the cash belong to you?

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Oil's wild ride

Oil prices look set to end 2007 with the biggest gain this decade, climbing nearly 60 percent since the start of the year. But the ascent has been anything but steady.

Investing for early retirement

Question: I'm 46 and have about $350,000 set aside in my workplace retirement savings plan in what I would call a moderately aggressive mix of stock and bonds funds.

WTC owner to pay $9M for missing deadline

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Oil dips on stronger dollar

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Existing home sales up slightly

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Sunday, December 30, 2007

$25 credit card refund isn't a scam

Yes, you may be eligible for an award related to a lawsuit over credit cards. Here are ways to file a claim and protect yourself from crooks.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

After home-sales drop, what to watch in 2008

A strong open disappears when a government report shows new-home sales at levels last seen in 1995. Warren Buffett snaps up a unit of ING; big banks are said to be ready to sell off units. Companies are boosting dividends.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Activision and 9 other stocks to buy now

The creator of 'Guitar Hero' and other video games appears on an MSN Money list of stocks poised for gains. Here are StockScouter's top picks.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

No post-holiday blues for these 4 stocks

Here are the 'diamonds of the holidays,' stocks that will benefit from Christmas spending sprees.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Desperate stores slash prices

Retailers are banking on deep discounts to take some of the sting out of the bleakest holiday sales season in five years. But analysts say it's wishful thinking to assume all can be recovered postseason.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Friday, December 28, 2007

Motorola's pain is Samsung's gain

An emphasis on the fast-growing global market for cell phones costing around $40 has catapulted the South Korean company into the No. 2 spot in handset sales.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Can investors' greed save Africa?

A chase for enormous profits is succeeding where aid often hasn't -- in poor villages in sub-Saharan Africa where malaria is common and jobs are not.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Trump casinos roll with $493M credit line

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Microsoft: Lay off the oversight, would ya?

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StubHub's winning ticket

When the Patriots try to finish off an undefeated season on Saturday, thousands of Pats fans will come out to Giants Stadium and thousands of Giants season ticket holders will be counting the money they collected by selling them the tickets.

Shuffleboard? Try scuba diving, boomer

Every time I hear the words retirement and community strung together, I cringe - for two reasons.

Wall Street in New Year's countdown

Stocks fluctuated Friday, capping off a choppy week of light trading, as economic and housing woes scuttled hopes for a year-end rally.

Startup bets everything on New Year's Eve

Jann Yogman is counting down to New Year's Eve - but his numbers are going up.

Bear Stearns CEO sells stock

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How they got housing wrong

Before you put much hope in forecasts for a 2008 rebound in the battered housing market, consider this: A year ago at this time many top economists were looking for that recovery to begin in 2007.

Oil investing: 2007 a tough act to follow

It's been a phenomenal time to invest in oil, but analysts say the huge gains of the last year are most likely a thing of the past.

Oil prices, Bhutto death batter stocks

The Dow sinks more than 190 points, ending a 4-day winning streak. Durable-goods orders fall short of estimates, and Goldman Sachs sees bigger write-downs at financial institutions. Wal-Mart has trouble processing gift cards.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

How Wal-Mart stole Christmas

For nearly a decade, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been outperformed by Target Corp. when it mattered the most - at holiday shopping time.

Don't count on a 'normal' recession

Wall Street expects financial innovations and global growth to keep any US slowdown in 2008 short and shallow. But the stock market is likely to be seriously disappointed.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Buffett to build bond insurer

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Bond prices jump on real estate weakness

Bond prices jumped the most in two weeks after a report showed new home sales tumbling.

Oil futures drive gas back above $3

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Hollywood: Striking writers proposed gains may sink in red ink

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2007 tested competitors' wits and patience

It's that time of the year when we all like to look back and take stock. And judging from the course of Strategy Lab, it's been a tough year for buying stocks.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Letterman, Ferguson bring show writers back

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New-home sales plunge 9%

An ugly real-estate report zaps early gains on Wall Street. Warren Buffett snaps up a unit of ING; big banks are said to be ready to sell off units. A footwear maker's shares sprint ahead after judge's ruling.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Piloting holiday profits

Here are four stocks that will benefit from the Christmas spending spree.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Terror, economy sink stocks

Stocks tanked Thursday, after gaining some momentum earlier in the week, as political turmoil in Pakistan turned deadly and downbeat economic reports took the wind out of Wall Street's sails.

HSN pays to settle pressure cooker case

HSN - formerly known as the Home Shopping Network - has agreed to pay $875,000 to settle allegations that it failed to report safety information related to the recall of about 3,900 Wellbilt Electronic Pressure Cookers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

Samsung seeks probe of rival Sharp

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Warner Music caves in to digital trend

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Rate cuts will hammer dollar: Chinese official

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5 dividend-paying delights

Everyone loves a consistent winner. The MSN CAPS community helps investors identify stocks that can bring stability and excellence to a portfolio.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Some mortgage rates inch higher

Some mortgage rates rose along with bond rates this week as reports of stronger consumer spending in November were tempered by disappointing readings of other economic measures, Freddie Mac reported Thursday.

Gloomy morning on Wall Street

Durable-goods orders fall short of expectations, and Goldman Sachs predicts bigger write-downs at financial institutions. The assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister adds to investor jitters. Wal-Mart has problems processing gift cards.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

CEO: Wachovia ready to handle rocky 2008

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Keep investing aggressively in 2008

Sure, the stock market looks rough now, but take a clue from the rest of the world's rush to invest in the US. Utilities, real estate and small caps look like good buys for my ETF portfolio.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

UnitedHealth settlement may not hold

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5 hot stocks at Big Mac prices

For less than $5 a share, you can score some real bargains among small caps right now. And you might wind up doubling your money in a year.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Timing the housing market

Question: At some point I plan to buy a house in the $250,000 to $400,000 range. I have generally good credit and plan to make a down payment of 20 percent or more.

Putting your nest egg in one basket

Question: Should we build a new $500,000 home if it will be most of our net worth? Would it be better to stay in our paid-off townhome? We are retired and live on a pension and social security.

A fresh blow for Pakistan

The most pressing priority for nuclear-armed Pakistan -- and the world -- now that the Bhutto dynasty has been terminated is to avoid having this difficult country descend into civil war.

Beware the dreaded R word

Everyone and his brother seems to be talking about recession these days. It dominates every public investment discussion and is the topic 24/7 on cable TV. But let me tell you a little secret: When it comes to investing, the question of whether we're in a recession (or are heading for one) just doesn't matter.

Autos' year of living dangerously

Deep Throat told Woodward and Bernstein to "follow the money" if they wanted to understand the Watergate break-in. If you followed the money in the auto industry in 2007 you got some clues about where the industry is headed. And the future doesn't look anything like the past.

Retirement plan interrupted

When Patty Marquez graduated from the University of Minnesota more than five years ago and moved to Southern California, she thought about buying a house.

Tech rally offsets retail, housing weakness

Apple briefly crosses $200, pushing tech stocks higher. A new survey suggests housing markets are weakening nationally. Retail stocks sag on reports thatholiday sales offered little to cheer about. Crude oil briefly crosses $96 and helps energy shares.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Mistakes that disinherit heirs

It happened to Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, and it's not uncommon. Here's how accidental disinheritance can occur and what you can do to prevent it.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Ingersoll-Rand 1 of 10 stocks to buy now

The maker of tools and machinery appears on an MSN Money list of stocks poised for gains. Here are StockScouter's leading picks.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Your 5-minute guide to health insurance

These 29 tips can help guide you through a sometimes bewildering array of options.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

AMT fix means tax-refund delays for millions

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When the money rules don't apply

Sometimes you make a decision first and find the reasons later. Yes, we bought a home in haste, but no, we're not repenting. We're happy, and being debt-free will just have to wait.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Oil nears new record

Oil prices rose Thursday, putting crude within striking distance of its all-time high, after the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a larger-than-expected decline in U.S. crude inventories.

Citi may face $19 billion writedown - Analyst

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Target 'first casualty of the holiday season'

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Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Apple among 10 stocks to bite into

The personal-computer pioneer and developer of the iPod and iPhone appears on an MSN Money list of stocks poised to appreciate. Here are StockScouter's top investment ideas.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

5 unloved stocks that could surprise you

The MSN CAPS community can help investors identify companies with solid growth prospects that have been shunned by Wall Street.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Buffett buys 60% stake in Pritzker firm

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is paying $4.5 billion for a 60 percent stake in Marmon Holdings Inc., a privately-held conglomerate controlled by the Pritzker family in Chicago.

You're only as good as Google says you are

Who's Scott Burkett? A small-time actor; a family lawyer; a techie at the University of North Carolina.

Cramer's flip-flop: 'I've evolved'

The 'Mad Money' host who beseeches his viewers to 'buy, buy, buy' hot stocks has written a new book warning that individual investors almost never beat the market.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

AT&T's comeback is just beginning

A fallen giant has been reborn as a cell phone, Internet and cable powerhouse. The stock is way up this year with a little help from the iPhone. But the numbers suggest it's just getting going.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Dow jumps 205 in holiday rally

Stocks are powered by big earnings from Research in Motion, options expirations and hopes that Merrill Lynch will get $5 billion in new capital. Consumer spending is better than expected in November. After a half-day's trading Monday, markets are closed Tuesday.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

A big tech rally gives stocks a lift

Big earnings from Research in Motion and Oracle lead the Nasdaq higher. Financial stocks limit gains for the Dow and S&p 500;Bear Stearns reports its first quarterly loss. Google moves closer to acquiring DoubleClick. High energy costs trim FedEx profits.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Which big banks protect you best?

Bank of America gets top marks for guarding against fraud and identity theft. You can do much to protect yourself, but good security policies at your bank help, too.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Hog wild for China

This is the China century," says Jim Rogers, standing amid moving boxes in his opulent Manhattan townhouse. "It's time for them to rule the roost." In fact, the 65-year-old former investment partner of George Soros and globe-circling author of Investment Biker is such a believer in the capitalist momentum of the People's Republic that he recently agreed to sell his beloved home and relocate full-time to Singapore - not quite Shanghai, but close enough to the action. It's something he's been considering at least since 2004, when Fortune last wrote about his remarkable prescience in championing a China-driven, worldwide commodities boom. His new book, A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World's Greatest Market (Random House, $26.95), is a how-to guide for investors interested in following him to the Far East. Fortune interrupted his packing for a chat about China, commodities, and the teetering U.S. economy.

Monday, December 31, 2007

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Friday, December 28, 2007

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

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