4 great companies on sale, answers to your pressing meltdown questions & save on winter heating bills - Today in Money 10/9

· Mortgage Rates Fall Sharply

· The Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch & Pier 1 Imports See Sales Sink

· Walgreen Withdraws $2.8 Billion Offer to Buy Longs Drug Stores

· Taking Hard New Look at a Greenspan Legacy

Financial Crisis: Your 10 Most Pressing Questions Answered
Kiplinger tackles the most common and pressing queries about the impact the turmoil has had on everything from retirement accounts to mortgages to annuities.
http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/ask/archive/2008/q1008.htm


Get Ready For State Budget Cuts and Service Cuts
States and municipalities are facing their worst budget crunches in decades - and it's only going to get worse. This is forcing officials to raise taxes and fees, lay off workers and slash spending - cutting aid to hospitals, schools, Medicaid and more.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/09/news/economy/states_feel_the_pain/index.htm?postversion=2008100906


7 Ways to Save on Winter Heating Bills
Thanks to spiking fuel costs earlier this year, the average U.S. household will spend an additional 15% on home heating between October and March, or roughly $151 more than last year's bill of $986. Here's how to put the freeze on your home heating bills while still staying warm.
http://www.smartmoney.com/deal-of-the-day/index.cfm?story=7-Ways-to-Save-on-Winter-Heating-Bills


10 Great Places to Retire if You Are a Democrat or Republican
Some retirees want to live among members of their own political party. Here are 10 great retirement spots that have skewed heavily Democratic or Republican in the past two presidential elections. For Republicans try Cincinnati, Ohio, Ft. Worth, Texas, Hoover, Alabama, Idaho Falls, Idaho or Ogden, Utah. Democrats should look at Chicago, Illinois, Dearborn, Michigan, Maplewood, NJ, Pembroke Pines, Florida or San Mateo, California.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-places-to-retire/2008/10/08/10-great-places-to-retire-for-democrats-and-republicans.html?PageNr=1


Cheap Chic for the Holidays
The dire economic climate has analysts predicting that Americans will curb discretionary spending this fall and into the holiday season. Still, big-box stores from Target to JCPenney to Wal-Mart are presenting affordable fashion by big-name designers who usually sell their goods at upscale boutiques for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Here, we compare the products-and prices-of designers' high-end goods and their inexpensive lines for the mass market.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/10/1008_cheap_chic/index.htm?campaign_id=twxa


Will the Federal Mortgage Plan Help You?
Who is eligible for Hope for Homeowners? Bankrate takes an indepth look at the new federal housing bill and which homeowners it will aid.
http://www.bankrate.com/aol/news/mortgages/20081009-hope-homeowners-a1.asp


Will McCain's Mortgage Plan Work?
Presidential nominee Sen. John McCain proposed spending $300 billion to buy bad mortgages. Holden Lewis looks at its potential impact.
http://www.bankrate.com/aol/news/mortgages/20081009-McCain-mortgage-plan-a1.asp


Best Oatmeal
When it's time for oatmeal, good things come to those who wait. The more cooking required, we found, the more oaty the flavor and the less mushy the texture.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/food-shopping/breads-grain/cereals/oatmeal