Some Tax Rebate Checks Hit Obstacles
To date, the IRS has issued nearly 30 million stimulus checks, totaling more than $27 billion. This is the first time the IRS has used direct deposit to deliver rebates - a step intended to quickly pump money into the struggling economy. But several problems have delayed the process.
Some tax rebate checks run into obstacles - USATODAY.com Some IRS tax rebate checks going to wrong accounts - USATODAY.com
Also: Errors Will Prevent 350,000 Households From Getting Child Credit in Tax Rebate Checks

Selling Off the Core Business
It was quite a surprise to some this week to hear that GE is looking to sell their signature product line --appliances. But, they aren't the first company to move away from their early roots. Here are some companies that decided to cut their roots-the products that fed their early growth to delve into other areas. Companies have mixed results when they stray from their original visions, sometimes stumbling to adjust and others morphing into better creations. Among the companies are IBM which sold off their PC unit, Corning and Corningware, Kodak and 35MM Film, Goodrich and tires and more.
Selling off the core business - BusinessWeek
In the News: GE Confirms It Is Considering Strategic Options for Its Appliance Unit

Charlotte, NC Named Best Place to Live
Apparently, there's just something about North Carolina. For the second year in a row, America's best city in which to live lies within its borders, according to Relocate-America.com's annual list. This year, Charlotte, N.C., is in the top spot, the site announced this week. Last year's winner was Asheville, N.C., which slipped to No. 7 on this year's list. Other top places are runner-up San Antonio, TX, Chattanooga, TN, Greenville, SC and Tulsa, OK.
Charlotte dethrones Asheville, N.C., as best place to live - MarketWatch

Jumbo Loan Rates Finally Decline
The interest rates for jumbo mortgage loans are coming down, but standards for qualifying are much tighter.
Jumbo loan rates finally decline - Bankrate.com

Will My Tax Rebate Ever Come?
Those who filed their tax returns at the last minute could have longer waits for their money. But there is an easy way to check the status of your check.
Will My Rebate Check Ever Come? - Kiplinger.com

Home Prices Fall for 7th Straight Quarter
Twenty-eight metro areas saw double-digit drops in median house prices in the 12 months ending in March, according to the National Association of Realtors. Eight metro areas saw year-over-year price declines of more than 20 percent: Sacramento (29.2 percent); Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif. (27.7 percent); Lansing, Mich. (26.9 percent); San Diego (22.9 percent); Sarasota, Fla. (22.2 percent); Los Angeles (21.3 percent); Grand Rapids, Mich. (20.7 percent) and Las Vegas (20.2 percent).
Study: House prices -Bankrate.com

Gas Crunch Hits Home
The record-high price of gasoline is putting a strain on American motorists - and spurring some to shift their habits. Here are their stories.
America's Money: Gas crunch hits home - CNNMoney.com

12 Ways to Make Your House a Cash Cow
Want to earn some extra cash? Turn your home into a money-making machine. As times get tighter, many are looking for ways to save. Here are offbeat ways to bring in cash without leaving home. These include take in renters, have yard sales, throw party sales or share your garage.
12 ways to make your house a cash cow - Bankrate.com

16 Double-Your-Money Stocks
It's an investor's dream: A stock with the potential to double in price. How do you spot companies that could potentially rise 100% in price? BusinessWeek asked experts for some advice and their favorite stock picks. Here are 16 stocks that expert investors believe could double in price. They include Rubicon Technology, OM Group, Wonder Auto Technology, IHS, Ansys and Volterra Semiconductor.
Stocks: The Double-Your-Money Club - BusinessWeek

8 Ways to Make a Million
Don't just dream about striking it rich. Learn from those who did. A growing number of Americans are achieving millionaire status. And in the stories of these ten people you'll find a lot that will make your life richer, whether you become a millionaire or not. See how these entrepreneurs, investors and savers have made a million.
Eight Lessons: Ways to Make a Million - Kiplinger.com

Gas Prices Rattle Americans
Record high gas prices are prompting Americans to drive less for the first time in nearly three decades, squeezing family budgets and causing major shifts in driving habits, federal data and a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll show.
Gas prices rattle Americans - USATODAY.com

Where is My Tax Rebate Check?
If you moved recently, here's how to make sure your money arrives at your new address.
Where Is My Rebate Check? - Kiplinger.com
Also: All the Things You Need to Know About Your Rebate

Financial Stocks to Love
The subprime mortgage meltdown and resulting credit crisis have slammed financial stocks recently. But there are still some diamonds in the rough. They include Berkshire Hathaway, RBS, AFLAC, Raymond James and BOK.
Financial stocks we love - CNNMoney.com

Big Mac's Local Flavor
Once vilified for pushing America on the world, McDonald's lets countries invent their own buns, bags, and business practices. Now some ideas are making their way back home.
Big Mac's local flavor - FORTUNE

Avoid These Ugly, Risky Stocks
For the moment, the market seems to have settled. Does that mean the worst is over? It's unclear. You should still be cautious. The key to investing during a crisis is making sure that the stocks you're buying truly are isolated from the blow-up.
Avoid These Ugly, Risky Stocks - Motley Fool

10 Auto Brands in Trouble -- Which Auto Brands Should Go?
Should Ford Motor dump Mercury and Volvo? What will happen with GMC, Hummer, Jaguar and Linconl?There are too many brands and not enough buyers. Many auto-industry insiders agree weak ones should go, but it's not that easy.
Which Auto Brands Should Go? - BusinessWeek In Pictures: 10 Auto Brands in Trouble

7 Stocks for 7 Years
Undervalued, these shares should deliver outstanding returns according to Gene Marcial. They include Apple, Boeing, CVS Caremark, Genentech, JP Morgan Chase, Petroleo Brasileiro and Pfizer.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/05/0501_7_stocks/index_01.htm?technology+slideshows


Regulators Zero in on Credit Card Reform
Federal regulators are pushing ahead to stop abuses by credit card issuers at a time when the $2 trillion industry has come under increasing scrutiny.
Regulators zero in on credit card reform - CNNmoney

Sell in May and Go Away?
As Wall Street comes to the end of what is often called the 'best six months' of the year, investors may be feeling cheated. And concerned. If that was the market at its best, what does the market at its worst look like? The past six months was the worst 'best six months' performance for stocks since 1973. And if market indicators hold up, May through October could be a tough period, as per the old Wall Street saw 'sell in May and go away.' But, in an unusual period on Wall Street, the old seasonal standby doesn't apply. But the opposite might.
Sell what in May and go away? - CNNmoney

Trading Strategies for May
MarketWatch offers advice on how to get your portfolio off the ground this month.
Trading Strategies - MarketWatch

Recovery? Not These Stocks
Not all stocks in battered sectors will bounce back in a second-half economic upturn. Here are some that could be left behind.
Recovery? Not for These Stocks - BusinessWeek

Egypt's Bread Lines Highlight Dangers of Food Crisis
Well before 8 o'clock on a late April morning, a line of about 30 eager customers forms at a modest bakery in this working-class neighborhood. With a global food crisis roiling countries from Asia to the edge of Europe, at least 11 people have been killed recently in such lines here, struggling to get their daily bread.
Tension in Egypt shows potency of food crisis - USATODAY.com

20 Most Profitable Tech Companies
Among Fortune 1000 techs, Microsoft remains on top, taking in $14.1 billion in earnings last year. IBM, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard and Intel round out the top five most profitable.
20 most profitable tech companies - FORTUNE

Stocks: Ready for Better Times?
The financial crisis isn't over, but by several measures investors are letting go of their worst fears.
Stocks: Ready for Better Times? - BusinessWeek

Biggest Stock Losers
Since the market slump began six months ago, U.S. companies have bled away trillions of dollars in value. 80% of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index have fallen in value, according to data provider Capital IQ. Here's a damage report. The biggest loser is Bear Stearns which lost $16.7 billion in value. Other big losers include National City Bank, Ambac, CIT, Countrywide, E*Trade, WaMu, Sprint Nextel & Freddie Mac.
The Stock Market's Biggest Losers

6 Ways to Buy Checking 'Float' Time
Is your bank speeding money out of your checking account faster than you can put it in? Do you feel like someone just set your financial hamster wheel on fast-spin? Welcome to the new reality of check "float" -- or lack thereof. Float refers to the time it takes for money to leave your checking account. Nowadays, it's harder to buy extra time to pay your bills. Here are six moves you can make today to reclaim some lost "float" time.
6 ways to buy checking 'float' time -Bankrate.com

The New York Times reports that Americans in the economic middle are eating pasta instead of meat and staying at Hampton's Inn instead of Hilton as they try to keep their families together in the face of flat income and skyrocketing costs. As a result, some companies are suffering and others are benefiting. Let's look at two that are benefiting and 10 that are hurting:

Here are two companies that are doing better thanks to their lower prices:

• TJX Co.'s (NYSE: TJX)
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)

Here are 10 that are hurting because people can't afford to go out to restaurants and buy expensive clothes: