AP - Multicap funds defy classification. In these go-anywhere offerings, portfolio managers have the freedom to roam into whatever areas of the market they think are set to shine, and historical returns suggest that could give them an edge.

BusinessWeek Online - When President Bush's hand-picked advisory panel rolled out its recommendations for fixing the federal tax code on Nov. 1, it kicked off what promises to be a corker of a battle over what's wrong with the income tax system and how to fix it (see BW Online, 10/25/05, 'Toward a Saner Tax Code').

AP - First Marblehead Corp. on Thursday said its second-biggest student loan services customer, Bank of America Corp., opted not to renew a key contract.

The Motley Fool - If you're in the market for a mortgage, you have several options. You might just trundle off to your local bank and apply there. Or you might call a bunch of banks and see which one quotes you the best rates. There are scads of major lenders out there, including Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC - News), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News), Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM - News), Wachovia (NYSE: WB - News), and Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC - News). Take your pick.

Reuters - JPMorgan Chase & Co. has put its life insurance and annuity operations up for sale, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday, in the latest move by the No. 3 U.S. bank to shed a smaller noncore business.

AP - General Motors Corp.'s commercial mortgage unit can expect an investment-grade rating when its planned buyout is complete, a ratings agency said Monday.

AP - Government-sponsored mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Tuesday that earnings for the first half of 2005 were about $220 million lower than originally reported, citing computer errors.

AP - Mortgage giant Fannie Mae said Thursday that it has hired the chief financial officer of MCI Inc. to help it 'rebuild and renew' following an accounting scandal and confirmed it will have to restate earnings by some $11 billion. Its shares fell more than 2 percent.

The Motley Fool - If you spend any time in banks or looking over interest rates, you'll likely see APR cited in relation to mortgage loans and the APY in regard to interest-bearing accounts.

AP - Home mortgage lender Fannie Mae said it approved a new employment agreement Monday with its chief executive, Daniel H. Mudd, that increased his base salary to $950,000 from $850,000.

AP - Covering your kids' college tuition is an admirable goal, but before you start socking money away, you might want to take a crash course in the dizzying array of education savings vehicles.

AP - Taking some simple tax and financial planning steps in the next few weeks can save you money next spring.

FT.com - Commerzbank defied gravity again this week. When news of the bank's plans to acquire mortgage lender Eurohypo emerged, the stock moved up, not down.

AP - Malaysia's Securities Commission on Monday unveiled what is believed to be the first-ever guidelines for Islamic real-estate investment trusts, bolstering the country's aim of becoming a regional Islamic financial hub.

AP - The Vanguard Group is well-known for its index funds, which lure bargain hunters with low expenses, but the firm also offers a lineup of attractively priced active funds, all managed by carefully selected subadvisers.

Reuters - U.S. mortgage finance regulators on Tuesday raised the limit for loans that can be bought by government-sponsored mortgage enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to $417,000 for 2006, in most areas.

Reuters - General Electric Co. said on Wednesday it plans to sell 38 million Class A common shares of life and mortgage insurance company Genworth Financial Inc. , reducing its stake in the insurer to 20 percent.