2010-03-08: The Motley Fool - With the recent auction of Treasury's Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News) warrants, the big bank joins Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - News), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS - News), and several other banks in completing its exit from TARP. But, is it a buy?

2010-03-08: AFP - US life insurance giant MetLife said on Monday it will acquire American International Group unit American Life Insurance company (ALICO) in a deal worth 15.5 billion dollars.

2010-03-05: AP - BORROWING UP: Consumer credit rose by $4.96 billion in January, breaking a record string of 11 consecutive declines.

2010-03-04: U.S. News & World Report - When start-up company kaChing began accepting clients last year, its capital base was as small as its aspirations were grandiose. With just over $2 million in investments under management, the company was looking to challenge the $11 trillion U.S. mutual fund industry.

2010-03-04: U.S. News & World Report - Half of Americans don't have a retirement plan through their employer, and of those who do, few are saving enough to finance a retirement that will last several decades. To encourage more workers to plan for the future, President Obama announced in September several new federal initiatives to promote saving for retirement. Although employers had the option before, these changes make it easier for them to automatically enroll workers in retirement plans. Some employees will be able to convert unused vacation and sick days to funds for their 401(k)'s, and there's a new way to save tax refunds. ...

2010-03-04: The Motley Fool - Warren Buffett described Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK-A - News; NYSE:BRK-B - News) acquisition of Burlington National Railroad as a long-term bet on the American economy. In his book The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050, author Joel Kotkin presents data that supports Buffett's thesis, arguing that despite its current economic woes, the U.S. will remain an economic powerhouse over the next four decades.

2010-03-03: AP - Small business owners who compile their own income tax returns can find themselves falling into some common quicksand pits. The mistakes can be costly if they raise a company's tax bill unnecessarily or subject it to penalties and interest in the future.

2010-03-01: Reuters - Britain's Prudential will buy American International Group's Asian life insurance arm for $35.5 billion in the insurance sector's biggest deal ever, helping the bailed-out U.S. group repay a big chunk of its taxpayer debt.

2010-03-01: Reuters - Britain's Prudential will buy AIG's Asian arm for $35.5 billion in the insurance sector's biggest deal ever, helping the bailed-out U.S. group repay a big chunk of its taxpayer debt.

2010-03-01: AFP - US consumer spending rose more than expected in January but personal income barely budged amid a fragile economic recovery, the government said Monday.

2010-03-01: Reuters - Britain's Prudential said it would buy AIG's Asian life insurance arm for $35.5 billion, in a deal set to make the insurer the undisputed leader in one of the world's fastest-growing financial services markets.

2010-03-01: Reuters - Britain's Prudential confirmed it is in advanced talks to buy the Asian arm of AIG in a deal that would make the insurer the undisputed leader in one of the world's fastest-growing financial services markets.

2010-02-28: AP - The board of American International Group Inc. has approved the sale of its Asian life insurance arm to British life insurer Prudential PLC, according to media reports Sunday.

2010-02-28: Reuters - American International Group Inc's board approved the sale of its Asian life insurance business to Britain's Prudential Plc for $35.5 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

2010-02-25: AP - Republicans are taking aim at the Obama administration's struggling mortgage assistance program. They argue the effort is making the economic crisis worse and say many homeowners would be better off as renters.

2010-02-19: The Motley Fool - Like Santa and his elves, the Oracle of Omaha stayed busy during the fourth quarter of 2009. While Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK-A - News; NYSE: BRK-B - News) acquisition of Burlington Northern dwarfed other moves, the buying and selling of the world's greatest investor is always worth investigating, and this past quarter was no exception. Aside from Burlington Northern, Buffett sold more stocks than he bought.

2010-02-18: The Christian Science Monitor - They pose as experts, guaranteeing they can stop a home foreclosure. They may promise they can get you to the head of the line, leapfrogging over the thousands of other people trying to renegotiate their mortgage with the bank. But most of all, they want money upfront.

2010-02-18: The Motley Fool - There are some things in life where you really, really hope the first time is a charm -- marriage, declaring a college major, and bungee-jumping, for example.

2010-02-17: The Motley Fool - Building your own business is a common American dream, but not an easy one. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, about half of small businesses fail within the first five years. That hard truth gives you even more good reasons not to start your business with money you've borrowed from your retirement savings.

2010-02-17: AP - Authorities say a northern Virginia businessman accused of using fake life insurance policies as collateral to secure millions of dollars in loans has been arrested.

2010-02-17: AP - If you had money in the stock market over the past decade, you probably agree that it was one bumpy experience. It might lead you to think your retirement account didn't fare too well. A new study by Fidelity Investments shows consistent contributions and staying in the market paid off for many, but the gain was due more to a commitment to saving than stellar market performance.

2010-02-16: Reuters - The percentage of Americans falling behind on credit card bills stabilized in January, according to data from five lenders on Tuesday, signaling that U.S. consumer credit woes may be leveling off.

2010-02-16: AP - Canada is tightening mortgage lending rules as historic low rates are raising fears of a potential housing bubble.

2010-02-12: The Motley Fool - Your relationship with your parents changes many times during your lifetime. When you were a child, your parents were responsible for you. They helped you overcome hurdles that you faced for the first time, and they gave you their emotional and financial support. As a young adult, you sought and achieved independence for yourself, but your parents were still there as a source of advice and guidance. And if you eventually had children of your own, you gained a little insight about why your parents made the choices they did.

2010-02-12: The Motley Fool - Supposedly, you love your family. You don't want to cause them any undue agony. But if you neglect to take care of a few important paperwork issues, then your loved ones could suffer unnecessarily.

2010-02-11: The Motley Fool - Bank statements don't make for scintillating reading, but if you take a close look, you could find a few unpleasant surprises. Such was the case when a family glanced at one of its statements and discovered its bank was simultaneously charging it for banking with online bill pay and banking without it. How the family could be doing both -- and paying for it -- was perplexing. But there the charges were, $9.95 and $5.95 respectively, leaking dollars out of the checking account.

2010-02-09: AP - Bank of America Corp., the nation's largest lender, spent $1.18 million in the fourth quarter to lobby the federal government on issues such as executive compensation, credit cards and mortgage lending practices, according to a recent disclosure report.

2010-02-09: The Motley Fool - When disaster hits your home, it pays to know whose side your insurance company is on. If insurance companies are to be believed, 'you're in good hands' -- they'll treat you 'like a good neighbor.'

2010-02-04: The Motley Fool - Stop over-thinking your portfolio. Take a mental 'time out' and try some deep-breathing exercises. Do whatever it takes to rein in your caveman brain, because right now, your mind is one of your biggest liabilities -- emotionally and financially.

2010-02-03: The Motley Fool - Many families delegate chores and other responsibilities by assigning them to particular family members. You might be responsible for mowing the lawn every week, while your partner takes care of making sure your cars get regular maintenance, your son cleans out the cat's litter box every few days, and your daughter puts the toys away every night. By giving everyone something to do, you not only make sure that important things get done, but also create an environment of teamwork.