The credit crunch is rearing its head in an unexpected place - the short-term loans that appeal to mostly working-class taxpayers who want their federal tax refunds fast. ...more

March 22, 2009

Billions of dollars flooded into banks' coffers as the credit crunch gripped the U.S. economy last year, but only a fraction of that stimulus money is going back into the community as loans, regulatory records show. ...more

March 6, 2009

Florida's insurance commissioner says the national credit crunch could lead to more home foreclosures. ...more

March 5, 2009

Faced with a deepening economic recession, Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday challenged state lawmakers to embrace a federal bailout for Florida and its residents rather than "put politics over their needs." ...more

March 4, 2009

Gov. Charlie Crist's prepared remarks to the Florida Legislature, as released by the governor's office: ...more

March 3, 2009

WASHINGTON - Brace yourself: The recession is projected to worsen this year. The country stands to lose a sizable chunk of economic activity in 2009 as consumers at home and abroad retrench in the face of persistent economic troubles. And the U.S. unemployment rate - now at 7.6 percent, the highest in more than 16 years - is expected hit a peak of 9 percent this year. ...more

February 23, 2009

America's Big Three automakers got pounded on Capitol Hill last month. Senators from both parties took turns ridiculing General Motors, Ford and Chrysler as out-of-touch fossils, churning out poor-quality products that virtually no one wants to buy. ...more

January 17, 2009

Just a couple of weeks after the close of holiday spending, Wall Street is starting to forecast the financial carnage that retail stores will likely report soon. ...more

January 6, 2009

The International Consumer Electronics Show, the largest trade show in the United States, opens this week in Las Vegas with a full slate of giant TVs and inventive gadgets, despite the pall of a recession hanging over the industry. ...more

January 5, 2009

Shoppers won't be picking up ornate lamps from the Bombay Co. in the coming year. Or investing with Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns. No flying to Hawaii on Aloha Airlines or buying ultra-cheap tickets on Skybus, either. ...more

January 1, 2009