Rising prices, falling home values, stagnant wages and tight credit. It's a potent combination that has struck the American consumer hard. ...more

August 5, 2008

Verizon Wireless is in talks to buy Alltel Communications LLC, the country's fifth-largest wireless carrier by subscribers, for $27 billion, according to news reports. ...more

June 5, 2008

Not since George H.W. Bush ran the White House have consumers felt so downbeat about the economy. And the catalyst for much of the gloom - the housing slump - shows no signs of abating, new data Tuesday showed. ...more

May 28, 2008

The first step in an economic recovery might be a noticeable improvement in customer satisfaction. ...more

May 27, 2008

Pending home sales dropped to a new low in March, an industry group said Wednesday, signaling the housing slump has yet to bottom out even as the spring sell season gets under way. ...more

May 8, 2008

Orders to factories for big-ticket manufactured goods jumped unexpectedly in December, good news amid signs the U.S. economy may be tipping toward a recession. ...more

January 30, 2008

When Citigroup warned in early November that it was likely to write down its portfolio by $8 billion to $11 billion in the fourth quarter because of exposure to bad loans, investors recoiled at the size of the losses. Some now say those early estimates appear drastically understated. ...more

December 28, 2007

Hovnanian Enterprises, struggling like other home builders, is offering six-figure discounts on some of its properties this weekend as it attempts to draw interest in a slumping market. ...more

September 13, 2007

Wall Street finished a volatile session mixed Monday as investors grappled with the possibility that the Federal Reserve might not lower interest rates as much as they hope. ...more

September 11, 2007