TBO Money

Don't Panic, Diversify, Financial Planners Say

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

For Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James Financial, the question is no longer whether we're in a recession.

Bible Offers Familiar Faces

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Martin Luther King Jr. graces one page, Angelina Jolie the next. A photo of a man on fire opens the book of Revelation. And laid across a two-page image of gasoline spilling from a pump is the quote that begins, "The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast."

Housing Eats Into Income

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The financial squeeze on Americans got tighter over the past decade as housing expenses - everything from mortgage payments and rent, to utilities and insurance - far outpaced the growth in incomes, a new study shows.

Consumers Hampered By Credit Card Debt

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Credit card delinquencies and charge-offs rose in August as consumers struggled to pay off debt amid a slowing economy, according to Standard & Poor's.

Office Politics Has Reached A Fever Pitch

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Economic uncertainty is on the rise, and so is office gossip. Office workers, perhaps fearful of their jobs and worried about their companies' futures, are playing office politics and gossiping more than they were five years ago, according to a recent poll. In fact, 55 percent of those surveyed said politicking at work is on the rise.

Practical Answers For Crisis Questions

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

After hearing the country's financial system characterized by words such as "crisis" and "disaster" over the past several weeks, I wasn't surprised to find that my inbox was clogged with questions. Many people are looking for ways to save money. Others want to know where to put the money they've already saved. And nearly everyone wants some reassurance that the decisions they're making - whether they're about credit, their homes, or investing - are the right ones.

FORECLOSURE NO LONGER SEEN AS A 'KISS OF DEATH'

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Florida's real estate crisis means thousands of people with credit sullied by foreclosure are out looking for rental housing.

Editor's Note

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In response to reader interest, The Tampa Tribune has reintroduced a stand-alone Business & Money section on Sundays. We've added features to make your time with the section worthwhile:

All That Money You Lost - Where Did It Go?

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:16:00 EDT

NEW YORK - Trillions in stock market value - gone. Trillions in retirement savings - gone. A huge chunk of the money you paid for your house, the money you're saving for college, the money your boss needs to make payroll - gone, gone, gone.

Gold, Silver Prices Plummet As Fear Grip Markets

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:18:00 EDT

NEW YORK - Gold and silver plummeted Friday after Wall Street posted another big loss and forced investors to dump holdings in precious metals to raise badly needed cash.

Wells Fargo OK'd On Buy

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Federal antitrust regulators on Friday cleared Wells Fargo's $11.7 billion acquisition of Wachovia Corp., capping a weeklong battle for the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank.

'Vulture' Investors Circling Wall Street

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

When financial panic sweeps Bedford Falls in the 1946 movie "It's a Wonderful Life," the villain, Mr. Potter, moves to snap up Bailey Savings & Loan, offering a fire-sale price of 50 cents on the dollar.

Mortgage Fraud Brings 9-Year Term

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A former employee for a subsidiary of one of the nation's largest subprime lenders was sentenced Friday in Polk County to nine years in prison for a mortgage fraud scheme that spanned four counties in the Bay area.

TIA Reports Worst Traffic Drop Since 2001

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Tampa International Airport in September experienced its worst decline of passenger traffic since November 2001, two months after the Sept. 11 attacks, an airport report issued Friday said.

Home Prices Keep Tumbling

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Bay area housing prices continue to fall, largely because a big chunk of the homes selling are sharply discounted properties in distress, a new report shows.

Stocks Present 'Crash' Test

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Did stocks "crash"? Some news organizations and investors are hesitating to use the word to describe Wall Street's terrifying sell-off.

Europe's Reluctance On Joint Rescue Plan Could Spell Economic Doom

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

"United we stand, divided we fall" is a phrase attributed to people as varied as the sixth century B.C. Greek author Aesop and the American revolutionary patriot Patrick Henry.

Jobless Claims Inundate State

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

So many Floridians are seeking unemployment benefits that the state's work force agency has hired more staff and expanded its hours just to keep up with the calls.

USDA: Florida's Orange Crop To Be Smaller This Year

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:21:00 EDT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects Florida's orange crop to be slightly lower than last year.

U.S. To Buy Stake In Banks For 1st Time Since Depression

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:46:00 EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government will buy an ownership stake in a broad array of American banks for the first time since the Great Depression, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said late Friday, announcing the historic step after stock markets jolted still lower around the world despite all efforts to slow the selling stampede.