Career News 24/7: Reuters Money: Jobless claims fall, trend reading at four-and-half year low

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Reuters Money: Jobless claims fall, trend reading at four-and-half year low

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12/27/2012

Reuters Election 2012 Daily round-up of the day's top news from the campaign trail, the White House and all the politics in between

Jobless claims fall, trend reading at four-and-half year low

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment aid fell last week to nearly its lowest level in 4 1/2 years, a sign that the labor market is healing.

Your one-week year-end "fiscal cliff" money plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - By now, we thought the path forward would be clear and the usual six-day flurry of tax-focused check writing and income-shifting could commence.

U.S. retailers scramble after lackluster holiday sales

(Reuters) - The 2012 holiday season may have been the worst for retailers since the 2008 financial crisis, with sales growth far below expectations, forcing many to offer massive post-Christmas discounts in hopes of shedding excess inventory.

UBS and too-big-to-punish: James Saft

(Reuters) - As well as too-big-to-fail it looks as if we must think of our largest banks as too-big-to-punish as well.

Home prices rose for ninth straight month: S&P

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. single-family home prices rose in October for nine months in a row, reinforcing the view the domestic real estate market is improving and should bolster the economy in 2013, a closely watched survey showed on Wednesday.

Why you need to gauge your human capital

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The end of the year is a good time to illuminate your personal financial situation in a different way. Instead of focusing exclusively on financial capital - how much money you have accumulated - look at your human capital.

The sinking of "Plan B"; the U.S. "fiscal cliff" disaster of John Boehner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Had there been a vote on Republican House Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" to avert the so-called U.S. fiscal cliff on Thursday night, it would not have been close. He was probably 40 to 50 votes short of the number he needed to avoid a humiliating defeat at the hands of his own party, according to rough estimates from Republican members of Congress and staff members.

Considering divorce? Good reasons to wait for January

(Reuters) - Going through a divorce during the holidays can be emotionally wrenching, which is why many people don't do it - they put it off until January.

Investors shun bonds and seek stock ETFs despite fiscal worry

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors finally soured toward bond funds and favored riskier stock exchange-traded funds in the latest week despite gridlock over negotiations to avert the nearing "fiscal cliff" and a typically cautious year-end trading period.