Archive for March 6, 2008

Fear drops stocks under key benchmarks

The S&P 500 finishes under its Jan. 22 closing low, and the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 index reach 52-week lows. Friday's jobs report becomes very important. Oil tops $105. Wal-Mart's February sales are surprisingly good.

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Your retirement health-care bill: $225,000

Those co-pays, Medicare premiums and deductibles add up: Yearly costs for a typical 65-year-old couple have increased 4.7%.

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Turning Function Into Fashion

Two entrepreneurial moms are reinventing office chic--one beaded lanyard at a time.

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Winning in the wine world

Dear FSB: What is the success rate for a small local winery in an area of between 40,000 to 60,000 people?

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Tax obligations for a new merchant

Dear FSB: I am a vendor with a small shop. I rent a space at $50 a month. What are my tax obligations? I probably made under $50 profit last year. (I just got started.) For last year and the future, how do expenses and income get reported - to the city, the state and the federal government?

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What went wrong at Citigroup?

The bank's balance sheet is fast deteriorating as customers struggle to meet credit obligations. The road to recovery may involve more job cuts, asset sales and cash infusions from overseas.   

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Lexus vs. Cadillac showdown

Carey Fiertz of Export Risk Management owns two BMWs and says he couldn't see himself in a Cadillac dealership "in a million years." But as Cadillac tries to hoist itself up to the level of BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota's Lexus, this successful entrepreneur represents the very demographic that it yearns to seduce.

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Deductions for self-employed workers

Dear FSB: My husband is a self-employed construction worker. How can I determine what tax deductions we can take off? Our tax preparer mentioned work clothes and supplies? Can we use our medical receipts as a business deduction or can we only deduct insurance premiums?

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Could we really run out of food?

Biofuel production, poor harvests and emerging nations' growing appetites are emptying the world's pantry, sending prices soaring. It's a good time to invest in agricultural stocks.

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An IRS idea that could cost you

It sounds so easy: Just tell the IRS to send your tax refund to the company where you've opened your IRA. But if you're not careful, it can cause all sorts of tax problems.

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Why it’s a great time to buy a car

This is when your credit record matters. You have great scores? Car loans are cheap, and carmakers are eager to deal. Bad scores? You'll pay and pay.

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Businesses for Sale