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For a look at just one of the many problems besetting the Small Business Administration, check out the Government Accountability Office's recent report on its yearlong audit of the SBA's 8(a) program, a business development program intended to aid socially and economically disadvantaged small firms.

I had two messages in mind when I told my story to Fortune Small Business earlier this year ("Feed the Locals First," July/August 2008): Focus on management and keep it simple.

Investors are dismayed as oil hits a 14-year low, and the dollar drops to a 13-year low. Obama stimulus package is expected to reach $850 billion. White House is set to announce the bailout terms for GM and Chrysler.

With markets at one point cut nearly in half from their record highs, this has not been an easy time for the meek. But our players have done well, considering.

It's difficult to get approval for a loan workout, even if your need is genuine. We walk through the process with a couple who unexpectedly lost their financial footing.

Some are living in an uncomfortable limbo -- not knowing when or whether they'll be on the street. Forcing them all out would only worsen economic problems, experts say.

The Japanese currency has had a nice run as an alternative to a dollar, but there are risks here. So I'm trimming my position and keeping a close eye on the rest.

Over the past decade, the history-bound central bank has stumbled repeatedly, threatening US leadership in the quest for a new global financial system.

Crude falls to $36 as drooping global demand trumps OPEC production cuts. GE tumbles after S&P cuts its credit outlook. The Bush administration is thinking about bankruptcies for GM and Chrysler. Oracle, Research In Motion results cheer Street.

Are your marketing campaigns too creative? Here's what separates a marketing plan that works from one that doesn't.

Starting in July 2010, consumers will get a big blanket of protection. But banks claim that the cost -- about $10 billion a year -- will ultimately hurt consumers.

Now that the money's gone, investors and regulators say there were red flags flying all around Bernard Madoff's enterprise. Here's how you can avoid potential scams.  

Workers used to some extra padding in their year-end paychecks may be going without this year: Among small businesses that pay bonuses, more than a quarter are cancelling them this year, according to a recent survey.