Issuers of plastic are clamping down to cut potential losses. Paying bills on time doesn't mean you're immune.

latimes.com
As Treasury secretary, the former Wall Street CEO reverses field on regulation, which he now calls 'necessary.' >>

FINANCIAL SERVICES
Half the cuts will come through layoffs and the other half through sales of individual business units, a company spokeswoman says. >>

The alleged pyramid schemes have sparked disturbances in 12 states. Police are closing financial firms' offices and making arrests. >>

Investments totaling $33.5 billion are added to the rescue program in an effort to shore up lending. >>

The lawsuit could imperil the Internet entrepreneur's bid to buy the Chicago Cubs. >>

The Asian automaker will repurchase the shares for $230 million. >>

Las Vegas Sands Corp. said Monday that doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern were removed after the completion of an offering of common stock, preferred stock and warrants provided about $2.1 billion of additional capital. >>

The agency is facing congressional questions over its vigilance in policing Wall Street and corporate fraud. >>

November 16, 2008
The financial crisis, which has caused a dramatic decline in the value of the average worker's account, has undermined confidence in the system. >>

The financial crisis, which has caused a dramatic decline in the value of the average worker's account, has undermined confidence in the system. >>

PERSONAL FINANCE
Stock index fund owners can offset gains, and future income, and preserve their asset mix through a sale-and-repurchase plan. >>

November 15, 2008
TOM PETRUNO
The federal government will be issuing massive amounts of debt to finance recovery efforts in the coming months. >>

The neighborhoods of the Santa Barbara County enclave are among the richest in the state -- although Oprah Winfrey, Ty Warner and other big-name moguls make up the elite, not the norm. >>

WALL STREET
The index recedes to 8,497 during the final 45 minutes of trading, a lightning-fast drop even given the market's recent turmoil. >>

The agency proposes using $24 billion in government funds to back mortgages that are modified to make them more affordable. >>

Editorial
Treasury Secretary Paulson is finally focusing on troubled mortgages. >>

The price hits $742.40 an ounce. Silver and platinum also surge, when most other commodities including oil close flat or down. >>

The two companies also lower their outlooks for the rest of the year -- and they're far below Wall Street expectations. >>

Warning that financial markets remain under "severe strain," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke pledged Friday to work closely with other central banks to fix global financial problems and left open the door to a fresh interest rate cut to help brace the sinking U.S. economy. >>

November 14, 2008
MARKETS
Bargain-hunters appear to be responsible for much of the gains. The resurgence halts three consecutive days of losses. >>

Individual investors take legal action to protect their portfolios, but government and market officials call the move foolish. >>

San Mateo County sued Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. executives after losing $150 million when the securities firm collapsed in the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history. >>

November 13, 2008
MARKETS
The Dow sinks 411 points as investors are rattled by the grim outlook for consumer spending, a further drop in oil prices and the Treasury Department's reversal. >>

PENSIONS
The country's largest public pension fund suffers a paper loss of $3.3 billion for the year ended June 30. An analysis says the loss was amplified by loans taken to ramp up the investments. >>

A joint statement from the Treasury, Fed and FDIC seems to go against the government's supposedly passive role through the federal aid program. >>

An alliance of bank interests and consumer advocates had wanted to let lenders forgive huge portions of credit card debt. Banks' delayed deferral of losses on the forgiven debt was a sticking point. >>

November 12, 2008
Federal officials hope that the simpler, quicker procedure for modifying loans held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will keep struggling homeowners from losing their houses. >>

The firms want lawmakers to suspend part of a 2-year-old law that they say could force them to make job cuts as they shift scarce money into ailing retirement pools. >>

MARKETS
The Dow declines 176.58 points, or 2%, to 8,693.96. Crude falls below $60 a barrel. >>

BANKS
The Newport Beach mortgage lender says it might be seized by regulators if it can't get a capital infusion by the end of the year. >>

Even as the sinking economy is making many people think about turning their vacations into "staycations," an online vacation rental service recently managed to raise $250 million to fund its growth. >>

Investors react after the world's biggest real estate brokerage shifts capital-raising plans. >>

November 11, 2008
The Wall Street titan's activities could have harmed taxpayers, officials say. >>

Some who entrusted their money to the elusive Alfredo Trujillo Fox are going to court and the authorities to get it back. He has filed for bankruptcy protection. >>

November 11, 2008
EARNINGS ROUNDUP

STARBUCKS

Profit falls 97% on fewer customers and rising costs >>

AUTOS
The automaker's stock declines to a 59-year-low after an analyst cuts price target to zero. >>

The plan is targeted at homeowners who are current on their payments but might be in trouble later. The effort will focus on areas whose home values have fallen, including California. >>

November 10, 2008
CAPITOL JOURNAL
He finally said it. I saw him. Heard his words. >>

November 9, 2008
PERSONAL FINANCE
Regulation requiring withdrawals from IRAs and 401(k)s by those over 70-1/2 add insult to stock market injury. >>

MORE FOR YOUR MONEY
Rather than going the online, nonrefundable route, you may fare better by calling the reservation desk and asking for the lowest rate that's refundable too. >>

November 7, 2008
MARKETS
Slumping retail sales fuel fears of weakening consumer spending. Technology stocks suffer after Cisco forecasts a decline in sales. >>

EARNINGS
Falling television ad sales and resort bookings lead to a 'sobering outlook' for the current year. >>

ENERGY
California's governor seeks a 9.9% tax on every barrel of crude pumped out of the ground to help meet an $11.2-billion budget deficit. >>

November 6, 2008
The gift from the low-profile CEO of Santa Monica investment manager Dimensional Fund Advisors is the largest ever to the school. >>

The bank sells 407.5 million new shares at $27 each to raise capital. But the deal comes after the stock sank more than 9% on each of the last two days. >>

MARKETS
Gains from the election-day rally are more than erased, with the Dow losing nearly 500 points. Employment data intensify economic concerns. >>

MORTGAGES
The plan is part of an economic stimulus package the governor expects to put before lawmakers to spur loan workouts. >>

CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS
All but four among dozens sail to victory, some by huge margins. One observer says young people were voting their self-interest: improving schools and reducing gridlock. >>

The L.A. private equity firm buys in as the grocer reports a 96% drop in quarterly earnings. >>

November 5, 2008
In these extraordinary times, card issuers' plan to erase up to 40% of some customers' debt would also be good for those who pay their bills on time. >>

YOUR MONEY
In tough times, buying on the installment plan is making a comeback. >>

MORTGAGES
The Hope for Homeowners plan's limitations damp interest among both borrowers and lenders. >>

INVESTING
The Dow's 3.3% rise easily tops the previous best in 1984. Investors say the end of the presidential race will allow the winner to focus on economic issues. >>

The 39-count complaint includes felony charges of grand theft, money laundering and conspiracy. >>

The movie, licensing and comic book company earned $50.6 million, or 64 cents a share, in the third quarter, beating Wall Street forecasts. Revenue grew 48% to $182.5 million. >>

Spendster.org gives people a chance to bare their souls about how they've wasted money as a step toward developing better spending habits. >>

November 4, 2008
The Dow closes down 5.18 points, the average's smallest net gain or loss for any session since June 30. Broader market indexes also are little changed. >>

Foreign stocks were a tremendous source of wealth generation for U.S. investors from 2003 through 2007. They were the best-performing asset in many people's 401(k) plans. >>

The quarterly report finds 85% have strengthened requirements for business loans and 95% have done so for business lines of credit. >>

November 3, 2008
Dust-Up
Dan Schnur says that the race was essentially tied before the Wall Street meltdown badly hurt McCain's chances. Bruce E. Cain says he originally overestimated McCain's ability as a candidate. >>

CAPITOL JOURNAL
There's a small, innocuous bond proposal at the tail end of Tuesday's state ballot that could get trampled if voters are in a knee-jerk, no-spending mood. And that would be a shame. >>

Wall Street's steep gains in the final days of October are leaving some investors optimistic that the market has put its scariest days behind it, but they're still wary about land mines that could send stocks reeling again. >>

November 2, 2008
Dozens of local authorities parked nearly $1.5 billion in Icelandic accounts, which were promoted in Britain as high-yielding, but safe. Now the money may be gone. Individuals suffer too. >>

CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS
The city initiative would raise property taxes by $36 and funnel $30 million into after-school programs and gang prevention efforts. >>

October 31, 2008
TOM PETRUNO
Investors are constantly reminded to think about inflation when making decisions about their money. >>

November 1, 2008
Deposits at commercial banks have jumped since Sept. 1 while thrifts have been losers. >>

The banking giant aims to help avoid foreclosures on an estimated $70 billion in loans, which could aid 400,000 customers. >>

A federal jury finds the former chief executive guilty of defrauding investors of $2.9 billion before his healthcare financing company collapsed in 2002. >>

October 31, 2008
LOS ANGELES
Radio transmitter that caused delays at LAX this week is fixed >>

The FDIC, which is running the bank, says more than half of those who were sent letters giving them the chance to rework the terms of their loans haven't responded. >>

The Dow rises 189 points to 9,180 as major indexes gain during the last 15 minutes of trading. >>

BUSINESS BRIEFING
30-year mortgage rates leap >>

Just a day after the Federal Reserve dropped its key short-term interest rate to 1% -- matching the generational low reached in 2003-04 -- the betting is intensifying on another cut. >>

October 30, 2008
Searchers discover his Illinois state driver's license, credit cards and a pair of tennis shoes about half a mile east of the spot where other items were recovered. >>

The guarantees would be intended to encourage lenders to restructure troubled mortgages, curbing foreclosures. >>

FROM OUR BLOGS
Borrowers may bear a lighter interest burden but not all deposit yields will shrink. >>

It was another day of wild fluctuations, with stocks selling off toward the end of the session. The Dow closes down 74 points, after a nearly 300-point gain fueled by the Fed's interest rate cut. >>

The financing would help the installer of photovoltaic systems expand in the U.S. Under a five-year deal, First Solar will also supply solar panels. >>

William Ackman, who runs hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management, says separating the discount retailer's real estate holdings into a separate entity would increase the company's value. >>

October 29, 2008
MARKETS
Market watchers see no apparent reason for the buying spree. Investors await a possible rate cut by the Federal Reserve today. >>

ENERGY
Keeping the profit momentum going as crude prices have fallen poses a challenge for the companies and their rivals. >>

Paterson says the financial crisis on Wall Street is causing projected deficits to balloon. A $12.5-billion deficit is expected in fiscal 2010, nearly double what had been projected two months ago. >>

FROM OUR BLOGS
Wall Street was happy to go home a winner Tuesday, with many major stock market indexes rocketing more than 10% in the session from Monday's 5 1/2 -year lows. >>

October 28, 2008
Third of Seven Parts
While mob killings like the Two Tonys murders remain unsolved, the squad savors Cohen's conviction on federal charges of income tax evasion -- and sets a trap for him. >>

The giant, loss-laden pension fund learned lessons in the dot-com crash, president says. >>

FROM OUR BLOGS
There are bear markets -- and then there is the Japanese market. >>

October 26, 2008
MORE FOR YOUR MONEY
Thanks to the flat economy, vacation deals abound. Tours, cruises, Hawaii -- they're all within reach this fall and winter. >>

More for Your Money: Families
Take the road to adventure via car trips and package deals for nearby hotels, destinations abroad and ocean cruises. >>

October 12, 2008
MORE FOR YOUR MONEY
How to protect your computer and data while on the road. >>

October 8, 2008
NEWS ANALYSIS
The second presidential debate provides a stark contrast between the candidates and little evidence that McCain succeeded in reversing a recent shift in the polls toward Obama. >>

October 7, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
The corporate philosophy has enabled the financial giant to weather turbulence -- but what will happen during the current global crisis? >>

October 5, 2008
MOVIES
The film's co-writer worries that its message is misunderstood. Especially now. >>

October 2, 2008
Tax breaks are added to the Wall Street package, but House passage is far from certain. >>

Editorial
The Senate's version of the $700-billion Wall Street financial package is larded with pork. >>

September 29, 2008
ON CALIFORNIA: Essays from the Golden State
Perry Cottingham's shoestring gold operation in the Sierra has seen him through 30 years of market gyrations. >>

DUST-UP
Robert Kuttner says the failed bailout bill would have helped the wrong people. J.D. Foster says the U.S. faces a fiscal crisis far greater than Wall Street's current malaise. >>

The Wall Street rescue deal does not include a provision allowing judges to revise loans on primary residences. >>

The main proposals to rein in salaries build on existing rules. Oversight is seen as key to success. >>

Editorial
Allowing bankruptcy judges to reset mortgages might ease the credit crunch and energize lenders. >>

September 28, 2008
MORE FOR YOUR MONEY
Many offer simple dorm-style quarters, but some are installing cable, flat-screen TVs, new beds and using nicer linen. The prices may be a little higher, but they're still less than hotels. >>

Your Money

Help with health insurance problems

Attempts to resolve complaints about unpaid claims and treatment denials can be confusing and frustrating. Here are some steps you can take.



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Business Special Reports

Made in L.A.
Los Angeles County is the nation's largest manufacturing center.


Livin' La Buena Vida
Latin America is attracting unprecedented numbers of American retirees in search of the good life.

Contact
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