One year ago, economists were worried about inflation. Now, they are worried about deflation — prices for everything from corn to soybeans to gold are falling. While it might seem like lower prices could be a good thing, unchecked deflation can b...

The Bush adistration is setting a new course for its massive $700 billion economic rescue plan. Treasury retary Henry Paulson says the government won't be buying distressed assets after all, and will look for other ways to shore up the financial industry.

As the stock market has dropped, millions of Americans are afraid to look at their 401(k) accounts. At a small but growing number of companies — including GM — the news is worse: They're suspending the matching benefits, where employers chi...

As the economy sours and credit remains tight, consumers with poor credit scores are especially vulnerable to those that promise to clean credit histories, boost credit scores and even eliate bankruptcy filings. But credit repair firms can't always do ...

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to create a position of chief technology officer. Technology commentator Mario Armstrong tells Renee Montagne that position is important because some agencies already have chief information officers, so they nee...

Every investor dreads margin calls. It's what happens when people borrow heavily against their assets and then see their value plummet, forcing them to sell part of their holdings to pay their lenders. When the market plunged in October, a lot of corpo...

The faltering economy is the immediate priority for President-elect Barack Obama. Many are waiting to see whom he will pick as the new treasury retary. He'll also be working on an agenda to stimulate the economy that's likely to include infrastructure ...

Fixing the economy appears to be the No. 1 mandate from voters. President-elect Barack Obama will have his work cut out for him. David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal tells Renee Montagne and Steve Inskeep that he expects Obama to make some key decis...

Borrowers hurt by the credit squeeze and investors looking to boost their returns are turning to the same place: peer-to-peer lending. The loans can be quicker than going through a bank — and offer rates of return that can beat government bonds.

Emmanuel Njoku thought he was living the American dream. During the housing boom, the Nigerian immigrant built a portfolio of 16 properties in Prince Georges County, Md. Now his family has lost a $1.5 million home, and he faces foreclosure on half a do...

Since the financial crisis, the urities and Exchange Commission and members of Congress have been exaing the financial regulatory environment. Some people in the financial industry seem to be excited about the idea of new regulations. They think new re...

With millions facing foreclosure, there's more pressure on mortgage lenders to cut deals with troubled borrowers. One of the toughest challenges is designing a system that helps the greatest number of homeowners without creating what's known as a moral...

The diished market for SUVs and the soured economy have forced General Motors to close its factory in Janesville, Wisc., sooner than expected. The loss of the plant, by Christmas, will have ripple effects that Janesville officials will need to address.

When the federal government took over IndyMac Bank, Cynthia Hendrix and other consumers with home loans from IndyMac got brand new loans — and a new chance to keep their homes.

If the tumultuous economy is this year's top "kitchen-table" issue, that isn't good news for people who sell kitchen tables, coffee tables and other furniture. The furniture industry is experiencing a tough year — September sales were down about ...

Many lawmakers who approved the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry are wondering if it does too much for banks and too little for homeowners facing foreclosure. Government officials handling the bailout told a Senate panel Thursday that th...

The FBI is exaing how the financial crisis began. Officials are investigating whether it was just greed that led to the meltdown, or whether laws were broken. In June, the agency began taking a look at the subprime mortgage market. Agents are also star...

Media mogul Sumner Redstone is having money troubles. He has had to sell stock in CBS and Viacom to raise money to help with a loan for $1.6 billion for his privately held chain of theaters. To stay afloat, Redstone may have to sell CBS or Viacom.

Investors have been pulling tens of billions of dollars out of stocks and mutual funds. But if history is any guide, this is probably not the time to panic and sell a lot of stock. John Bogle, the founder of the giant mutual fund company Vanguard, offe...