Despite unprecedented pessimism about personal finances, consumer confidence among Floridians rose in December, reflecting optimism about new presidential leadership, a University of Florida study found. ...more

December 29, 2008

Everybody may love a parade, but few people in these economic times would likely come to one showcasing the talent of Hernando County's homebuilders. ...more

December 24, 2008

WASHINGTON - A top Chrysler executive warned Wednesday that a carmaker collapse could send the economy spiraling into a depression, while the United Auto Workers agreed to new concessions for their companies. ...more

December 3, 2008

Jarred by new jobless alarms, Congress quickly approved legislation Thursday to keep unemployment checks flowing through the holidays in December and into the new year for a million or more laid-off Americans whose benefits are running out. ...more

November 21, 2008

The holiday shopping purists among us don't even want to talk about the retail season ahead until the day after Thanksgiving. But with the economy looking bleaker by the day and stock indexes slumping from bad news on sales, all eyes are on holiday projections and that nebulous thing called "consumer confidence." ...more

November 17, 2008

From Southern California to Maine, the foundering economy, high fuel prices and poor fishing have driven boat owners to abandon perhaps thousands of vessels on the waterfront, where they are beginning to break up and sink, leaking oil and other pollutants. ...more

November 13, 2008

Consumers' appetites for home furnishings dropped again in August, with orders tumbling 16 percent to $1.68 billion - the fourth double-digit decline in six months. ...more

November 7, 2008

LOS ANGELES (AP) - When Paul Hodges lost his job as a newspaper librarian this summer, he cut back on junk food, canceled his Netflix subscription, went back to his old DVDs and tried to stop buying new ones. ...more

November 2, 2008

Kirk Kerkorian's investment firm said Tuesday it sold 7.3 million of its shares in Ford Motor Co. and plans to further cut what is now a 6.1 percent stake, for a potential loss of more than half a billion dollars on the investment. ...more

October 22, 2008

Months before a financial implosion shook shoppers straight to their checkbooks, Saks executives realized a problem might be brewing with their holiday lineup. ...more

October 18, 2008