baltimoresun.com - Personal Finance

Gift cards are safer, but pitfalls remain

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This holiday season, they are increasingly popular, flexible and safe, but that doesn't mean you can't be tripped up by fine print

Eileen Ambrose: This holiday season, gift cards are increasingly popular, flexible and safe, but that doesn't mean you can't be tripped up by fine print

Credit cards canceled without warning

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Customer complaints rise as companies close more accounts

On his way home from work recently, Rick Niles of Laurel stopped at a gas station to fill up and as usual pulled out his Shell credit card to pay. But this time, the card didn't work.

T. Rowe Price to purchase stake in Indian mutual fund firm

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:27:00 -0500

T. Rowe Price Group has agreed to purchase a 26 percent stake in India's oldest mutual fund firm for $138 million, the Baltimore company announced Monday.

Consuming Interests: Celebrity Mercury ships out from Baltimore

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 15:10:00 -0500

'Cash for Clunkers' data show pickup-for-pickup trades

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Billed as a way for the government to put more fuel-efficient vehicles on highways, the popular $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program mostly involved swaps of old Ford or Chevrolet pickups for new ones that got only marginally better gas mileage, according to an analysis of new federal data by the Associated Press.

Despite economy, experts advise students to study what interests them

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 13:04:50 -0500

Despite economy, experts advise students to major in what interests them

When Carter Schimpff enrolled at Texas Christian University four years ago, he began work on what he thought was a marketable degree: a bachelor of business administration with a major in finance and a minor in real estate. At the time, housing markets were booming, and millions of dollars were being made in the investment and mortgage industries.

Consuming Interests: Target reducing prices for the holidays

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 11:30:50 -0500

Over 1,600 in Md. have unclaimed tax refunds

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Internal Revenue Service is waiting for Marylanders to claim more than 1,600 refund checks from the 2008 filing season worth more than $1.7 million. The IRS said Thursday that the checks averaging $1,086 were returned to the agency from Maryland because of mailing address errors. Some taxpayers are owed more than one check. Nationally, the IRS said 107,831 checks worth a total of $123.5 million were returned. Taxpayers owed a refund can update their address online with the "Where's My Refund?" tool at www.irs.gov . They must submit a Social Security number, filing status and the amount of refund due. Or, taxpayers can call the IRS to update their addresses at 800-829-1954.

Black & Decker loss a bad sign for Md. business

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

State relying too much on government spending

I t wasn't on the agenda, but the loss of Black & Decker's headquarters was drinks-and-hors d'oeuvres chatter at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce's policy conference in Cambridge on Thursday.

Utz, Snyder's end merger talks

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Pa. companies point to FTC's review

The deal is off for a Pennsylvania snack food company's plan to buy its nearby competitor.