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Nhat V. Meyer/San Jose Mercury News/MCT
Credit cards are being paid down, and some are cut up.
For the first time in 10 years, the national credit card delinquency rate fell from the second to the third quarter, more evidence that Americans are trying to pay down their debt as the recession continues to claim jobs. » read more
Charlotte Observer / MCT
Jim Price, director of development for the Salvation Army, sets up a credit card poster over a kettle.
Bell ringers collecting spare change in red kettles have long been a holiday symbol. This year, however, they're taking MasterCard, Visa and American Express. The option means bigger donations: The Salvation Army chapter in Dallas-Fort Worth tested 12 cashless kettles last year and learned credit-card users gave an average of $14 versus the $2 given by cash donors. » read more
For the first time in 10 years, the national credit card delinquency rate fell from the second to the third quarter, more evidence that Americans are trying to pay down their debt as the recession continues to claim jobs. » read more
Initial findings from a study of 51 homes by the Consumer Product Safety Commission links corrosion in homes with Chinese drywall to the imported product, the agency said Monday. » read more
The State Compensation Insurance Fund, the workers' compensation insurer, is shopping for 600 new hybrid vehicles for its automobile fleet — an expense that could top $14 million. The fund is contemplating the major purchase at the same time it's hitting its own customers with a 5 percent increase in premiums in January, blaming that recently announced boost on "medical inflation." » read more
U.S. employers are bracing for more flu cases this winter. Whether they’re prepared is another question. Many — particularly small and medium-size companies — don't have business continuity plans in place for dealing with significant flu-related absences, surveys indicate » read more

McClatchy correspondents Kevin G. Hall (left) and Tony Pugh are available to answer your questions about the economic meltdown at home and abroad, and what's in store for ordinary Americans.
» Miami Herald: Financial experts answer your money questions
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