CORRESPONDENTS
Tony Pugh
McCain, Obama offer vastly different health care plans
McCain's plan to encourage the uninsured to buy insurance through tax credits is considered radical, and the number of people it would cover is debatable. Obama's builds on the current system and would likely cover more people, but its potential cost worries many health economists. | 06/10/08 18:26:00 By - Tony Pugh
Credit card nightmares prompt long-awaited crackdown
What prompted a slew of new federal proposals to combat abusive practices in the credit card industry depends on whom you talk to in Washington. But even the most jaded political observers now agree that, after years of complaints, relief is finally on the way for cardholders who feel victimized by their plastic. | 05/09/08 15:12:00 By - Tony Pugh
As economy worsens, coping becomes a way of life
In one form or another, Americans from coast to coast are finding ways to cut costsf — fewer restaurant visits, shorter road trips or skipping a haircut here and there. Americans now have less disposable income than they've ever had — just 43 cents of every dollar. The rest goes for core essentials — gasoline, food and housing. | 05/03/08 21:00:00 By - Tony Pugh and Kevin G. Hall
Foreclosure filings double, striking 46 of 50 states
U.S. home foreclosure filings continued to climb in the first quarter, jumping 23 percent over the previous quarter and more than doubling when compared to the first quarter of 2007. It was the seventh consecutive quarter that foreclosure activity increased. | 04/29/08 18:27:00 By - Tony Pugh
Globalization, trade and recession take a toll on Martinsville, Virginia
For nearly 100 years, the furniture industry powered the economy in Martinsville, a struggling town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Now it's dying. | 04/10/08 13:47:00 By - Tony Pugh
For less-educated workers, good jobs will be harder to find
The steady loss of "good jobs" by less-educated workers has left them more vulnerable to recession than at any time in nearly 30 years, and signs are mounting that a recession is either already here or coming soon. | 03/23/08 06:00:00 By - Tony Pugh
Consumers fight rising use of hidden fees
Hidden fees and surcharges that drive up the cost of everything from phone service to concert tickets are spreading like wildfire, creating a nuisance for U.S. consumers and making truth in billing little more than a hollow promise. | 02/27/08 06:00:00 By - Tony Pugh
Americans give up lattes, vacations as economy sours
With the economy in a nosedive, Americans are shedding unnecessary expenses, saving their cash and voting "no" to discretionary spending. That means later for lattes, farewell to fashion and goodbye to family vacations at Disney World. | 02/07/08 17:20:00 By - Tony Pugh
Boost in tax credit sought for childless poor
As income tax-filing season hits full stride, millions of taxpayers are counting on an obscure government program to help pull their families out of poverty. Under the Earned Income Tax Credit, the nation's largest cash-assistance program for the working poor, some low-wage workers who file tax returns will pocket up to $4,716 apiece this year. | 02/05/08 06:00:00 By - Tony Pugh
Americans will get nearly $100 billion in tax rebates
Lawmakers and the Bush administration have reached a tentative agreement on an economic stimulus plan that would provide almost $100 billion in tax rebates to U.S. consumers and another $40 billion in tax relief for businesses in the hopes of averting recession. | 01/24/08 00:33:00 By - Renee Schoof
Getting cash to Americans for an economic boost won't be easy
As Congress and the White House craft an economic stimulus package, there's growing concern that it can't be enacted and implemented quickly enough to forestall a recession. | 01/23/08 19:18:00 By - Tony Pugh
Answers to consumers' questions on the economy
With the market dropping, the economy softening and prices spiking, it's an unsettling time for most Americans. Here are some answers to key questions consumers face. | 01/22/08 14:40:00 By - Tony Pugh
Tropical disease headed toward U.S., health officials warn
U.S. health officials are warning that a sometimes-deadly tropical disease that's spread by mosquitoes is re-emerging worldwide and could gain a foothold in the U.S. one day. Dengue, a flu-like illness, infects 50 million to 100 million people a year. | 01/14/08 06:00:00 By - Tony Pugh
Deception hits mortgage market once again
With the housing market in decline, unscrupulous sales agents are popping up in the booming reverse mortgage industry, where reports of deceptive and high-pressure sales tactics are worrying lawmakers and consumer advocates alike. | 12/14/07 17:14:00 By - Tony Pugh
Banks aim to lure clients from check cashers, payday lenders
After years of watching check-cashing stores and payday lenders steal potential customers, banks and credit unions are beginning to offer the same services and products, but in more affordable and responsible ways. | 12/10/07 06:00:00 By - Tony Pugh
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