Archive for January 2013
SBA launches Affordable Care Act Web page
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched a Web page and blog today that is dedicated to educating small business owners about the Affordable Care Act. The new tools will serve as a gateway for …
Read MoreManufacturing picked up in the Midwest
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Midwest Manufacturing Index increased 0.7 percent in December, to a seasonally adjusted level of 94.7. Revised data show the index was up 2 percent in November.…
Read MoreBy the way, finance any terrorist operations lately?
Wayzata, Minn.-based TCF National Bank has agreed to pay a $10 million penalty for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, Minnesota Public Radio reported. The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency …
Read MoreMortgage due? OK to take a hike
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will let some borrowers who kept up payments as their homes lost value erase their debts by giving up the properties, helping Americans escape underwater loans while adding to losses at the mortgage …
Read MoreBusiness confidence improved last month
A gauge of business confidence improved in December, a sign that business worries over tighter fiscal policy may not have held back investment plans as much as feared at the end of 2012, Reuters reported.…
Read MoreHealth exchange reporting requirement delayed
Federal regulators have delayed indefinitely a health-care overhaul requirement that employers notify employees in writing by March 1 about the availability of public health insurance exchanges, Business Insurance reported. Regulators cited several reasons for delaying …
Read MoreDes Moines and Perry on RAGBRAI map
Perry and Des Moines will be overnight stops for this year’s edition of RAGBRAI. An estimated 10,000 bicyclists are expected, with stops scheduled for July 22 in Perry and July 23 in Des Moines.…
Read MoreCaterpillar beats estimates
Caterpillar Inc. reported fourth-quarter profits that topped analysts’ estimates, Bloomberg reported. Net income fell to $1.04 a share from $2.32 a year earlier. Profits excluding a $580 million write-down on its ERA Mining Machinery Ltd. unit in …
Read MoreS&P 500 rally is best in five years
Buoyed by strong quarterly earnings reports, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index rallied for a seventh day on Thursday, a five-year peak, Reuters reported.
The equity market was also boosted by the agreement by Congress to …
Read MoreNew home sales slip in December
Purchases of new U.S. homes unexpectedly dropped in December, indicating that the U.S. housing rebound will take time to develop after the industry completed its first year of recovery, Bloomberg reported.
Sales declined 7.3 percent to …
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