Consumer Spending Slowed in July
Spending slowed for the second consecutive month and personal income fell as the effect of economic stimulus checks tapered off and inflation lingered, the Commerce Department said.



Stocks Lower After Consumer Data
Wall Street lost ground on Friday after the government said personal incomes fell last month by the largest amount in nearly three years while consumer spending slowed.



Your Money: Automated Bill Payments Are a Cinch (Wait, Not So Fast)
After extolling the virtues of automated bill payments, I heard from many readers who are wary of such arrangements. Here are some of their reasons.



Allianz in ?Advanced Talks? on Dresdner Sale
With the planned sale of Dresdner Bank to Commerzbank, Allianz is set to abandon the biggest experiment in German finance of the last decade in favor of a global trend: focusing on core competencies.



TV Decoder: Highest-Rated Convention in Television History
Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday as an estimated 38 million viewers watched on television, setting a new record for convention viewership.



Worker Assets Shrink at Fannie and Freddie
The employees of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are reeling as the companies lurch toward what could be a bailout.



AT&T?s Rivals Are Happy to Attack Over iPhone?s Network Woes
The debut of Apple?s iPhone 3G cellphones has been a public relations headache for AT&T, after complaints of dropped calls and poor network connections.



For Lehman, More Cuts and Anxiety
Lehman Brothers, Wall Street?s most troubled firm, is preparing to lay off up to 1,500 people in its fourth round of cutbacks this year.



Carmakers Deserve Loan Guarantees, G.M. Official Says
General Motor?s vice chairman, Robert A. Lutz, said the car companies need money to retool their plants but probably cannot raise enough capital on their own.



Oil Producers Prepare for Storm in the Gulf
Oil producers have begun to halt drilling and operations in the Gulf of Mexico, anticipating that Tropical Storm Gustav could pick up speed.