2011 job hopes improved most for worst-hit groups

For many people whose job prospects faded most during the recession, 2011 brought a small dose of relief.
When unemployment was surging, the youngest U.S. workers, […]

Mortgage troubles creep upward in St. Louis

Mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures continued to creep upward in St. Louis in October, according to new data from CoreLogic.
The real estate analysis firm reported that […]

Watchdog: Ties between UK press, police too cozy

Cozy ties between Britain’s police and press have compromised both sides and urgent action is needed to overhaul a culture of leaks at Scotland Yard […]

Verizon to charge $2 fee for online payments

Verizon Wireless will soon make some customers pay for the privilege of paying their bills.
The nation’s largest wireless company is instituting a $2 "convenience […]

REITs prove to be surprisingly reliable

It may seem surprising that some forms of real estate have been among the most reliable of investments.
Real estate investment trusts, known as REITs, invest […]

OPEC officially raises oil output

+%3Cp%3E+For+the+first+time+in+three+years%2C+OPEC+nations+agreed+Wednesday+to+a+higher+oil+output+level+despite+continuing+uncertainty+in+the+global+economy.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EBut+analysts+said+the+new+output+level+of+30+million+barrels+a+day+would+have+little+impact+on+world+oil+prices.+Thanks+to+overproduction+by+some+members%2C+the+cartel+is+already+producing+that+much+oil.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%26quot%3BOPEC%27s+decision+today+to+raise+the+official+target+for+the+cartel%27s+oil+output+to+close+to+the+current+level+of+production+will+make+no+real+difference+on+the+ground%2C%26quot%3B+Julian+Jessop%2C+chief+global+economist+at+Capital+Economics%2C+wrote+in+a+note+Wednesday.+%26quot%3BThe+bigger+picture+is+that+the+latest+demand+forecasts+from+both+OPEC+and+the+International+Energy+Agency+still+look+too+high+and+that+oil+prices+have+further+to+fall.%26quot%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EOPEC%27s+last+official+production+target+was+just+under+25+million+barrels+per+day+set+in+2008.+The+world+currently+produces+just+under+88+million+barrels+of+oil+per+day%2C+according+to+the+U.S.+Energy+Information+Administration.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EOil+prices+in+the+U.S.+have+been+hovering+around+%24100+a+barrel+for+the+last+several+weeks.+%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EU.S.+oil+prices+have+risen+a+bit+in+recent+months+as+a+supply+glut+in+the+United+States+began+to+resolve+itself%2C+but+they+are+lower+than+the+%24112+a+barrel+seen+at+the+start+of+the+year+following+the+Middle+East+protests+and+a+loss+of+oil+from+Libya.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EThe+Libyan+loss+was+largely+made+up+for+by+Saudi+Arabia%2C+which+went+against+its+fellow+OPEC+members+and+raised+production.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EWednesday%27s+agreement+announced+at+the+conclusion+of+the+annual+OPEC+conference+held+in+Vienna+allows+for+Saudi+Arabia+to+continue+producing+oil+at+current+levels+even+though+oil+from+Libya+is+returning+to+market+and+output+from+Iraq+is+increasing+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fus-fast-cash-now.com%22%3Eonline+cash+advance%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%21–+.+–%3E.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EIt+represents+a+bit+of+a+victory+for+Saudi+Arabia%2C+which+has+argued+for+higher+oil+production+against+some+other+OPEC+countries+like+Iran+and+Venezuela%2C+which+wanted+to+limit+output.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EBut+OPEC+left+the+door+open+to+future+production+cuts.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%26quot%3BThe+Conference+also+agreed+that+Member+Countries+would%2C+if+necessary%2C+take+steps+%28including+voluntary+downward+adjustments+of+output%29+to+ensure+market+balance+and+reasonable+price+levels%2C%26quot%3B+OPEC+said+in+a+statement+on+its+Web+site.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EOPEC+is+often+vague+and+divided+about+what+it+considers+%26quot%3Breasonable+price+levels%26quot%3B.+Last+week+OPEC+Secretary+General+Abdulla+Salem+El+Badri%2C+himself+a+Libyan%2C+described+current+prices+as+%26quot%3Bcomfortable.%26quot%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EBut+it%27s+been+reported+that+certain+ministers+in+Saudi+Arabia+and+the+Gulf+states+would+prefer+a+price+closer+to+%2480+a+barrel+in+an+attempt+to+spur+global+economic+growth.+%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3ESome+analysts+are+expecting+Saudi+Arabia+to+eventually+cut+production%2C+especially+if+supplies+swell.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%26quot%3BRelatively+weak+global+demand+growth+coupled+with+the+gradual+recovery+in+Libyan+output+and+a+resumption+of+growth+in+Iraqi+output+will+lead+to+a+Saudi+pullback+of+at+least+500%2C000+barrels+per+day%26quot%3B+by+early+next+year%2C+Greg+Priddy%2C+a+global+energy+analyst+at+the+political+risk+consultancy+Eurasia+Group%2C+wrote+in+a+research+note+earlier+this+week.+%26nbsp%3B+%3C%2Fp%3E++%3Cp%3E%3Ca+href%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2011%2F12%2F14%2Fmarkets%2Fopec_oil%2Findex.htm%27+rel%3D%27nofollow%27%3ESource%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E+

Egypt’s military clashes with protesters

Soldiers stormed an anti-military protest camp outside Egypt’s Cabinet building Friday, beating women with sticks and hurling chunks of concrete and glass onto protesters from […]

Delta Air Lines predicts 2011 profit of $800M

Delta Air Lines Inc. says it expects an $800 million profit this year, and it will be solidly profitable in 2012.
The company says in a […]

Best Buy 3rd-quarter profit falls, shares skid

Electronics retailer Best Buy said Tuesday that its third-quarter net income fell 29 percent as it cut prices in popular categories such as tablets and […]

Roseman: January CPP changes may affect you

If you applied for early retirement benefits from Canada Pension Plan and returned to work afterward, prepare for a big change.
Starting in January, you’ll […]