My son is graduating from college this weekend, and that has me thinking about things young people should know when mom and dad cut the purse strings.

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve and other regulators initiated steps Friday to end "unfair and deceptive" credit card industry practices assailing consumers who are already struggling to cope in a bad economy.

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner proposed emergency changes Monday to regulations that help determine rates for auto and homeowner policies, saying the changes would "help speed lower insurance rates to consumers."

So-called "green" building has been one of the biggest fads in home construction for more than a year. But what does it mean and will consumers actually be willing to pay for it if it costs them more?

... last year compared with 2006, as many consumers struggled with higher mortgage ... The largest increases in filings came from California and Nevada, the ABI said, where ... According to the report, the 10 states with the highest per capita filing rates ...

NEW YORK -- Rising health care costs and the faltering economy are making consumers worry that they won't be able to save enough for a comfortable retirement.

NEW YORK -- Wall Street turned lower Wednesday as investors worried that a sharp jump in oil prices could be another sign that consumers are under stress in an economy that is already showing signs of a recession.

Given the current economic downturn, it probably won't surprise anyone that one industry experiencing a lot of growth is debt collection. Unfortunately, with that growth has come an increase in complaints from consumers on how they are being treated by the companies or attorneys trying to get them to pay up.

Just when consumers and the U.S. economy need banks to lend more freely, the mortgage industry is making it harder to borrow — even...

WASHINGTON -- Just when consumers and the U.S. economy need banks to lend more freely, the mortgage industry is making it harder to borrow -- even for those with good credit.