NEW YORK -- Wall Street rose tentatively Tuesday as investors were torn between troubling fears about inflation and more reassuring signs that the U.S. economic downturn is nearing an end.

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Britain cut interest rates Thursday in the face of a sagging housing market, while the European Central Bank stood stalwart because of inflation worries _ even as the euro hit a record and fueled fears about slower growth.

In countless ways, the nation's financial system is built on confidence. The irony is that the Federal Reserve's unusual actions - engineering the sale this weekend of Bear Stearns, a series of rate cuts, and tactics not tried since the Depression - didn't seem to reduce fears that the worst

In countless ways, the nation's financial system is built on confidence. The irony is that the Federal Reserve's unusual actions - engineering the sale this weekend of Bear Stearns, a series of rate cuts, and tactics not tried since the Depression - didn't seem to reduce fears that the worst

NEW YORK -- Wall Street ended a dreadful week with another big loss Friday after the government surprised investors with a report that employers eliminated 63,000 jobs last month. The news compounded fears that the U.S. economy, already hampered by an unrelenting credit crisis, is succumbing to recession.

Weakness in the nation's credit markets and fears of a recession led to a volatile week of trading on Wall Street, with every major indicator ending at its lowest point of the year.

NEW YORK -- Wall Street ended a dreadful week with another big loss Friday after the government surprised investors with a report that employers eliminated 63,000 jobs last month. The news compounded fears that the U.S. economy, already hampered by an unrelenting credit crisis, is succumbing to recession.

As if paying for college isn't stressful enough, now students and parents face a new worry. Some private lenders are already pulling back on student loans, raising fears that rough weather is ahead during the peak lending season in July and August.

As if paying for college isn't stressful enough, now students and parents face a new worry. Some private lenders are already pulling back on student loans, raising fears that rough weather is ahead during the peak lending season in July and August.

As fears of falling home values continue to grip the Sacramento-area market, more home builders are offering limited protections against losses to help worried buyers sleep at night.