Retail Web sites kept amping up the deals Monday, the first day after
the Thanksgiving holiday, to try to maintain the long weekend’s strong
online sales. Though the Web is only about 10 percent of the
holiday shopping pie, it’s seen most of the growth so far this year —
an encouraging sign after last year’s first online sales [...]

A mother in Boston tells police her 8-year-old boy was shot to death in
their apartment by gunmen in hooded sweat shirts during a home invasion. Officers
later receive a text message from an anonymous tipster that leads them
to a much different conclusion: the boy’s 7-year-old cousin
accidentally shot him while the two boys were playing with a [...]

Investors may have to do some emotional juggling as the trading week begins. While markets around the world continue to assess the fallout from Dubai’s worrisome debt problems, investors trying to get a handle on the global economy will also factor in some encouraging U.S. retail sales over the Thanksgiving weekend. The question for many [...]

Shopping online does carry some risk, but so does shopping at
brick-and-mortar stores. At least online shoppers don’t need to worry
about fender-benders in the parking lot, pick pockets at the mall, or
getting the flu from all those fellow shoppers. But the nice
thing about shopping online is that by following some basic guidelines
you can be reasonably sure [...]

In stores, or out, the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Log onto your computer, click around and you’ll quickly see the push is on for cyber Monday; a day of online deals, potential steals and special offers galore. According to a Shop.org survey, 96.5 million Americans plan to shop on cyber Monday, up [...]

The quest for deals brought out the crowds on Black Friday, but will it
be enough to make up for losses during the recession? Retailers are
hoping so, but it’s definitely not just about getting people in the
stores anymore.

Holiday shopping held steady through the Thanksgiving weekend after
retailers saw a huge crowd of bargain shoppers on Black Friday buying
discounted flat-panel TVs and fleece jackets. Economic worries
about jobs were still apparent as shoppers stuck to their lists and
focused on practical and small-ticket items for themselves and for
their loved ones, resulting in a mildly encouraging start [...]

The NY Times lists various web resources where you can find doctors who negotiate prices, as well as typical costs for different medical procedures in your area. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.

The Obama administration, battling a foreclosure crisis that shows no signs of relenting, will step up pressure on mortgage companies to do more to help people remain in their homes, officials said Saturday. The administration will announce its expanded program on Monday, Treasury spokeswoman Meg Reilly said.

A research firm says shoppers spent only slightly more in stores this Black Friday than they did last year. Fresh signs of much stronger online sales during the traditional holiday shopping kickoff mean more might have shopped from home. Preliminary sales data show shoppers spent $10.66 billion when they hit the malls on the day [...]