Feeling at home as the top agent in his real estate office

The gig: Frank Bruno has been the No. 1 real estate agent at the Keller Williams office in Hollywood Hills since 2006.

Investing: United Technologies has many moving parts

Question: What's your opinion of United Technologies Corp.?

Health insurers must soon justify 10%-plus premium hikes

Health insurers will be required to justify annual premium increases of 10% or more to state regulators starting in September under a new...

New consumer bureau proposes simplified mortgage disclosure forms

The blizzard of complex disclosure forms required in getting a mortgage soon could ease a bit as a new federal agency tries to streamline...

Wal-Mart's 1st-quarter earnings top expectations

Rising gas prices are forcing many shoppers to cut back on shopping trips to Wal-Mart, adding another challenge for the world's largest...

Amazon says it now sells more e-books than print books

Amazon.com now sells more digital books than those printed on paper.

Allstate to buy Esurance and Answer Financial for $1 billion

Allstate Corp. is buying Esurance from Bermuda-based White Mountains Insurance Group for about $1 billion to expand its online business.

Why are short sales so long and drawn out?

The housing market may be on the ropes, but Curt Beck was ready to come out swinging. He offered $385,000 for a three-bedroom house in...

Public pension reform, not public-worker bashing

Here's what we know for certain about the public pension crisis facing California: The obligations owed or promised to public workers are...

Are we facing the end of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage?

Will the move to dismantle Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mean the end of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage as we have come to know it?

Nontraditional data may help mortgage applicants

Some credit experts call it the best-kept secret in home mortgage finance. Others say, so what?

Designer Patrick Quilter is up to his ears in audio products

The gig: Patrick Quilter, 64, is the founder and senior designer at QSC Audio Products, whose sound systems range from portable...

Retail sales rise for 10th straight month in April

American consumers spent more in April, but most of their money went to pay higher food and gasoline prices.

7.5 million Facebook users are too young for the site

About 7.5 million active Facebook users are skirting the company's age policy by lying about their age, saying they are 13 or older....

Imax expanding rapidly in emerging economies

In the ballroom of a tony hotel in downtown Beijing, a dozen women dressed in gold to resemble Oscar statuettes gathered on a stage lined...

Banks should cut fees, not pay for market research

Carole Krezman wasn't sure what to make of a recent mailing from San Diego's California Bank & Trust inviting her to participate in "a...

Gas price run-up takes respite

Retail fuel prices may have run out of gas.

Sheila Bair to step down as FDIC chairwoman

Sheila C. Bair will step down July 8 as chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the agency said, and her top deputy is her likely...

Pharmaceutical industry defends 'pay-for-delay' deals

Brand-name drug companies and their generic rivals spend so much time and money attacking each other — in court, in Congress, and...

Military surplus retailers struggle with short supplies

There's a lot less military surplus sold at military surplus stores these days.