Toy retailers get an early start on holiday season

With the holiday season approaching, retailers are rushing to put the latest toys on shelves and roll out extra services, all to woo parents...

State probes CVS refill allegations

SACRAMENTO — State pharmacy regulators have opened an investigation into reports that CVS Caremark Corp. refilled prescriptions and...

Will SoftBank buy other U.S. telecom firms after Sprint?

In a soda market completely dominated by Coke and Pepsi, it wouldn't make much business sense to purchase Royal Crown Cola unless you also...

Retail sales rise 1.1% in September, beating expectations

With the holiday season fast approaching, shoppers may be shaking off concerns about looming economic problems and opening their wallets...

U.S. families' debt loads decline to pre-recession levels

WASHINGTON — After a long period of consumer retrenchment, U.S. families have cut their once-out-of-control debt loads down to pre-...

Using junk science to promote Proposition 37

Proposition 37, the ballot measure mandating the labeling of genetically modified food that is also known as the "right to know" initiative,...

Getting a read on L.A.'s new city librarian

The gig: As newly appointed city librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library, John Szabo runs the nation's largest public-funded...

What to know about California's consumer programs to combat smog

To fight smog, the state of California is giving out cash. It will buy your old clunker car and will pay certain motorists to fix their...

Prop. 33 revives fight over auto insurance pricing

SACRAMENTO — For a dozen years, the 91-year-old founder of a leading Los Angeles insurance company and an early disciple of consumer...

CVS Caremark prescription refills under scrutiny, source says

Medicare is investigating reports that CVS Caremark Corp., the country's second-largest drugstore chain, has refilled prescriptions and...

Tesoro plan to buy Arco gets more scrutiny amid gas-price surge

As California gasoline prices set fresh records daily, consumer advocates are gearing up to fight the sale of the low-cost Arco brand and...

Wells Fargo accused in U.S. mortgage fraud lawsuit

WASHINGTON — Federal officials unleashed a series of legal assaults on the financial industry, targeting actions they said helped...

Blue Shield's union ties raise concerns about conflicts

At a time when public-sector unions across the country are fighting to hold on to generous retirement and health benefits, one of the...

CVS customers say prescription refills weren't OKd

George Engelke manages his CVS prescriptions online. If he needs more of a medicine, he orders it. If he's going to be away from his...

Fee-only financial planner can help pare portfolio costs

Dear Liz: We have $130,000 invested in mutual funds, but the returns the last few years have been less than 4%. With the financial...

How I Made It: Steve Jillings

The gig: Steve Jillings is chief executive of TeleSign, a Marina del Rey company that provides security services to websites....

A sampling of California's new health insurance laws

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law last week a set of measures aimed at preparing California for coming changes in how consumers get...

Don't need that drug refill? Here it is anyway

You already knew that our healthcare system is screwy. But you probably didn't know that at least some pharmacists at CVS, the nation's...

Major retail chains post tepid sales gain

After splurging on back-to-school clothes and supplies, shoppers took a break from the malls in September in advance of what is expected...

Retailers report slower sales growth in Sept

Americans slowed down their spending in September as they took a pause after wrapping up their back-to-school buying, according to monthly...