Retail sales brighten, but less than expected

Late last month, as the weather began to warm into a semblance of spring, teens and bargain hunters who had spent months crunching their...

Drug spending falls for first time in 6 decades

An explosion of cheap generic substitutes for widely used prescription drugs last year helped drive the first decline in pharmaceutical...

BofA settles another mortgage lawsuit but is facing a new one

NEW YORK — As Bank of America Corp. pulls itself free from a swamp of mortgage liabilities, new troubles keep threatening to suck it...

Senate OKs Internet sales tax

WASHINGTON — The Senate gave strong bipartisan approval to landmark legislation that could largely lead to the end of the nation's...

Tesla drives California environmental credits to the bank

When Tesla Motors reports its first-ever profit Wednesday, much of the money will come courtesy of the state of California.

Sprinkled with smarts

The gig: Sprinkles Cupcakes, the Beverly Hills chain beloved by bold-faced Hollywood names such as Tom Cruise and Ryan...

BBB looks to regain trust with relaunch of Southland branch

The Better Business Bureau wants you to know that it's cleaned up its act in Los Angeles.

California deems UnitedHealth rate hikes unreasonable

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said the nation's largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc., is imposing unreasonable...

Tribes' payday loans under scrutiny

A growing number of Indian tribes are getting into the payday loan business, saying they just want to raise revenue for their reservations...

Lifestyle is keeping budget goal out of reach

Dear Liz: My husband and I are recovering from a job loss four years ago. We used up all our savings and home equity. My...

Housing bubble hero

The gig: Christopher Thornberg is founding partner of Beacon Economics, a Los Angeles-based economics consulting firm....

An engaging guide to viral marketing for neophytes

Why do some things catch on?

When the private sector needs a nudge from the public

It's a common mantra among free-market-loving conservatives that government regulations hinder business growth and cost workers jobs.

Consumers' shift to older iPhones raises concerns on Wall Street

How strange to think that Vicki Macchiavello's decision to buy an iPhone after years of using a BlackBerry could be bad news for Apple.

Pro sports leagues win legislative round on workers' comp

SACRAMENTO — A full-court press by professional sports leagues to limit the ability of out-of-state players to file for workers'...

Republicans intensify pressure to limit powers of consumer agency

WASHINGTON — Republicans have stepped up their pressure to limit the wide-ranging powers of the nation's watchdog over consumers'...

Payday loans trap people in a cycle of debt, U.S. watchdog says

Payday loans often trap consumers in a cycle of debt, a new report by the federal government finds.

Bill could lead largely to end of Internet sales tax loophole

WASHINGTON — With rare bipartisan support, the Senate is poised to pass a bill this week that could lead largely to the end of the...

Lazarus: A roadblock to collecting travel insurance benefits

Barbara Butkus bought an airline ticket in November to fly from Palm Springs to Washington, D.C., a month later for a family reunion.

What California should learn from the 1-800-GET-THIN saga

Today, 19 months after her death, we may finally have a good idea of what killed Paula Rojeski.