The 5.2% increase in orders was a surprise finish for the manufacturing sector at year’s end, a segment of the economy considered to have had a poor year.

Cable television upstart Current Media Inc. plans to go public later this year, giving investors a chance to assess the entrepreneurial skills of its co-founder, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Under Chrysler’s current offer, employees who are on temporary or indefinite layoff or have at least one year of service can get up to $100,000 and six months of health benefits if they agree to cut ties with the company.

If insurers didn’t get help, municipal projects might increase in cost

Amid the turbulence of the plunging stock market, there’s a great opportunity for small-business owners.  If they set up retirement plans now, they’ll position themselves and their employees for big gains when Wall Street finally recovers

The Treasury Department auctioned $23 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 2.335 percent, down from 2.370 percent last week. Another $21 billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 2.310 percent, down from 2.400 percent last week.

The board of New York-based Altria Group approved the spinoff last August but said it would finalize its decision and give the exact timing of the spinoff at its board meeting on January 30th.

The company reported seeing no real effect of a possible economic slowdown, beyond a marginal increase in nonpaying wireless subscribers.

Sales of new homes plunged by a record amount in 2007 while prices posted the weakest showing in 16 years, demonstrating the troubles builders are facing with a huge backlog of unsold homes.

GM conceded Wednesday that Toyota Motor Corp. pulled even last year, each of them selling about 9.37 million vehicles, in another sign that the balance of corporate power is shifting from West to East.

The Dow Jones industrials, down more than 323 points in earlier trading, ended the day with an advance of just under 300 points

Top House leaders and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Wednesday tallied the cost of measures to jolt the economy out of its slump as the three sought a swift bipartisan deal on a recovery package that could move through Congress within weeks

Highest prices ever, not adjusted for inflation, are being caused in part by higher oil prices and a weak U.S. dollar. Gold reached a high of $884 before ending the day at $880.30.

With the uncertainty in the economy, bonds might be a good addition to your retirement plan.