MarketWatch: Personal Finance Stories. June 30th., 2010

Personal Finance Daily

JUNE 30, 2010

Wednesday's Personal Finance stories

By MarketWatch

Don't miss these top stories:

• Six ways for small-business owners to save
• New deadline for home-buyer credit nears approval
• Portfolio moves you should make now
• Private-sector employment tepid
• An easy way to set your financial goals

Everyone's got their own tips and tricks for saving money. I remember a few years ago one of our columnists wrote about the wisdom of using less toilet paper to save money. We haven't really embraced that concept at my house, but we have been eating in a lot more (that may have more to do with loving our new kitchen than with a desire to save money, but the savings are a wonderful side effect).

When it comes to cutting costs, you do what you can when you need to, right? So why not change to a smaller type font before printing anything, as a way to save on paper (it's good for the environment, too)? That's just one of the tips noted today in our story on six ways small-business owners can dig up some extra cash in these tough times.

May as well give everything a try, because the tough times seem to be here to stay -- at least for the foreseeable future. Lawmakers apparently are intent on managing the deficit even as many economists say now is the time for the government to spend money to help Americans get jobs and to help states avoid even more layoffs. Meanwhile, a private-sector employment report released Wednesday finds hiring is still very tepid. Better brace ourselves for Friday's jobs report.

-- Andrea Coombes , Personal Finance editor

SMALL BUSINESS

Six ways for small-business owners to save money

In these tough economic times, owners of businesses small and large are coming up with unexpected ways to save money.
See Small Business Report.

REAL ESTATE

New deadline for home-buyer tax credit nears approval

Home buyers may soon win more time to get to the closing table to qualify for a federal home-buyer tax credit of up to $8,000.
See story on new deadline for home-buyer tax credit nears approval.

INVESTING

Moves to make with your portfolio right now

This is the week for market prognosticators' midyear updates -- and the time to assess tactical moves you should make to your portfolio, right now. And we do mean right now, since Tuesday's steep decline shows that reality is starting to set into the market.
See Robert Powell's Your Portfolio.

Insurance stocks could finally pay off

Insurance companies turn into nervous Nellies around hurricane season. But even if the storms get especially bad this year, one part of the industry could see sunny days ahead: insurance brokers.
See SmartMoney.

SAVING & SPENDING

Financial goals at a glance

When most people hear the word "budget," they groan about all the numbers and spreadsheets involved in setting financial goals. Instead they procrastinate and continue spending without any specific savings goals. Case in point: I recently postponed a meeting with my financial planner because I didn't have the energy after a long business trip to work through my finances.
See story on setting financial goals.

TRAVEL

Landing cheap airfare

Travelers hunting for airfare deals have their work cut out for them this year.
See SmartMoney.

THE GULF OIL SPILL

BP extends financial relief to U.S. distributors

BP PLC, shoring up defenses to cope with calls for a nationwide boycott, said Tuesday it is offering financial relief to service stations that bear its brand.
See story on BP extends financial relief to U.S. distributors.

Hurricane Alex sending oil to Gulf coast beaches

Hurricane Alex, which strengthened overnight from a tropical storm, is heading for the coastline near the Texas-Mexico border and is starting to churn oil from the massive BP spill on to beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, reports said Wednesday.
See story on Hurricane Alex sending oil to Gulf coast beaches.

ECONOMY & POLITICS

Goldman shorted $615 million of its CDOs, mortgages

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. shorted roughly $615 million of the collateralized debt obligations and residential mortgage-backed securities the firm underwrote since late 2006, according to prepared testimony by Chief Operating Officer Gary Cohn released Wednesday.
See story on Goldman shorted $615 million of its own CDOs, mortgages.

THE JOB MARKET

U.S. private-sector jobs rise by only 13,000: ADP

In another sign of tepid growth, U.S. private-sector firms created a lackluster 13,000 jobs in June, according to the ADP employment report released Wednesday.
See Economic Report.