Banks are shaky. Bonds are suffering cuts in their credit ratings. Even bond insurers are hurting. Next up for a downgrade: people. Among Americans with credit histories, maybe a fifth are now akin to walking junk bonds, with lenders viewing them suspiciously and offering them credit only at steep rates. Here is a look at whats happening and how you can avoid junkbond status. UNRAVELING FAST ... Read more
NEW YORK (AP) a maddening drip of bad news about jobs, gas prices, sagging home values, creeping inflation, the slouching dollar and a stock market in bumpy descent. Read more