Business and Finance news

Fewer Americans filed claims for unemployment insurance payments last week, showing the labor market is starting 2012 on better footing than a year earlier.
Applications for jobless benefits (INJCJC) decreased 15,000 in the week ended Dec. 31 to 372,000, Labor Department figures showed today. The median estimate of 38 economists in a Bloomberg News survey […]

Instant online cash advance with next-day cash direct deposit.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron pledged more action to deal with

+%3Cp%3E+Who+says+American+salaries+are+stagnating.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EAfter+two+years+of+lower+pay+packages%2C+chief+executives+at+the+nation%27s+major+companies+enjoyed+a+36.5%25+jump+in+pay+last+year%2C+according+to+a+leading+survey+of+CEO+compensation.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EThe+average+pay+hike+is+for+the+top+executive+at+each+of+the+Standard+%26amp%3B+Poor+500+companies%2C+according+to+GMI%2C+the+research+group+formerly+known+as+the+Corporate+Library.+A+broader+survey+of+CEO+pay+at+3%2C000+companies+posted+an+average+27%25+increase.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EPaul+Hodgson%2C+senior+research+associate+at+GMI%2C+said+the+sharp+rise+in+pay+was+out+of+line+with+the+relatively+modest+improvement+that+companies+typically+achieved+in+profits+or+share+price+during+2010.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EThe+most+lucrative+sector+for+CEO+pay+was+health+care%2C+which+included+three+of+the+nine+top-paid+executives%2C+including+the+two+most+lucrative+packages%3A+%3C%2Fp%3E%24145+million+for+John+Hammergen+of+McKesson+Corp.+%28%2C+Fortune+500%29%2C+which+distributes+drugs+and+health+and+beauty+care+products+to+pharmacies%3B+and%2498+million+for+Joel+Gemunder%2C+who+retired+in+July+2010+as+CEO+of+Omnicare+%28%2C+Fortune+500%29%2C+which+provides+drugs+to+nursing+homes+and+other+long-term+care+facilities.Top+paid+CEOs%3Cp%3EBoth+companies%2C+in+public+filings%2C+actually+reported+lower+pay+packages+for+the+two+executives.+McKesson+listed+Hammergen%27s+total+compensation+package+as+%2446.1+million+for+the+most+recent+fiscal+year%2C+while+Omnicare+listed+Gemunder%27s+pay+package+at+%2432.8+million.+Neither+company+returned+calls+seeking+comment.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EBut+GMI%27s+analysis+adds+up+total+%26quot%3Brealized+pay%26quot%3B+–+which+includes+not+just+salary%2C+bonus+and+the+estimated+value+of+stock+options+granted%2C+but+also+the+value+of+profits+from+exercising+those+options+and+pension+payments.+Those+items+are+not+typically+included+in+the+reports+companies+file+with+the+Securities+and+Exchange+Commission.+%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E+%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EGMI+also+said+Hammergen+exercised+more+than+3.3+million+stock+options+during+the+year%2C+netting+him+%24112+million.+His+retirement+benefits+also+grew+in+value+by+%2413.5+million.+And%2C+GMI+added%2C+his+severance+package+would+be+worth+%24469+million+if+he+were+fired.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EGemunder+also+benefited+from+a+large+exit+package+that+wasn%27t+included+in+the+company%27s+listing%2C+as+did+two+of+the+other+executives+who+made+GMI%27s+top+10+list.%26nbsp%3B+%3C%2Fp%3E++%3Cp%3E%3Ca+href%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2011%2F12%2F15%2Fnews%2Fcompanies%2Fceo_pay%2Findex.htm%27+rel%3D%27nofollow%27%3ESource%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E+

By year’s end, the St. Louis area’s biggest business group will have a new leader. Now a growing number of people are saying it may be time for a whole new direction.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay is adding his voice to those calling for big changes at the Regional Chamber and Growth Association, where longtime […]

South Korea’s ruling party forced a long-stalled free trade deal with the United States through parliament Tuesday, enraging opposition lawmakers who blasted their political rivals with tear gas.
South Korean lawmakers voted 151 to 7 in favor of ratifying the landmark trade agreement in a surprise legislative session called by the ruling Grand National Party, parliamentary […]

Until this past summer, I used to love shopping at outlet malls. A few times a year, my friends and I would head across the border from Vancouver into Washington state to go shopping at the Tulalip Premium Outlet shopping centre. And whenever we were on vacation, one of the first things we looked up […]

The prospect of new governments in Greece and Italy helped support market sentiment Friday, at the end of a hugely-volatile week when investors fretted over the future of the euro currency and the outlook for the global economy.
With Greece having appointed Lucas Papademos as the prime minister of a coalition government, and Italy expected to […]

EU finance ministers neared agreement Saturday on forcing banks to raise just over euro100 billion ($140 billion) to make sure they have enough reserves to weather further losses on their Greek debt holdings and market turmoil, a European official said.
Finance ministers from the 17 nations that use the euro decided Friday that banks must take […]

Chrysler says its U.S. sales jumped 27 percent in September on strong demand for its cars and SUVs.
Chrysler sold 127,334 new vehicles, including 8,709 new Chrysler 200 sedans.
Jeeps also did well. Sales of the Jeep Compass more than tripled, while Wrangler sales surged 47 percent. Demand for the Dodge Ram pickup rose 45 percent one […]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hinted that the second Greek bailout package might have to be renegotiated amid increasing market speculation Wednesday that European leaders want to force private holders of Greek bonds to take bigger losses.
Merkel didn’t rule out altering the terms to the euro109 billion ($148 billion) package, saying the decision must be based […]