Back-to-School

As college students head to campus, many of them will discover the perils of credit cards. Here's the story of one student who learned about credit the hard way -- and some tips for managing plastic like a pro.

The back-to-school countdown is nearing its end, but there's still time for parents to find good deals. Here are four tips on how you can save money while helping your child get ready to hit the books.

As the new school year approaches, families head to the shops for new supplies. But the back-to-school shopping season can be hard on the wallet. Follow these money-saving tips from moms across the country and you'll have plenty of cash left for apples for the teacher.

Class, today's lesson in back-to-school shopping is what grownups call a good news/bad news situation. First, the goods news: Back-to-school spending is expected to increase over last year, according to the retail analyzer ShopperTrak. The bad news: Shoppers won't be coming to the store as much.

Despite heat waves, penny-pinching parents and a weak job market, most retailers posted solid sales in August. They benefited from better inventory control -- giving local stores more say in merchandising -- and well-timed promotions.

Despite the searing weather and a lukewarm economic recovery, major merchants are expected to report growing retail sales in their August tallies on Thursday. But don't count on the kind of increases we saw at the beginning of the year.

Late summer is one of my favorite times of the year, and not just because of the warm weather. The back-to-school deals and freebies are AMAZING. Here are my tips to get your kid ready for the first bell and stock your home office for pennies on the dollar.

After a stronger-than-expected spring, summer doldrums have hit harder than usual. Merchants' second-quarter reports and a slow economic recovery means retailers have to work hard to boost sales for the year.

Investors may get some relief from strong gasoline and auto sales, which helped lift retail overall and should ease some fears of a double-dip recession. Excluding gas and autos, most segments showed good year-over-year gains and small but as-expected month-over-month rises.

The weather was hot in July, but consumers went cold, leading to disappointing retail sales that came in below or at the low end of most forecasts. The high temperatures may have been one culprit, helping boost sales of marked-down summer clearance items.