GAO

Prescription-drug prices have been outpacing the growth in prices for other medical products and services, according to a study from the Government Accountability Office this week. Which drugs have seen the biggest hikes?

When some new members of Congress recently said they oppose raising the U.S. debt limit, it triggered warnings of "catastrophic consequences." Indeed, the result wouldn't be pretty. But here's what's at stake as the country's debt burden swells every year.

Complaints about debt settlement companies are on the rise, prompting warnings that dealing with those types of businesses might not the simple solution they might seem for consumers overwhelmed by debt. Only an estimated one in 10 consumers who use them successfully emerge from the process,...

What does a gas powered clock radio (that might put you to sleep permanently with carbon monoxide poisoning), and a room air cleaner that consists of a feather duster and fly strips taped to the front of a space heater, have in common? They both are now the proud recipients of the Energy Star...

The Fed is giving up on its fight to keep some of its bailout dealings secret. Chairman Ben Bernanke has invited congressional auditors to review the Fed's aid to AIG. Congress wants to know who benefited from the $62 billion the government gave to the struggling insurer.

William Pollock was doing all the right things to set up his family's move from Texas to Pennsylvania. He contacted reputable movers and he had them come out to his house and provide written estimates. But the estimates Pollock received were higher than he wanted to pay so he kept looking. On...

New York Times (NYT) columnist Paul Krugman (pictured), an economist by training, an Ivy League academic by profession, and no stranger to bold proposals, has offered another big idea, recommending that the U.S. Federal Reserve double its already record-high balance sheet. Krugman wants the Fed...

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank's (D-Mass.) House Financial Services Committee has voted in favor of a proposal to have the Government Accountability Office audit the Federal Reserve, according to the Associated Press. But in my view, auditing the Fed is a thinly veiled first step toward wiping out the Fed,...

Fannie Mae's (FNH) report of a third-quarter loss of $19.76 billion and subsequent plea to the federal government for $15 billion in additional aid is sure to intensify a big question that so far has gone unanswered: What can be done to stem the bleeding at the giant mortgage lender and its sibling...

The handy little Nutrition Facts label affixed to most packages you'll find in the grocery store was intended to help make it easier to make informed choices about what to eat. That only works if what's on the label is really in the package. About one out of every four labels tested is...