Walt Disney Co

The average CEO of an S&P 500 company brings home almost $13 million -- but some earn much more. The AP's list of the 10 highest-paid CEOs highlights where the biggest paychecks went -- and what America's companies got in return.

It was another happy quarter for Disney: The family entertainment giant delivered $9.6 billion in revenue, 6% ahead of where it was a year earlier, and beat analysts' targets. But let's check out the real hidden gems in Disney's earnings report.

It's not as if DreamWorks Animation had an awful year at the box office. Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots combined for a healthy $1.2 billion in worldwide ticket sales. But that's down from 2011's $1.6 billion take when Shrek Forever After was in theaters.

Shoppers often leap at opportunities to snatch up bargains or freebies. And companies are banking on that impulse in light of Leap Day, which comes but once every four years. Here's a handful of the leap year promotions you'll find today.

It's now been two weeks since the Costa Concordia accident off the Tuscan coast of Italy. That tragic event aside, cruising is still a remarkably safe vacation choice. What's probably not as safe is investing in Costa's parent Carnival.

Last weekend's Costa Concordia accident, when the Carnival luxury liner tipped over after running aground on a rock off the Tuscan coast, was a thankfully rare tragedy. But even one such event is enough to scare some people away from floating vacations. If you're not one of the skittish, that temporary slowdown in bookings is just one reason this is a great time to schedule a cruise.

Comcast just signed a major new deal with Disney that will give subscribers to the country's largest cable provider access to a ton of content across a range of devices -- not just TVs. Of course, those customers are sure to end up paying for it in higher cable bills.

The next time you find yourself bellyaching over your expanding monthly cable bill, don't blame your provider. Blame ESPN, the biggest offender when it comes to basic cable, setting distributors back $4.69 a month for every subscriber.

Global consulting firm Interbrand recently released its annual list of the top 100 Global Brands. And if you take three guesses as to the most popular brand in the world, there's a good chance you'll get it on the first try.

Most of us prefer to skip through commercials, or ignore them. At e-Miles, people watch loads of them, on purpose, with no actual TV shows on the schedule. In return, those viewers get airline miles, which allow them to inch their way toward cheaper air travel. So what's the catch? Read on...