cost cutting

The financial world's fee fever may have abated -- for now. Several big and medium-sized banks say they're not implementing fees for debit card use anytime soon. But with bank revenues slipping, they do need to act, and more are considering cost cuts to repair their bottom lines.

In this economy, people aren't just cutting out luxuries, nearly half of Americans are skimping on necessities like medication and doctor visits -- drastic actions that could be dangerous to their health.

The U.S. economy is still sputtering, and household budgets are still under pressure. So where are we cutting: Fancy coffee? Check. Eating out? You bet. But there are a few things that once would have been considered luxuries the recent poll shows Americans just aren't willing to do without.

People may be willing to change, but there's always going to be a line in the sand. As much as the Great Recession has caused Americans to give new sanctity to saving, some sacrifices they are simply not willing to make. According to the June Financial Literacy Opinion Index poll hosted on the...

After the losses of the past week, it seems hard to imagine that the S&P 500 has much further to decline. But the index took a fall to near 1,000 as recently as last July, and the issues that punished the markets then are looming over the economy again -- or perhaps, still.

Two years after the markets hit bottom on March 9, 2009, stock prices have rebounded significantly. But will the bull market keep rolling, or is a bear around the corner? Truth is, there's just as much uncertainty now as there was then.

The path to profits for most of Corporate America lately has been cutting costs rather than raising revenue. But a careful look reveals a few companies that are poised to deliver real revenue growth. We've found six with a plus: Their stocks look like bargains.

The Commerce Department reports that U.S. corporate profits have hit historic highs, so why isn't the GOP -- the party of business -- celebrating? After all, those profits are coming not from revenue growth -- which would benefit workers and executives -- but from cost cutting.

As retailers wrapped up their earnings reports this week, most said they're back in cost-control mode and will tighten inventories after the holidays. Shoppers are still spending cautiously and costs are on the rise, so profits will have to be squeezed out of slowly rising sales.

Here's a roundup of some of Wednesday's major pharmaceutical news: An FDA panel gave Human Genome Sciences a boost with a thumbs-up for its lupus drug, Benlysta; Merck's experimental heart drug appears to work well without side effects; and Novartis announced its plans for long-term growth.