states

For the first time, there's a state-by-state scorecard of America's performance in providing long-term services and support to senior citizens and people with disabilities, and the results aren't much to brag about. But they do point the way toward improving the long-term care system -- and saving the nation billions.

The debt-ceiling discussions may be over, but the fallout for states is just starting. Many states, still struggling to recover to pre-recession levels, have depended on federal money to make up their shortfalls. As the flow of money slows, which states will take the biggest hits?

Everyday expenses have a direct effect on the price of doing business, which is why CNBC measures the cost of living when it does its survey of the top states for business. So where would a business find a state where the cost of living is low? The survey results point to the South.

For the nearly 14 million Americans who want to work and can't find jobs, unemployment insurance is a vital lifeline. But how much help that lifeline is varies widely from state to state. We crunched the numbers to see which states are the best -- and worst -- places to be unemployed.

Prepare yourself for the decade of the multiplying millionaires: By the end of 2020, the number of affluent households that will cross the line into seven-figure status is expected to virtually double the ranks of U.S. millionaires. So where will all that money be going?

As wages and benefits shrink, state workers are retiring in droves. On top of all the layoffs, these retirements amount to a huge brain drain, and the problem will only get worse given the yawning budget gaps of states from coast to coast.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has made autism services a priority in his proposed budget for the 2012 fiscal year. But some services may still suffer cuts: nonprofit Autism NJ says it's set to lose a state contract -- and Medicaid cuts also could reduce autism services, activists say.

Though the media often reports on eye-popping salaries of government officials, such as school superintendents and other political appointees, most public-sector workers don't do nearly as well. Typically, they earn about 6% less than workers in the private sector.

Students who drop out of school before reaching their sophomore year cost taxpayers billions of dollars, according to new research. Taxpayers spent more than $9 billion over five years subsidizing students who didn't make it to the second year of four-year degree courses, according to new...

The Treasury Department announced a $1.5 billion lending package to boost small businesses at the state level. The money will be available to states that can demonstrate that they will generate $10 in new private lending for every dollar of federal funds they receive, Reuters said. This could...