WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans earned and spent more in March, but much of the extra money went to pay for gas. Personal incomes rose 0.5 percent last month and consumer spending increased 0.6 percent, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Reserve is signaling that its $600 billion Treasury bond-buying program will end in June as planned because the economy has strengthened and companies are starting to hire more.

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NEW YORK — Americans' concerns about jobs and inflation eased somewhat in April, pushing the Consumer Confidence Index higher. The increase comes after an unexpected drop in March. But the measure had risen for five consecutive months before that and hit a three-year high in February.

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NEW YORK CITY — U.S. shoppers' worries about juggling rising gas and food prices and other household costs pushed the Consumer Confidence Index down sharply in March. The decline, which followed a three-year high in February ...

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Tuesday that a prolonged rise in oil prices would pose a danger to the U.S. economy. But he said a more likely outcome is a temporary and modest increase in consumer prices — not runaway inflation.

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NEW YORK CITY — Stocks are turning mixed after three straight weeks of gains as momentum fades about a freshly signed tax-cut package. Major indexes are mostly lower in midday trading Monday, giving up earlier gains.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Construction of new homes fell in October, fresh evidence that the housing industry remains under duress. Construction of new homes and apartments sank 11.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate ...

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 58 million retirees and disabled Americans will get no increase in Social Security benefits next year, the second year in a row without a raise.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former credit rating industry executives told a Senate panel Friday that competitive pressures and poor internal communications led their analysts to award safe ratings to risky investments.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Reserve on Tuesday repeated its pledge to hold interest rates at record lows to foster the economic recovery and ease high unemployment.

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