Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

Richard Cordray, Ohio’s attorney general, sued the nation’s largest credit rating agencies, alleging that they cost the state’s pension funds $457 million by approving securities that went bust.

Ohio Sues Rating Firms For Losses In Funds

By DAVID SEGAL 37 minutes ago

In the suit, the state’s attorney general asserted that Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch Ratings provided misleading ratings that led to hundreds of millions of losses for state funds.

DealBook

Hershey Considers a Bid for Cadbury

By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED and ANDREW ROSS SORKIN 6:48 PM ET

Hershey is considering bidding for Cadbury, a proposal that would top the $16.7 billion hostile bid from Kraft, people briefed on the matter said on Friday.

Off the Charts

From Leader to Laggard In Just Over a Decade

By FLOYD NORRIS 23 minutes ago

Since 1998, the dollar’s weakness has been a major contributor to the United States stock market’s fall from global grace.

Graphic: After 11 Years, Back at 1,100

The prospect of a period of Japan-like outcome in Britain was aired last month by a member of the monetary policy committee of the Bank of England, above.

In Britain, Visions of Japan’s Decade of Stagnation

By LANDON THOMAS Jr.

Even as the British economy seems to be improving, some analysts worry that its underlying structural flaws could mean the country won’t be able to sustain its recovery.

European Bank Easing Off Emergency Moves

Jobless Rate Up in 29 States, Hitting Records in 4 of Them

By BLOOMBERG NEWS 34 minutes ago

Michigan had the highest jobless rate at 15.1 percent, followed by Nevada at 13 percent and Rhode Island at 12.9 percent.

Times Topics: Unemployment

Shares Finish Lower on Doubts About Recovery

By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ 7:01 PM ET

Investors are increasingly wondering about the speed of the economy recovery and they are questioning the fast-paced rise of technology stocks.

Media Decoder

Winfrey Explains Her Departure

By BRIAN STELTER 12:18 PM ET

Oprah Winfrey confirmed to viewers what she told her staff members on Thursday: She is ending her talk show in 2011.

Your Money

Stacey Welsh, managing partner with Sovereign Wealth Management in San Francisco, recommends anticipating how all expenses will be split in a divorce agreement.

Experienced In Love And Money

By RON LIEBER

Some advice from those with firsthand experience of divorce may help you avoid the financial pitfalls of a split.

What questions do you wish you’d asked your attorney ahead of time?

Shortcuts

When ‘Customer Service’ Seems Anything But

By ALINA TUGEND

Sometimes it is hard to remember that the person on the other end of the phone line is not the enemy, but staying calm can help.

Patient Money

LifeNet in New York answers thousands of calls every month, offering support and referrals for mental health services.

How to Find Mental Health Care When Money Is Tight

By LESLEY ALDERMAN

Hot lines, online groups and organizations that charge fees on a sliding scale are options for finding help.

Post a Comment

AOL to Cut One-Third of Its Staff

By TIM ARANGO

AOL said on Thursday that about 2,500 jobs will be lost after it is spun off from Time Warner next month.

Times Topics: AOL | Post a Comment

Google Offers Peek at Operating System, a Potential Challenge to Windows

By MIGUEL HELFT

Computers using Chrome, which uses “cloud computing,” will not arrive for a year, but it is already seen as a potential challenger to Microsoft.

Times Topics: Google Inc.

Back to Business

Policy changes in insurance, while introduced on a temporary basis, are becoming so popular that they could prove difficult to undo.

With F.H.A. Help, Easy Loans in Expensive Areas

By DAVID STREITFELD

An effort by the F.H.A. to prop up real estate prices amid rising defaults has put taxpayers at risk.

Panel Votes to Broaden Oversight of the Fed

By EDMUND L. ANDREWS

Rejecting warnings by the Obama administration, a committee approved a plan by Representative Ron Paul to carry out sweeping new audits of the central bank’s policy decisions and operations.

Times Topics: Financial Regulatory Reform

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner testifies at a Joint Economic Committee hearing on financial regulatory overhaul in Washington.

Geithner Hopes to End Bailout Fund

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said on Thursday that the government would close the $700 billion program “as soon as we can,” and that part of it would be used to lower the federal debt.

Stephen A. Schwarzman, head of the Blackstone Group.

Attention Shifts to China for Private Equity Industry

By DAVID BARBOZA

Global private equity firms are seeking to raise capital from China’s wealthy individuals and institutions, even as the nation works to create a private equity industry of its own.

Pinnacle, a Blackstone Company, to Buy Birds Eye Foods

Business Headlines

More Multimedia

Interactive Feature: C.E.O. Compensation: The Pay at the Top

A look at 2008 compensation for chief executives at 198 major companies.

Interactive Feature: A Timeline of the Madoff Fraud

Key dates in the Ponzi scheme and case of Bernard L. Madoff.

Times Topics: Bernard L. Madoff

Interactive Graphic: The Jobless Rate for People Like You

Not all groups have felt the recession equally.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Ofheo; U.S.D.A.

Interactive Map: Geography of a Recession

Updated: A map of unemployment rates across the United States, now through May.

Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis; the economists

Interactive Feature: How the Government Dealt With Past Recessions

Since the Great Depression, presidents have tried many methods to fight recessions. Three economists explain what worked and what didn’t.

Interactive Feature: Milestones in the Carmakers’ Crisis

Major events in the automakers’ decline and rescue efforts.

Interactive Feature: G.M.’s Road From Prosperity to Crisis

Major events in the history of General Motors.

Times Topics: Auto Industry Crisis

This week: Jeff Sommer with David Barboza on U.S.-China economic relations; Tim O’Brien and Devin Leonard on distressed real estate; David Segal on credit card hassles; Stephanie Rosenbloom on retail sales; and investors who buy high and sell low.

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Today's Columnist

High & Low Finance

U.S. Teaches Carmakers Capitalism

By FLOYD NORRIS

The U.S. takeover of G.M. and Chrysler isn’t an unqualified success, but rising auto prices may be more than a statistical fluke.

Room for Debate

Is Goldman's Charitable Gesture Enough?

By THE EDITORS

Does the firm have an obligation to make philanthropic efforts?

Special Section

Business of Green

Storm Over the Chamber

By JOHN M. BRODER

Debate has flared in the United States Chamber of Commerce over climate legislation.

Go to Business of Green »

A special section on the anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, an event that set off the steepest economic downturn in the U.S. since the Great Depression.

Go to Special Section »

Video Feature

A look at how private equity dealmakers can win while their companies, like Simmons Bedding, lose.

Video

Costly Free Credit Reports

Federal law guarantees free credit reports each year, but many consumers who got theirs from FreeCreditReport.com unintentionally paid for an expensive credit monitoring service.

More From the Series »

Video

Distracted Drivers

Most people are aware of the dangers of trying to multitask while driving, but most continue to do it anyway.

Go to Series: Driven to Distraction »

Times Topics in Business

Credit Crisis — The Essentials

A continuously updated summary of credit crisis developments.

A new blog about what changes in the health care system might mean for Americans.

Go to Blog »

BofA’s Ideal Chief: the One Who Is Leaving?

Richard X. Bove, the outspoken bank analyst, believes the best person to lead Bank of America is Kenneth D. Lewis, the current chief, who plans to leave the bank.