Stock index futures trade flat to higher

LONDON (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a flat to higher open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.1 percent at 0844 GMT.Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 futures were unchanged.European shares were also flat, with the FTSEurofirst 300 <.fteu3> just shy of a two-year high. The pan-European index has risen almost 3 percent since the start of the year.The U.S. economy...

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Morgan Stanley to trim Dubai staff amid global cuts: sources

DUBAI (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley Inc , the sixth-largest U.S. bank by assets, is trimming staff at its Dubai office, mainly by cutting jobs in its equities division, as part of a global plan to reduce costs, three sources aware of the matter said.The bank plans to slash 1,600 jobs globally, many of whom work in its securities unit, sources told Reuters last week.Big U.S. and European institutions...

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Swatch in $1 billion deal for Harry Winston brand

GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland's biggest watch maker, Swatch Group AG, says it has agreed to pay about $1 billion to acquire Canada's Harry Winston watch and jewelry brand. The Biel, Switzerland-based company says it will pay $750 million to acquire the brand from Toronto-based Harry Winston Diamond Corp. and will also assume as much as $250 million in debt. The acquisition includes the Harry Winston...

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Pierre and Joan Delva Share a Glimpse of their Life and Journey in New Book

“The Biography of a New Canadian Family” offers a fascinating look into modern medical history and how it converged with the authors’ lives.Ontario, Canada (PRWEB) January 10, 2013In “The Biography of a New Canadian Family: Volume II”, author Pierre L. Delva and his wife Joan Campbell-Delva once again shares an insightful glimpse into the field of modern medicine as it converged with their own personal...

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Historian Reviews Southern General’s Record, Revises it via New Critical Study

In ‘John Bell Hood: Extracting Truth From History,’ author Thomas J. Brown has written an important work on a formidable but misrepresented Confederate general.Spreckles, CA (PRWEB) January 10, 2013Does the Battle of Gettysburg represent the turning point of the American Civil War, or did that occur elsewhere? As the United States celebrates the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the Civil War,...

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Allen Cookson’s New Book Integrates Economics and Science in Analyzing Human Ecological Predicament

Allen Cookson’s New Book Integrates Economics and Science in Analyzing Human Ecological PredicamentAllen Cookson relates the fundamental physical and ecological principles to Economics.(PRWEB) January 10, 2013Looming over humanity are impending ecological crises. If they occur, the present global financial crisis will be seen in hindsight as a relatively minor inconvenience, but an ignored warning...

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The "Dig Into Yamhill Valley” Campaign Offers Visitors a New Way to Experience Oregon Wine Country

DIG Into Yamhill Valley features once-in-a-lifetime experiences hosted by wineries, restaurants, and other local businesses, in addition to discounts on accommodation and activities to round out any Oregon wine country vacation. With a different theme each month, there's plenty of ways to experience the valley where imagination still takes flight and you’re never too old to stay and play.Yamhill...

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Turning Point for Reviving New England’s Historic Mills: The Architectural Team Celebrates 30 Year Milestone ofAward-Winning Adaptive Reuse of Boston Chocolate Factory

Beginning in 1983 with construction of the Baker Chocolate Factory Apartments, the firm has shown how to preserve the region's industrial heritage through adaptive reuse of New England’s historic mills, hospitals, schools and office buildings into sustainable, livable communities.BOSTON, MA (PRWEB) January 08, 2013This year, The Architectural Team will celebrate a 30-year milestone for one of the...

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Performing and Recording Artist Aleksandra Maslovaric Acquires Violin From Los Angeles Violinmaker Benning

Renowned Los Angeles-based violin virtuoso Aleksandra Maslovaric, has acquired a master violin crafted by luthier Eric Benning. The violin, made by Benning in 2009 after a celebrated Stradivarius model, will be used to record the violinist's next recording of classical works written by women composers.Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 08, 2013Concert violinist Aleksandra Maslovaric, an artist well-known...

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Senator Reid rejects Boehner "fiscal cliff" backup plan

 House Speaker John Boehner's backup plan that would simply extend low income tax rates for households with incomes below $1 million a year "cannot pass both houses of Congress," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Tuesday.Reid, a Democrat, said Boehner instead should focus on reaching a broad deficit-reduction deal with President Barack Obama. "Now is the time to show leadership, not kick...

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White House defends offer as 'good faith effort'

 The White House is defending President Barack Obama's proposal to set a higher threshold for tax increases than what he vowed to do during his presidential campaign. The White House says Obama has moved halfway to meet House Speaker John Boehner on a "fiscal cliff" deal that raises $1.2 trillion in tax revenue, down from the $1.6 trillion Obama had initially requested.White House spokesman Jay...

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Factbox: U.S. House "Plan B" tax bill likely to have short shelf life

The U.S. House of Representatives is likely to vote this week on what is being called "Plan B" on avoiding the "fiscal cliff."The Republican-sponsored legislation aims to extend current low tax rates for most families. Without such action by Congress, across-the-board income tax rates will rise on January 1.The combination of $500 billion in tax hikes and $100 billion in spending cuts, which are scheduled...

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U.S. charges three Swiss bankers in offshore account case

Three Swiss bankers accused of conspiring with American clients to hide more than $420 million from the tax-collecting U.S. Internal Revenue Service were indicted, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan said on Wednesday.The indictment named Stephan Fellmann, Otto Huppi and Christof Reist, all former client advisers with an unnamed Swiss bank. None of the bankers have been arrested, authorities said.Their...

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"Fiscal cliff" turmoil could hit 100 million taxpayers: U.S. IRS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. tax authorities warned on Wednesday that as many as 100 million taxpayers - far more than previously estimated - could face refund delays if lawmakers' "fiscal cliff" negotiations fail to fix the alternative minimum tax (AMT) before year-end.The Internal Revenue Service said in a letter to lawmakers that it was raising its estimate on AMT impact from 60 million."It is becoming...

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First Person: What My College Degree Means to Me

*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Do you have a personal finance story that you'd like to share? Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.My college degree helped me pursue a successful 30-year career in advertising and public relations. However, it only happened after I realized I had not made the right decision in choosing my college...

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Low prices boost SF home sales to 5-year Jan. high

 Home sales in the San Francisco Bay area reached a five-year high for January, as prices and mortgage rates plunged, a real estate tracking firm reported Thursday.However, many of those purchases involved properties that were subject to foreclosures or short sales, indicating the housing market is far from recovered.The survey by San Diego-based DataQuick also showed the median sales price in...

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Why the Slowest Investors Win the Race

Anyone who attended kindergarten remembers Aesop's fable about the tortoise and the hare. The story's moral has implications for investors: Slow but steady wins the race.Hare investors try to sprint to the finish line of a comfortable retirement without girding their portfolios against the perils of volatility — frequent ups and downs in asset value. So they tend to lag far behind tortoise investors,...

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US rate on 30-year mortgage hits record 3.83 pct.

Average U.S. rates for 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgages fell to fresh record lows this week. Cheap mortgage rates have made home-buying and refinancing more affordable than ever for those who can qualify.Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan ticked down to 3.83 percent. That's the lowest since long-term mortgages began in the 1950s. And it's below the previous...

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US rate on 30-year mortgage rises to 3.71 pct.

Average rates on fixed mortgages rose this week, the first increase in seven weeks. But mortgage rates remain near historic lows, boosting prospects for home sales this year.Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year loan increased to 3.71 percent. That's up from 3.67 percent last week, the lowest since long-term mortgages began in the 1950s.The average rate on the...

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Toll Brothers 4Q net income soars on tax benefit

NEW YORK (AP) — Toll Brothers says its fiscal fourth-quarter net income soared, helped by a large income tax benefit and a 48 percent rise in revenue. The luxury homebuilder delivered more homes and its order backlog increased.CEO Douglas C. Yearley Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday that higher home prices, low interest rates, pent-up demand and improving consumer confidence prompted buyers to return...

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