While job creation since the economic recovery has been tepid, the housing market is turning around nicely, with housing prices and sales climbing steadily in the past year.

A slew of February housing data this week should confirm that trend. After falling 8.5% in January, economists expect a 2% rebound in housing starts in February to a seasonally adjusted rate of 915,000. Sales of existing... » more

Last month's disastrous cruise in the Gulf of Mexico and other recent high-seas emergencies spurred Sen. Charles Schumer Sundayto call on the industry to adopt a bill of rights for passengers.

Schumer called cruise ships the "wild west of the travel industry."

"It's time to rein them in before anyone else gets hurt," Schumer said. "This bill of rights, based... » more

Have Americans cut down on their shopping thanks to the expiration of the 2% payroll tax cut at the start of 2013?

We will find out the answer to that question when the February retail sales report comes out Wednesday.

Despite an increase in the payroll tax, retail sales rose 0.1% in January, but economists warn that consumers might not know that their paychecks shrank by a few hundred... » more

Steven Beltrani is a New York-based publicist, working with a variety of well-known consumer, lifestyle and fitness brands, and celebrities. He started out as a financial analyst in the real estate sector of an international financial advisory firm after graduating from Penn State University with a degree from the Smeal College of Business.

Why did you switch? The economic recession affected... » more

For anyone remotely interested in consumer technology trends, the single greatest research tool on planet Earth is the New York City subway system.

New York City is a world center for art, fashion, business and media, and the subway is jam-packed full of forward-looking people who tend to get in on new trends early.

So what happens here leads what goes on elsewhere.

Now, I've been... » more

Creating the next Metropolis doesn't happen over night, even in the virtual world.

Fans of the "SimCity" video game series were extremely frustrated after technical issues prevented them from playing the latest version of the game.

The P.C. game, which launched Tuesday, requires players to connect to the Internet to create their virtual cities and interact online, but players... » more

Angela Cheung started out as an information technologist before going to work as an equity trader for a private fund. In 2005 she began a career as a clinical social worker after graduating from Hunter College with a master's in Social Work. She works at YAI, a nonprofit agency that serves individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, and operates out of her own private practice... » more

Looking for expenses to deduct from your taxes is a valued skill, but Nicole Lapin, former CNN/CNBC anchor and editor-in-chief of Recessionista.com, warns not to take it too far. Beware these "sins" this tax season, as they can get you into more trouble than they're worth:

1. If you're a disgruntled taxpayer, you can't claim an elected official because your taxes "pay his salary."

2.... » more

Police are investigating the possibility that a stray bullet may have killed a 79-year-old Bushwick man in his apartment.

James Jackson was found unconscious by his live-in girlfriend in his Gates Avenue home about 2:20 a.m. Sunday, according to an NYPD source.

Jackson, who had a gunshot wound in the neck, was immediately taken by ambulance to Woodhull Hospital, where he was pronounced... » more

The recession had a strong impact on young Americans who saw the credit crisis up close: they are taking on less credit card debt, delaying plans to buy homes and owning fewer cars, according to a study released Thursday.

From 2007 to 2010, the median debt of U.S. households headed by people age 35 and younger fell by 29% from $21,912 to $15,473 - while debt of older Americans fell by just... » more