Q. My family is having a family reunion at the end of the summer. I can’t afford the airfare and I don’t want to use a credit card, but I also don’t want to miss the reunion. What should I do?
Stocks are closing lower for a third straight day following weak earnings reports, a pullback at U.S. factories and fear that Europe's debt crisis could spiral out of control.
A new government study says the average federal worker earns about 2 percent more than a private sector worker in a comparable profession, though the government's generous pension system means that overall compensation is significantly higher.