Business

Positive financial and business headlines today include an uptick in U.S. homebuilders’ and U.K. surveyors’ numbers; there’s also cheaper money to be lent between banks, which means more consumer access to funds.

The gray, or underground, economy is flourishing amid the recession as underemployed workers seek one-off jobs free of taxes.

Carmakers started the trend, but many other companies are offering plans to help people who have lost their jobs hang on to their possessions.

Banks that accepted bailout money have hiked fees on credit cards, loans and other items. What can customers do to protect themselves?

In separate speeches, President Obama and Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke point to indications of economic turnaround; good news about Dendreon’s cancer vaccine helped to pull up other pharmaceutical stocks.

In order to avoid disclosure of uploaders' identities, Google has opted to disable user contributions on its Korean video-sharing portal.

Some financial pundits are dubbing JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon “the next Warren Buffett” for his witty prose and acuity in assessing the financial crisis.

The Neuberger Berman Socially Responsive Fund is showing a strong cash flow, 99 companies get plaudits for ethical business practices and two education IPOs are set to launch this week.

Some upbeat business stories on April 10, 2009: Stocks were up for the fifth consecutive week; President Obama sees positive signs in the nation’s economy, as do economists, who project the recovery to begin in September.

Protesting French workers once again man the barricades—by locking their bosses behind them.

Fox’s new reality TV show, “Someone’s Gotta Go,” might be too much too soon for viewers coping with anxiety about the recession.

Among today’s positive business and financial stories: bank Wells Fargo forecasts $3 billion in profits for Q1 2009, the Fed reports that Americans are cutting down on their revolving debt, new unemployment claims were down last week and the trade deficit narrowed to November 1999 levels.

The FDA has served a warrant to a New Jersey firm that refused to recall products associated with a salmonella outbreak or let the agency see pertinent records.

British band Coldplay continues to deny allegations from Joe Satriani that they plagiarized his 2004 instrumental song "If I Could Fly.”

Among today’s positive news headlines: Bed, Bath & Beyond and Ruby Tuesday shares boosted by better-than-expected numbers, financial master’s grads stand to benefit from current economic conditions and a financial company CEO points out the good news inherent in negative headlines.

With ticket sales slow due the recession, many teams are cutting prices and offering large discounts to attract fans.

Fox News fired blogger Roger Friedman after he wrote a review of a pirated version of the new “Wolverine” movie, produced by sister company 20th Century Fox.

Among today’s positive financial news headlines: one index shows a rise in consumer confidence; New York’s Madison Avenue gains new retail life; and AmEx’s stock gets upgraded from “sell” to “hold.”

N.Y. Sen. Chuck Schumer introduces legislation to give fans first crack at buying face value seats before brokers snatch them up.

Buying environmentally-conscious businesses is just one way large companies are trying to project a greener image and capture a new market.

Among today’s uplifting business and financial headlines: Sallie Mae plans to establish 2,000 new jobs across America; hiring departments are looking to hire talented applicants in advance of demand and a New Jersey insurance CEO pays each of his 400-plus employees $1,000.

Credit card customers with good credit and low balances are seeing their credit limits cut because they pay less in card maintenance fees.

In its third appearance before the Supreme Court, the case of Phillip Morris v. Mayola Williams was dismissed, ending years of litigation.

The numbers indicate that this recession is nowhere nearly as dire as the 1930s, argues a Federal Reserve researcher. Topshop’s U.S. opening shows people are still excited about buying clothes and China’s manufacturing output is up for the first time in six months.

Maybe your three-year-old is wondering why Mommy or Daddy is home so much now. Or your recently tightened budget has forced you to ask your fourth grader to decide between summer camp and picking up a new musical instrument. Here are some ideas on how to put the recession in terms children can understand and in the process, make the whole family feel empowered.

By a one-vote margin, the Senate Banking Committee approved legislation that would curb some fee and interest hikes by credit card companies, and simplify gift card use.

Rebounds on the financial markets, both today and over the past month, capture the spotlight today. Also, a solar company shows strong numbers, suggesting opportunities in green energy.

Declining oil prices around the world have given Western oil companies more leeway in negotiating with countries whose economies rely heavily on liquid gold.

Despite concerns that they are a waste of paper, the phone book industry keeps providing them, year after year—and they outnumber the people who use them.

Traders and consumers ended March on a positive note, with the Dow showing a sharp uptick to close out the quarter and the Consumer Confidence Index up slightly. And, in a testament to the resiliency of retail, fashion house Armani is still flourishing.