WASHINGTON — Americans cut back on using their credit cards in August for a third straight month, a sign that consumers remain cautious about spending. Consumers increased their borrowing $13.6 billion in August to a seasonally adjusted $3.04 trillion, the ...

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Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages declined this week amid signs the economic recovery is slowing. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year loan fell to 4.50 percent from 4.57 percent last week. The ...

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NEW YORK — It seems that not even Beyonce or new, lower-calorie options can convince Americans to drink more soda. Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc. and Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. all sold less soda in the second quarter in North ...

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Maryland School Assessment scores for elementary and middle school students have dropped this year as the state transitions to new national learning standards, according to data released Tuesday by the Maryland State Department of Education. The percentage of elementary students ...

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WASHINGTON — Average rates on U.S. fixed mortgages declined this week as concern waned in the financial markets over the Federal Reserve’s possible slowing of its bond purchases this year. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the average on the ...

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A new report shows a 34 percent decline in the number of foreclosure filings in the United States last year, to the lowest level since 2007. RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure data firm, released its year-end report Thursday. In it, figures ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices are falling again in most major cities after posting small gains over the summer and spring. The report suggests the troubled housing market remains weak and won’t recover any time soon. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller ...

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WASHINGTON — Wholesale businesses in the U.S. reduced their stockpiles in September for the first time in nearly two years, while their sales rose. Inventories at the wholesale level fell 0.1 percent, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. It was the ...

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Bankruptcy filings in Maryland dropped by more than 10 percent overall for fiscal 2011, according to federal data released Monday. That’s slightly sharper than the national average, according to latest figures from the U.S. Courts. Total filings in the U.S. ...

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American homes are more cluttered than ever with devices, and they all need power: Cellphones and iPads that have to be charged, DVRs that run all hours, TVs that light up in high definition. But something shocking is happening to ...

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