Senate Passes Landmark Financial Reform Bill
Caitlin Huey-Burns

The Senate gave final approval to a 2,300 page financial reform bill after over a year of craftsmanship, concessions, and marathon debates. President Obama is expected to sign the bill, putting into law unprecedented regulations on Wall Street and protection for consumers

Did Goldman Sachs Get Off Easy?
Rob Silverblatt

In the wake of the Securities and Exchange Commission's announcement that it has settled its case against Goldman Sachs, experts are divided about who exactly comes out ahead in the proposed deal. For its part, the SEC s touting the settlement as a landmark victory. Still, other observers have been lining up to say that Goldman got off easy.

Obama's Anti-Business Policies Are Our Economic Katrina
Mortimer B. Zuckerman

In the midst of a weak economy accompanied by levels of unemployment unprecedented since the Great Depression, it is critical that the government appreciate that confidence is an imperative if the business community is to invest, take risks with start-ups, and altogether get the economy going again to put the millions of unemployed back to productive work

Many 'Wide Moat' Companies Losing Competitive Advantage
Andrew Leckey

Every company is looking over its shoulder these days. The number of firms with a 'wide moat' that presents an almost insurmountable obstacle to potential competitors has been declining. Rapid-fire innovation, technology and globalization mean challengers can arise from almost anywhere. Competitive advantage these days is difficult to obtain

The Global Glass Ceiling: Why Empowering Women Is Good for Business
Isobel Coleman

When women are educated and can earn and control income, a number of good results follow: infant mortality declines, child health and nutrition improve, agricultural productivity rises, population growth slows, economies expand, and cycles of poverty are broken. But the challenges remain dauntingly large

Will the United - Continental Merger Raise Airfares
Ben Baden

If regulators approve the merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, it will create the world's largest carrier. Although it's early, many experts agree that there will probably be a push for higher fares.

Continental - United Airlines Merger: the Consumer View
Ed Perkins

By now you've seen the news that Continental and United airlines have agreed to merge. This isn't a done deal yet as this merger will get a close look by the Departments of Justice and Transportation, and anti-trust concerns could derail it. But most industry mavens believe the climate is right for this merger. And, I'd bet that the fallout for consumers will be more negative than positive

Just a Few Questions for the SEC
Paul Greenberg

Maybe only someone woefully ignorant of high finance -- like me -- would still be trying to understand the basis, if any, of the case filed against Goldman Sachs by our suddenly awake Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the many questions the SEC's case raises ...

Financial Crisis - Somebody Must Pay!
Paul Greenberg

It happens with partners. So long as the business is growing, the money's rolling in, and everything's coming up green, they're the best of friends. But when business sours and profits wither, the other partner becomes the cause of it all, a total incompetent and maybe a thief to boot. What was once mutual admiration turns into mutual litigation

Business Schools' Great Ethics Debate
Matthew Bandyk

Faced with a recession-trashed job market, students have been applying to M.B.A. programs in greater numbers since 2008. That's bad news for the many critics who charged that it was graduates of these M.B.A. programs who helped create the recession in the first place. Recognizing that they are now under a microscope, many business schools are re-evaluating the importance of business ethics

Can SEC Beat Goldman Sachs?
Rob Silverblatt

News that the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil suit against Goldman Sachs has sent the investment bank's stocks reeling. But are investors overreacting? To be sure, the case is bad news for Goldman, which has come under fire recently for its handling of mortgage-backed securities during the downturn

The Science of Workplace Happiness
Rob Silverblatt

Researchers are trying to figure out what makes people happy and how those feelings can be created and sustained. This field of study--which is equal parts science and psychology, with a hint of motivational speaking thrown in--is hardly new, but it has taken on growing importance as the sour job market continues to weigh on the psyches of American workers

When It Comes to Innovation Is America Becoming Third World Country
Arianna Huffington

Is America turning into a Third World country? That was the provocative topic of a panel I took part in recently at a conference sponsored by The Economist entitled 'Innovation: Fresh Thinking for the Ideas Economy'

How Payroll-Tax Holiday Affects Small Businesses
Matthew Bandyk

Supporters in Congress claim that the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act will create jobs by making it cheaper for businesses to add new employees. The good news is that small businesses may be more likely to use the incentives to add jobs that would not have otherwise been created. The bad news is that not many small businesses will find the jobs bill's incentives appealing.

The Google Syndrome: China's Corporate Woes
Rob Silverblatt

As business relations between the United States and China sour, many see Google's partial exit from the Chinese economy--the company still hopes to maintain a limited presence in mainland China--as a test case that other foreign firms will use to evaluate whether they can afford to ruffle Beijing's feathers.

Going Green Is Good Business
Brian Kelly

Denver might not be the first place one would think to look for examples of progressive urban development. But the energy-centric city has become a leader in areas of transit, housing, and energy efficiency, thanks to a succession of effective leaders. Mayor John Hickenlooper talks about how Denver has become a place where energy conservation and development mix well.

Toyota: Profit Over Principles
Cal Thomas

When Toyota President Akio Toyoda testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, an attitude was exposed that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) correctly characterized as fostering a 'cutthroat corporate' environment that placed costs ahead of quality and safety.

The Great Retail Revolution
Rick Newman

A facade of calm may be returning to the consumer landscape as a thrashing recession finally subsides. But behind the cheerful window displays are deeply worried retail executives who fear that shopping may never be the same again.

Employers Should Be Honest About Their Electronic Privacy Policies
Lewis Maltby

Quon v. Arch Wireless raises the question of whether public employers must be honest with employees about their monitoring practices. The case is not about whether employers should be allowed to monitor employee communications. Employers have legitimate reasons to do so. What Quon says is that an employer must be upfront and consistent in its monitoring policies

Employers Must Be Able to Monitor Electronic Devices They Pay For
Mitch Danzig

Employers provide workers with devices and give them access to E-mail, the Internet, and instant messaging to make them more efficient as employees. It defies logic to say that employees should be able to send personal messages on company time and property without being subject to employer review. The U.S. Supreme Court will address Quon v. Arch Wireless this term and should send a clear message

Google vs. China's Censors

Google vs. China's Censors
Clarence Page

Google launched its China operation in January 2006 with high hopes. The democratizing benefits of increased Web access for the Chinese people, the Internet giant hoped, would outweigh the Chinese Communist Party's ferocious censorship and e-mail spying. Google also hoped to make shiploads of money. But that was then. Four years later Google threatens to walk away.

Journalism: Desperate Metaphors, Revenue Models and the Need for Better Journalism
Arianna Huffington

Apparently, some in the old media have decided that it is, in fact, an either/or game and that the best way to save, if not journalism, at least themselves, is by pointing fingers and calling names. It's a tactic familiar to schoolyard inhabitants everywhere: when all else fails, reach for the nearest insult and throw it around indiscriminately.

FedEx and UPS Feud Over Union Rules
Alex Kingsbury

The country's two largest private package-delivery companies, UPS and FedEx, have their horns locked in battle on Capitol Hill over the patchwork of laws that determine the rights workers have to form unions.

Financial Crisis, Enron, Hurricane Katrina Examples of Leadership Gone Wrong
Tamara Lytle

The New Orleans masses who huddled in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, the Enron retirees who lost their life savings, and the laid-off workers buried under the economic ruin of financial companies all live with a simple truth. Just as spectacularly as great leadership can spark success, failed leadership can bring down cities, businesses, and economies

Crisis Management: Leading Successfully Through the Storm
Bret Schulte

Contemporary examples of strong crisis leadership are in surprisingly short supply, experts say. And all too often, the reaction to a crisis is to hunker down and ride it out. But there are a few modern standouts, especially in the business world.

How to Fix the Financial System: Let Federal Reserve oversee new regulations for finance giants
Mortimer B. Zuckerman

In the grip of our Great Recession, with more job losses to come, we have yet to fix the broken financial system that is an underlying cause of this whole mess. How can we do it?

FCC 'Net Neutrality' Rules Would Keep the Web Free for Speech and Trade
Andrew Jay Schwartzman

If the federal government does nothing -- that is, if it does not adopt network neutrality rules -- it will be allowing telephone and cable companies to block, degrade, or slow down any content on the Internet for any reason. Without such rules, the Internet will not live up to its full potential for fueling economic growth and serving as a vehicle for artistic, political, and social expression

FCC Could Mess Up Internet With 'Net Neutrality' Rules No One Needs
Barbara S. Esbin

The FCC's proposed rules codify and expand its 2005 Internet policy principles -- intended to preserve 'openness' while giving ISPs flexibility. Despite its recognition that these principles have helped preserve Internet openness, the FCC is now poised to take far more intrusive action. Simply put, the case has not been made for regulating at this time. Here's why ...

In a Global Economy, American CEOs Are a Different Breed
Thomas K. Grose

If you think of global business styles as a continuum, U.S. executives are at one end, their Asian counterparts at the other. American executives, and the companies they lead, are generally more comfortable with risk and uncertainty than those in Europe and, particularly, Asia.

Small Businesses Hold on Despite Economy
Matthew Bandyk

Conventional wisdom holds true when it comes to small businesses struggling in an economic recession. Small businesses drive the nation's economy so when the economy slows down, they take the brunt. Compared with large businesses, they have less of a cushion of capital. Tight credit makes business expansion difficult. And economic slowdowns can expose fundamental flaws in business plans. But despite all these disadvantages, the number of small businesses as a whole seems to be recessionproof.

Obama's Hidden Business Tax Increase
by Matthew Bandyk

Obama's proposal would require companies to account for their inventories on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis rather than a last-in-first-out (LIFO) one -- an eye-glazing change that's highly significant. In an era of rising costs, to assume that you're selling your oldest inventory rather than your newest increases reported profits and thus taxes, even though nothing real has changed. If inflation turns worse, as many analysts predict, FIFO would force companies to pay real taxes on phantom profits as the value of goods gets inflated while they sit in inventory.

Employers to Make Deeper Cuts in 2010 Health Coverage
by Martha Lynn Carver

Look for employers to cut more deeply than ever into health care coverage for their workers in 2010. Companies are getting walloped by higher than expected costs just when they can least afford it.

Obama's New Antitrust Rules Have Big, Powerful Companies Sweating
by Tamara Lytle

The Obama administration has swept away policy after policy from the Bush administration, and the top antitrust regulator, Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney, made it clear in her speech that she's coming in with a very big broom.

Varney repudiated the Bush administration's more laissez-faire approach to monopoly cases in a forceful speech to a liberal think tank and then in another one to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A report issued last year by the Bush administration on monopoly regulation is no longer government policy, she warned judges, lawyers, and companies.

"As antitrust enforcers, we cannot sit on the sidelines any longer, both in terms of enforcing the antitrust laws and contribution to sound competition policy as part of our nation's economic strategy," she said in her speech.

US economic growth slows to 2.4%
US economic growth slowed between April and June, with GDP growing by an annualised rate of 2.4%, the US Commerce Department says.

Immigrant worker limit criticised
Government plans to limit the number of skilled foreign workers allowed into the UK are criticised by the Lord Mayor of London.

California in 'fiscal emergency'
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declares a fiscal state of emergency, putting pressure on lawmakers to pass a budget.

Scottish review warns of job cuts
Up to 60,000 people working in the public sector in Scotland could lose their jobs, according to an independent review commissioned by ministers.

China allows IMF report release
China allows the publication of an International Monetary Fund staff report on its economy for the first time since 2006.

Greek police clash with hauliers
Greek police fire tear gas to disperse hundreds of lorry drivers protesting in Athens against a government order to end their strike.

Cameron launches India trade push
David Cameron begins a two-day visit to India with the aim of strengthening relations and creating jobs back in Britain.

House prices 'now at 2006 levels'
House prices in England and Wales are now at similar levels as seen in the summer of 2006, says the Land Registry.

Bank head hints rates to stay low
The governor of the Bank of England says he is more worried about slow growth than inflation, suggesting rates will stay low.

July retail sales see sharp rise
High Street sales in July grew at the fastest pace since April 2007 and are set to keep growing, a CBI survey suggests.

Bangladesh increases minimum wage
Bangladesh is nearly doubling the minimum wage for its millions of garment workers, a wage board official says, after months of violent protests over pay.

Russian GDP growth 'accelerates'
Russia's economic growth accelerated in the three months to June, mainly due to rising consumer demand, an offical says.

Indian interest rates rise again
The Reserve Bank of India has increased interest rates for the second time in a month to try to hold back inflation.

US new home sales still sluggish
New US home sales rose sharply in June compared with the previous month, but the pace of sales remains slow, figures show.

Hit by sanctions
Black market boom as Dubai curbs trade with Iran

Pensions timebomb
Russians fear the benefits system will cease to exist

Filling the gap
Why British businesses still need immigrant workers

Wealth in China
But many rich people still pay to move to the West

Dusty desert
Worthless land becomes valuable as solar panels move in

Stress head
What are the EU bank stress tests all about?

Africa's mixed blessing?
Why Africa's rich resources are proving to be a burden

US economic growth slows to 2.4%
US economic growth slowed between April and June, with GDP growing by an annualised rate of 2.4%, the US Commerce Department says.

Strikes and ash extend BA losses
BA reveals a steep quarterly loss of £164m after being hit by cabin crew strikes and disruption caused by the volcanic ash cloud.

Royal Mail pension plan opposed
The Pensions Regulator is opposing a crucial plan to pay off the £10bn deficit in the Royal Mail pension scheme.

Disney sells Miramax film studios
Walt Disney announces the sale of its Miramax film division for about $660m to a group of private equity investors.

Deadline for tax credits renewal
Families face missing out on financial assistance if they miss Saturday's deadline to renew tax credits.

Immigrant worker limit criticised
Government plans to limit the number of skilled foreign workers allowed into the UK are criticised by the Lord Mayor of London.

Sale of EDF's UK networks agreed
A consortium headed by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing agrees to buy the UK networks of French power group EDF for £5.8bn ($9.1bn).

Fugitive Nadir will stand trial
Fugitive Polly Peck tycoon Asil Nadir, who fled to northern Cyprus in 1993, confirms he will come back to the UK to stand trail on theft charges.

US sees paper profit on bail-outs
Assets bought by the US to bail out AIG and Bear Stearns are showing a paper profit, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says.

Chip sales boost Samsung profits
Samsung Electronics reports record quarterly profits thanks to higher sales of smartphones and components such as memory chips.

Benefits face 'radical' shake-up
Merging all tax credits and benefits into a single payment is one option being considered by Iain Duncan Smith in a "radical" welfare shake-up.

Citigroup agrees $75m fraud fine
Banking giant Citigroup agrees to pay $75m to settle civil charges that it misled investors over potential losses from subprime mortgages.

Gambling firms reveal merger plan
The UK's Partygaming and Austrian firm Bwin unveil plans to merge and create the world's largest online gaming business.

Jailed Enron boss requests bail
The former chief executive of Enron, Jeffrey Skilling, has applied for bail. His lawyer says his conviction for fraud will be overturned.

Toyota announces fresh car recall
Toyota is recalling almost 430,000 vehicles in the US and Japan amid concern over steering problems.

Industry toasts rise in beer sales, but pubs miss out
Good weather and football's World Cup is thought to have given a boost to beer sales in the UK, industry figures suggest.

Aldi's 'elusive' billionaire co-founder dies
The billionaire co-founder of budget supermarket Aldi, Theo Albrecht dies, aged 88.

Fixed retirement age to be axed
People reaching the age of 65 will no longer be forced to retire from October next year, under plans announced by the government.

House price inflation eases again
UK house prices fell 0.5% in July, the Nationwide says, cutting the annual rate of house price inflation to 6.6% from 8.7%.

Landmark ruling on divorce money
A "ground-breaking" Court of Appeal judgement removes the protection previously given to thousands of people in divorce proceedings.

California in 'fiscal emergency'
California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declares a fiscal state of emergency, putting pressure on lawmakers to pass a budget.

Review warns of 60,000 job cuts
Up to 60,000 people working in the public sector in Scotland could lose their jobs, according to an independent review commissioned by ministers.

China allows IMF report release
China allows the publication of an International Monetary Fund staff report on its economy for the first time since 2006.

Oil firms' profits almost double
Oil giants Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil see profits almost double in the week rival BP suffered record losses.

FSA tightens bankers' pay rules
The Financial Services Authority announces plans to update its guidelines on bankers' pay, affecting 2,500 firms.

BSkyB profits on high definition
Satellite TV group BSkyB reports a sharp jump in profits, driven by new subscriptions, particularly for high definition services.

ITV wins Rugby World Cup rights
ITV successfully holds onto the UK TV rights for the next two Rugby World Cups, it is announced.

P&G in London 2012 Olympics deal
Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble becomes the 11th big firm to sign an Olympics sponsorship deal covering London 2012.

Extent of Barcelona debt revealed
A new audit into Barcelona's finances reveals the club's debt is 442m euros (£369.5m) after a loss of more than 77m euros (£64.36m) last season.

Fuel protests: 'Three days from anarchy'
Tom Feilden investigates whether the lessons on food security from the fuel protests 10 years ago have been learned

Novel take on French home shortage
Young French people having difficulty finding affordable housing are being given the chance to help older members of society and put a roof over their own heads.

IDS: Welfare system 'close to breaking'
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith says welfare reform will be "humanizing" rather than "finger wagging"

Iran sanctions: Turkey's dilemma
Turkey is facing a difficult decision after the EU approved an embargo on foreign trade with Iran this week.

US GDP figures show 2.4% growth
The US economy grew 2.4% during the second quarter, according to figures published by the US government.

Puerto Rico struggles in the downturn
With nearly one in five people unemployed, the economic future looks bleak in Puerto Rico.

Tehran's tactics to beat ship sanction
A look at how Iran's shipping industry stays one step ahead to minimise the impact of international sanction.

Where to fight BP oil spill battle?
As BP's rivals count the cost of a ban on offshore drilling, the tide of lawsuits arising from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has washed up in a federal courtroom in Idaho.

Picking up Penguins for 75 years
A colourful history of the famous book publisher

Hit by sanctions
Black market boom as Dubai curbs trade with Iran

Pensions timebomb
Russians fear the benefits system will cease to exist

New face
Can the new Metro Bank really shake up High Street banking?

Rich I.P.O. Brings Controversy to Microlender, SKS Microfinance
The founder and early investors in the microlender will reap millions from the share deal, but it was unclear how donors would benefit.

Economy Grew at Rate of 2.4% in Quarter
The government on Friday also revised growth in the first quarter to 3.7 percent, higher than the previous estimate.

Wall Street Slips After U.S. Data on Growth
Investors were particularly fretful about the G.D.P. report because it comes at the end of a run of worse than expected economic data and a warning from the Fed.

Cloned Livestock Gain a Foothold in Europe
The Continent has generally resisted genetically modified food, but small amounts of meat and dairy from cloned animals are already being consumed.

Added to the Recall List: Millions of Frozen Mice
Salmonella outbreaks that sickened more than 400 in the U.S. and Britain have been traced to mice sold as food for exotic pets.

Within Fed, Subtle Shift Toward Deflation Concerns
A Fed member warned that the agency’s current policies put the United States economy at risk of “Japanese-style” deflation.

Nuclear Woes Hurt Bottom Line at E.D.F.
Éléctricité de France cited costs related to its U.S. nuclear ventures and the construction of its latest generation nuclear power plant in France, which will be delayed until 2014.

Siemens Posts $1.9 Billion Quarterly Profit
Siemens, a bellwether for the global and German economies, said Thursday that profit rose 9 percent as a weaker euro and strong growth in emerging markets offset declines in Europe.

Google Search Engine Is Blocked in China
Google said it was the first time the site had been blocked since March.

Two Internet Gambling Operators, PartyGaming and Bwin, to Merge
As governments in Europe and the United States relax the rules on online gambling, the companies anticipate the opening up of new markets.

Citigroup Pays $75 Million to Settle Subprime Claims
Besides the bank, two executives were singled out for not disclosing information about mortgage investments.

Siemens and VW Surge on Roaring Demand From China
The better-than-expected results, along with a drop in unemployment, underscored how Germany is benefitting from the weaker euro and surging exports to emerging markets.

Sony Leads a Comeback for Japan’s Electronics Giants
Sony raised its forecast after swinging to a profit, and Sharp and Panasonic posted profits, too.

Greek Police Confront Protesting Truck Drivers
Greek police used tear gas to disperse protesting fuel-truck drivers, after the government issued an emergency order to force them back to work.

Britain Plans to Scrap Mandatory Retirement Age in 2011
The government says it wants to give people the chance to work beyond 65. But business leaders warned that a sudden change would create serious problems.

Obama to Promote Auto Bailout as a Success
The White House has decided to argue more forcefully that investing in the auto industry helped keep workers employed and laid the groundwork for a rebound.

Production Growth Lifts Profits at Exxon and Shell
Strong results raised hopes that the oil companies could offer investors meaningful growth again.

More Job-Seekers Hitch Ride on Asian Economy
European and American job seekers are hoping that Asia is a place where opportunities match their ambitions.

High & Low Finance: In Basel, an Eternal Work in Progress
The Basel committee that was supposed to toughen banking regulations seems caught in a battle to do so.

State of the Art: Nuance Tweaks Its Dictation Software, Wringing Out Errors
The company Nuance offers a new version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, proving that even near-monopolies like to tinker with their products.

Special Report: Energy and Environment: Safety Fears Raised at French Reactor
Activists are seeking to halt construction of France’s latest-generation nuclear power plant, arguing that design changes have voided the plant’s building permit.

Honda Posts Record Quarterly Profit on Sales Rise
Honda reported a record quarterly profit of $3.2 billion as its auto sales grew in North America and Asia.

EADS Sees Net Profit Decline 61 Percent
The parent company of plane-maker Airbus raised its outlook for 2010 — despite a 61 percent drop in second quarter earnings.

Lufthansa Reports Quarterly Profit of $252 Million
The airline group Deutsche Lufthansa AG more than doubled its net earnings to $252 million in the second quarter as ticket sales and its cargo business recovered, the company said Thursday.

Tourism to Bring $110 Billion to Asia Pacific by 2009
Tourism should bring the Asia Pacific region $110 billion in revenues over the next three years, with much of that coming from travelers in the region, according according to the report from the Pacific Asia Travel Association or PATA, reports AP.

US Agency Revenue Up 8.8% to $28.2 Billion
U.S. agencies offering digital marketing services led the charge as overall agency revenue grew 8.8% to $28.2 billion in 2006, reports AdAge. Billings from traditional advertising and media were up just 4.2%, reaching $13.1 billion. Income from marketing offerings rose from 13.1% to hit $15.1 billion. 

Ethanol Demand Boosts Corn Planting 15% in 2007, Biggest Since 1944
Corn planting will be up 15% this year to 90.5 million acres and 12.1 million more acres than in 2006,  the biggest U.S. corn planting since 1944, boosted by high demand from the ethanol industry and strong export sales, reports AP, citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual prospective plantings report. 

Easter Spending Expected to Hit $14 billion
American consumers are eager to celebrate Easter with their family and friends, with the tTotal holiday spending estimated to reach $14.37 billion, according to NRF’s 2007 Easter Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. This year, shoppers who are planning to celebrate Easter (79.5%) are expected to spend an average of $135.07, up 11% from last year’s $121.72 per person. 

$22B US Generic Drugs Industry by the Numbers
With the new Democratic Congress promising to lower health care costs, generic drug makers take on brand-name rivals to level the playing field, reports AP. Here are some key metrics and stats on the generic drugs market: 

U.S. Sales of Hybrid Vehicles Jump 28% to 254,545 in 2006; 1.5% of US Vehicles
U.S. sales of gas-electric hybrid vehicles rose 28% to 254,545 in 2006, but the rate of growth is starting to slow, according to a report by R.L. Polk & Co.  Hybrids accounted for about 1.5% of U.S. vehicle sales last year.  Toyota Prius led the segment with 42.8% of new registrations. 

12th-Graders Math Proficiency Falls; Reading Skills Lowest Since 1992: Study
The average U.S. 12th-grader reading score in 2006 was the lowest since 1992, while less than one-quarter (23 percent) of 12th-graders scored at or above the Proficient level in the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), according to The Nation’s Report Card. 

Venture-backed companies in US Account for 17% of GDP and 10 million Jobs: Study
U.S. companies that received venture capital from 1970-2005 accounted for 10 million jobs and $2.1 trillion in revenues in 2005, according to a study conducted by Global Insight for the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). This represents 9% of the total private sector work force and 16.6% of total U.S. GDP. Venture investment itself represents just 0.2% of U.S. GDP.  

Private Equity Bonus Scorecard 2006: Dealmaker
Private-equity funds continued to increase their dominant position on both ends of the domestic markets; they accounted for roughly one-fourth of M&A activity and sponsored more than 40% of all IPOs, with the time between purchase and sale often shrinking to mere months, reports Dealmaker magazine. 

Pre-money Valuation of VC-backed Startups Reaches $18.5 million in 2006, Highest Since 2000
The median pre-money valuation of U.S. venture-backed companies reached $18.5 million in 2006, compared to $15 million in 2005, according to VentureOne data. This is the highest median valuation since the peak of $25.1 million in 2000. 

Charitable Giving to Colleges Grew to a Record $28 billion; Top 20 Colleges and Sources
Charitable contributions to higher education grew 9.4% to a record $28 billion in the last academic year, according to a report by the Council for Aid to Education. Contributions to Stanford University rose 50% to top $911.6 million, the largest amount ever raised by a U.S. university in a year, according to the report.

ETF Assets Jump 1.1% to $422 billion in January; Set to Climb 40% in 2007 
The net amount of money invested in exchange traded funds climbed 1.1% or $4.5 billion in January to $422 billion, according to State Street Global Advisors, reports IBD. 

Affluent North Americans to Reach 37.7 million and $19 trillion in Assets by 2010
The population of affluent and wealthy individuals in North America will grow 24% to 37.7 million by 2010 from from 30.4 million in 2006, according to Celent. The report expects this affluent group to control over $19 trillion in assets by 2010. 

Identity Theft Loss Falls 12% to $49 billion in 2006
Americans lost about $49.3 billion in 2006 to identity theft criminals, a 11.5% decline from $55.7 billion identity theft loss in 2005, on increased vigilance among consumers and businesses, according to The 2007 Identity Fraud Survey Report by Javelin Strategy & Research. 

Linux Q&A with Microsoft
Microsoft responds to questions on TCO, indemnification, and the value proposition of Linux.

Opening the Desktop
Companies such as KeyCorp are evaluating the impact of the Firefox browser.

Time to IIT: Inter-Institutional Transfers Catch On
The hows and whys of integrating Inter-Institutional Transfers (IITs) into online banking.

Reg NMS was just re-released last week and the document surprised everyone, notes Larry Tabb, CEO of the Tabb Group and Contributing Editor to WS&T. Tabb offers his perspective on the regulation, pointing out its winners and losers. "While this may sound tame, it has the teeth of a shark," he says, "and for better or worse it will shred many current market practices."

http://www.informationweek.com/
The SEC voted yesterday to publish its reproposed version of Reg NMS for public comment. The revised regulation limits price-protection to automated quotes; prohibits sub-penny pricing; promotes uniform inter-market access via private linkages; and authorizes market centers to distribute their own data independently of the joint-industry plans.

The NYSE Revamps Floor Broker Technology
The NYSE is giving floor brokers new wireless handheld PCs to participate in a hybrid market subject to SEC approval. The project is a big win for IBM.

Phillips Says It One More Time: PeopleSoft Customers, We Love You
Oracle plans to port its database software to IBM's iSeries server in a bid to keep J.D. Edwards software users in the fold.

Think Like a CFO, Part II: Formulating Answers
After years of relative autonomy, senior IT executives at insurance companies are finding themselves increasingly under the thumb of tech-savvy CFOs charged with reducing costs. To succeed in this new environment, CIOs must prepare to address tough questions that go beyond the traditional IT domain.

Effective Agent Enablement
Providing the people who sell policies with tools that enhance their effectiveness is essential to carriers' success. And because these improvements make possible a higher level of customer service, they can also help to ensure increased customer retention and loyalty.