Rock-bottom interest rates and an $8,000 tax credit make a home possible for many first-time buyers — with no trick mortgages or financial gymnastics required.

Energy shares rise as oil nearly hits $69. Tech and bank stocks are strong. Friday’s jobs report will affect markets. Retailers report weak May same-store sales. Wal-Mart will add 22,000 jobs this year. SEC charges Countrywide’s former CEO with civil fraud.

A new batch of initial public offerings is outpacing the S&P 500 Index this year, and, if the whispers are correct, several more promising IPOs are just around the corner.

Monstrous fees, high interest rates, disappearing rewards . . . credit card companies are battering consumers across the board. But no cards are worse than these.

These issuers are ahead of the curve in cutting cardholders some slack on interest rates, rules for carrying and transferring balances, and policies for rewards.

Retirement is just around the corner and you’re not ready? Let these tips help you get to where you need to be.

Credit cards do have some benefits, but it’s easy to get into financial trouble if you rely on them too much. Here are more than a dozen tips for using cards wisely.

The Dow ends down 66 points after falling as much as 142 points after oil and metals prices drop. Fed boss Ben Bernanke says the U.S. needs to get the budget deficit under control. ADP says 532,000 private-sector jobs were lost in May.

Ford fares best among the Detroit rivals in May. Toyota and Honda see small cars stack up on dealer lots as low gas prices encourage consumers to buy bigger vehicles.

With Chrysler and GM in bankruptcy, a new auto-buying landscape is emerging. And if you’re car shopping, act soon; the bargains won’t last much longer.