TIME.com Top Business Stories

Japan's Latest Economic Ailment: Deflation

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Even as the country shows signs of recovery, policymakers now must contend with a potentially devastating bout of falling prices

A New Indian Travel Fad: "Divorce Tourism"

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

A few Indian tour operators are cashing in on Indian's rising divorce rate with a new offer: The perfect holiday -- just you, your spouse, and a relationship counselor

Electric-Vehicle Surge: Where Will Cars Plug In?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Electric cars will soon swarm onto America's roads, but the charging infrastructure for those vehicles is still on the drawing boards

Small Business, Key to Recovery, Is Still Hurting

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Despite the government's stimulus, small businesses are still in recession. Economists worry that unless they start hiring, the economic recovery could stall

Supreme Court Ponders: When Do Ideas Deserve Patents?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Somewhere between horse-training tricks and Amazon's 1-Click ordering lies the answer the Supreme Court is seeking. To wit, when is a good idea worth a patent?

U.S.-China Trade: Prepare for Continued Imbalance

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Can America's trade imbalance with China shrink the way Japan's surplus did? Short answer: no

Build America Bonds: An Economic-Stimulus Success

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

The Build America Bonds program has buoyed the municipal market and eased the financing burden for state and local governments. Now the big question is: What will it cost taxpayers?

Holiday Shopping: Will Spouses Spend Less on Each Other?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

According to a consumer survey, spousal spending will fall sharply this holiday season. How the retailers are responding

British Airways and Iberia Merge, But Can They Lift Off?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

The struggling British and Spanish carriers have joined forces to create Europe's third-largest airline. They still have a lot of obstacles to overcome before becoming profitable

Will the Housing Agency Need a Bailout?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

The Federal Housing Administration backs nearly a third of all new mortgages. But its cash is dwindling, and its losses are mounting fast. Is another bailout in the cards?

Black Friday Shopping: Discounting but No Panic

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

As Black Friday draws closer, retailers are lean but shoppers remain tight-fisted. There will be price wars, but not the panic discounting of last year

Brown's Tobin Tax Idea to Levy Financial Transactions

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

British leader Gordon Brown has suggested the G-20 countries place a tax on foreign-exchange transactions to generate revenue, but he's finding little support for the idea

Health Care: Why Small Business Is Opposing Reform Bills

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

When it comes to finding quality, affordable health insurance, few have it worse than small-business owners and their workers shopping for coverage on the open market

Fannie Mae's 'Deed for Lease': Solution to Foreclosures?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Fannie Mae's new "deed for lease" program may not be the way banks want to address defaulting homeowners, but it may be the best solution there is

Bear Stearns Trial: Verdict a Blow to E-Mail Prosecution

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

The acquittal of two Wall Street hedge-fund managers this week sends a message to prosecutors that e-mailed statements alone will not be enough to convince a jury of wrongdoing

'Scroogenomics' Author on Why Christmas Gifts Are Bad

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Scroogenomics author Joel Waldfogel explains to TIME why holiday gift-giving is bad economic policy

Stock-Market Rally Isn't Over, Says Wells Fargo's Hartman

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Stocks, commodities and bonds have all had big runs. Can the broad multimarket rally continue or will some fall prey to investor fears? To find out, TIME spoke with veteran money manager Kirk Hartman

Joe Cada, Poker World Series Winner, Is Youngest Champ

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Joe Cada, 21, beat out 6,494 competitors -- including a Wall Street ace -- to win the 2009 World Series of Poker

Cadbury Rejects Kraft's Hostile Bid: What Happens Next?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Weeks after turning down Kraft's first offer for its business, Cadbury angrily cast off a second proposal, which it deemed insulting. Absent a sweetener, Kraft may be in for a stiff fight

Stroller Recall: Maclaren Burns Fingers on Response

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Maclaren's recall of 1 million baby strollers is unnerving parents and setting the blogosphere aflutter. The company is scrambling to save its future

Yahoo! Pulls Plug on GeoCities, Erases Internet History

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

When Yahoo! switched off the servers for GeoCities on Oct. 27, some 7 million of the Internet's first websites went dark forever

Should the U.S. Continue Its Stimulus-Program Payouts?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

The different speeds with which economies are withdrawing economic-stimulus programs spell more uncertainty for the global economy

That Viral Thing: I Love Local Commercials

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Two filmmakers with an appreciation for the unintentionally amusing are accepting nominations for businesses in need of a quirky TV campaign

Wall Street Insider Trading: A Brief History

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

The investigation into the Galleon Group is the latest chapter in a long history of insider trading in the U.S. stretching back to the 18th century

Eyetracking: Why We Watch Some Web Ads and Not Others

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

When Web-browsing, we see plenty of ads but zero in on just a few. A new book explains why some ads grab us and others don't

Recession Hits Independent-Film Business

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Independent-film companies are folding, movie financiers are skittish, and the end market for new films is down, down, down

London Judge: Protect Environmentalism Like Religion

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

In an unprecedented ruling, a British judge says that a former sustainability chief was unlawfully laid off for his climate-changeconvictions

U.S. Unemployment Rises to 10.2% with October Job Losses

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

The Labor Department reported Friday morning that the unemployment rate rose to 10.2% for October on job losses of 191,000, giving the public and Washington new reasons to disagree over the Obama Administration's course

The Dollar's Value Against Foreign Currencies Declines

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

The value of the greenback has resumed its downward spiral, but don't count out the world's reserve currency yet

Facebook-Game Scams Appear on Phone Bills

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Do you or your kids play FarmVille, Mafia Wars or Restaurant City? Then you may well have some unpleasant surprises on your cell-phone bill

Pop-Up Shops: Why Retailing with a Time Limit Is Hot

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

In this economy, retailers are reluctant to invest in new locations. But with rents cheap, they're opening short-term stores for the holidays. Inside a retail phenomenon

GM Keeps Opel, Announces Europe Job Cuts, Angers Germans

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:20:00 EST

Germany was hit with a one-two punch this week -- first, GM pulled out of a deal to sell Opel and Vauxhall, then it announced 10,000 job cuts in Europe. Can Berlin do anything now to protect its interests?