Youtube - "Its Credit and Its Crunchy" (12-8-07)

Reuters - "Iran stops selling oil in U.S. dollars -report" (12-8-07)

"Iran has completely stopped selling any of its oil for U.S. dollars, an Iranian news agency reported on Saturday, citing the oil minister of the world's fourth-largest crude producer. For nearly two years, OPEC's second biggest producer has been reducing its exposure to the dollar, saying the weak U.S. currency is eroding its purchasing power."

Bloomberg - "Treasuries Post First Weekly Drop Since October on U.S. Rescue" (12-8-07)

"Treasuries posted their first weekly decline since October as the government introduced a plan to freeze some subprime mortgages, reducing the safe-haven appeal of U.S. debt. Yields on 10-year notes rose the most since March 2006 after the Labor Department reported that employers added more jobs last month than forecast, suggesting that the economy is weathering the housing slump. Traders reduced bets that the Federal Reserve will cut borrowing costs a half-percentage point at its meeting next week."

Bloomberg - "Dollar Rises to One-Month High Versus Yen on U.S. Job Growth" (12-8-07)

"The dollar rose to a one-month high against the yen after a U.S. government report showed yesterday that November job growth exceeded forecasts, reducing concern the world's largest economy will head into a recession. The U.S. currency posted a second weekly gain versus the yen as traders pared bets the Federal Reserve will cut borrowing costs by a half-percentage point on Dec. 11. The British pound and the Canadian currency fell against the dollar and euro this week after central banks in the U.K. and Canada reduced interest rates. The European Central Bank kept its rate unchanged."

Los Angeles Times Blog - "You, too can BUY a better credit rating" (12-8-07)

"If your credit is on the shaky side, and it's preventing you from buying the things in life you rightly deserve, don't despair: you can buy a better credit score. In fact, you can probably use your shaky credit to borrow money to buy a better credit score, so that your credit won't be so shaky."

Real Estate Journal - "Dump This House: Unloading Your Property in a Slow Market" (12-8-07)

"Look at the prices of homes getting sold, and the property market's decline seems no worse than a rough day in the stock market. Look at the number of unsold homes, and you realize there's a world of financial pain out there. True, these unsold homes may eventually get bought at decent prices. But in the meantime, the owners are often bleeding money -- and many of them would be smart to slash their asking price and go for the quick sale."