Your Money

By Bruce Handy and Daniel Eisenberg

The Stakes Get Bigger

Florida Attorney General Robert A. Butterworth, below, expanded a lawsuit against American Family Publishers, the company that uses promises of huge sweepstakes winnings to round up new magazine subscribers. Alleging fraudulent business practices that target the elderly, the suit now names Time-Warner and Time Inc., part owners of AFP (and this magazine's parent companies) as co-defendants.

Whisper Numbers Tell All

Ever wonder why a firm's share price gets hammered even though its earnings surpass stock analysts' published expectations? Most likely, it failed to beat the "whisper" number that really matters on Wall Street--the one analysts apply privately, when they aren't trying to make life easier for their firm's clients. This earnings season investors can read more of the market's gossip at sites like whispernumber.com and www.earningswhispers.com

Savings on the Wane

The economy may be slowing down, but few of us are stashing away a rainy-day fund. In September the personal-savings rate hit an all-time monthly low of -0.2%, the Commerce Department said last week. That means we're spending (on credit or from savings) more than we're earning. One easy remedy: have your next raise automatically deducted from paychecks into a savings or investment account.

--By Bruce Handy and Daniel Eisenberg