The dollar fell to its lowest level in 14 years against the yen on Friday and the yen crosses also fell, with one trader saying investors were shunning risk trades on concern about debt problems in Dubai.The dollar fell as far as 85.84 yen on trading platform EBS, its lowest since 1995.

The U.S. central bank is going to the Big Screen to counsel consumers about how to use their credit cards wisely during the holiday shopping season.

Oil fell towards $77 on Thursday in line with falls across financial markets and as weak demand for fuel offset potential support from a weak dollar.

The dollar gained sharply in holiday-thinned trade on Thursday as renewed risk aversion prompted investors to shed riskier assets.

Stocks posted modest gains Wednesday, but it was enough to propel the Dow and S&P to new 13-month closing highs, as economic data buoyed recovery hopes.

Stocks clawed higher Wednesday after a report showed new-home sales rose more than expected.

A Suffolk judge cancelled $525,000 in mortgage payments being demanded by California bank OneWest and its IndyMac mortgage division, criticizing its "harsh, repugnant, shocking and repulsive" behavior, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

Rates on 30-year mortgages dropped in the past week to match a record low set in April, while the 15-year home loan rate fell to a new all-time low, home funding company Freddie Mac said on Wednesday

Sales of new homes rose last month to the highest level in more than a year as strong activity in the South made up for weakness in the rest of the country.

Stocks clawed higher Wednesday after a report showed new-home sales rose more than expected.

Demand for U.S. home loans slipped last week even as mortgage rates hovered near record lows, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.

US stock index futures climbed further Wednesday after a batch of data signaling that the US economy was building on strength but also that the recovery would be gradual.

Sales of new homes are expected to post a modest increase in October, reinforcing data this week that showed the real estate market is regaining its footing after a dramatic collapse.

Crude oil prices rose more than 2 percent Wednesday, supported by lower-than-expected builds in U.S. oil inventories last week, a weak U.S. dollar and gains on Wall Street.

The dollar slid to a fresh 15-month low against a basket of currencies Wednesday as upbeat data on weekly jobless claims, personal consumption, and new home sales bolstered the outlook for the U.S. economy.