U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders said  he will not vote to reconfirm Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve, in a preview of the rough treatment Bernanke may get this week on Capitol Hill.

Two years into the deepest recession in a generation, consumers may be showing signs of what some have termed frugal fatigue.

American consumers shopped more for bargains at the start of the U.S. holiday season and spent significantly less than a year ago, according to early data.

The US Treasury will announce new measures Monday to force lenders and companies that process monthly mortgage payments to rework troubled home mortgage loans.

US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said congressional proposals to audit the Fed and strip it of regulatory powers as part of post-crisis reforms could damage prospects for economic and financial health.

Stocks rallied at the beginning of the week, then sold off on Dubai worries Friday, leaving the Dow within 10 points of where it started the week.

Stocks pared their losses Friday, after a sharp drop at the open amid worries about Dubai defaulting on its debt.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a sharply lower open for a holiday-shortened session Friday, mirroring losses in European and Asian markets after Dubai announced the first step of restructuring some of its debt.

When Lori Fowlkes first saw robotic Zhu Zhu Pets toy hamsters in September, she remembers her kids started jumping up and down and saying "Please! Please! Can we buy them?" Seeing a fully stocked shelf, she decided to hold off until Christmas.

Americans headed to stores in droves to kick off the holiday shopping season Friday, though many said they were being more selective about what they buy and paring back what they spend.

U.S. shoppers may stretch tight budgets this year to reward loved ones after months of thrift, a softening of heart that store chains hope will erase the holiday season sales debacle of 2008.

Japanese core consumer prices fell in the year to October with increasing signs that weak demand is weighing on prices amid weak household incomes, while a tumbling dollar added to price pressures.

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.

British retail sales rose at their fastest pace in two years in November and retailers expect a further rise next month, according to a survey on Thursday that will boost hopes of a strong Christmas shopping period.

The U.S. will need to eventually enact national value added tax in order to raise revenue and decrease its deficit, Paul Donovan, MD & deputy head of global economics at UBS, said Thursday.