Government programs don't help the market, one economist says, because they don't "get rid of the fundamental problem: There's still a glut of houses.”

Sometimes stating the obvious and repeating it frequently can be a very effective policy, especially in managing inflation expectations.

These are exciting times in the world of green. Washington is abuzz with the subject and Wall Street and Main Street are certainly taking note. So does this special report: "Invest in Green."  It is by no means an imperative. Green investing is an option and an increasingly more popular one.  Think of this as a starter's guide.

Green or sustainability is now such a broad and deep subject, so multi-dimensional, that even the most aware and informed have trouble keeping up. At the same time, some still don't get it, and in that way green is a bit fuzzy. There's nothing fuzzy about carbon, however. It's as old as the world as we know it and the core of our energy supply.

With unemployment surging and President Obama's poll ratings sinking, there’s growing debate about what—if anything—he can do about the situation.

Some 650,000 borrowers have thus far  received a trial loan modification under the Obama administration plan.

In some cases, the difference between a winner and loser is often in the eye of the beholder--who can be a victim or a beneficiary--or simply a political ideologue. That’s why we want readers to weigh in and vote on a variety of people and concepts. We’ll report back with results and rankings on December 1.

A bill that would extend unemployment benefits as well as expand the homebuyer's tax credit program won't be voted on until Monday evening at the earliest.

The Senate has agreed on a compromise measure to extend and expand the popular home buyer's tax credit, which is set to expire at the end of November, said two leading proponents

The measure would both extend and expand the popular homebuyer incentive, according to a Capitol Hill source.  What happens next, however, depends on the outcome of a battle over a more important bill, providing additional unemployment benefits.