latimes.com - /business

Gondas have less wealth to share

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Hospitals, theaters and museums have long enjoyed their generosity. But as AIG shares fell, the father and son's fortunes shriveled.

Driving around Los Angeles, particularly around the UCLA campus, it's hard not to notice the hospitals and research centers that bear their name.

CalPERS' image takes a hit

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:24:00 -0800

Shrinking assets and the taint of ties to so-called placement agents threaten to erode the California Public Employees' Retirement System's reputation as a leader among public pension funds.

For much of the last decade the California Public Employees' Retirement System cultivated the image of a cutting-edge pension fund -- pouring billions of dollars into potentially lucrative but high-risk investments, hounding companies to rein in executive pay and championing financial security for government workers.

Weekend box office: Not so merry for 'Christmas Carol'; 'Precious' opens strong

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 13:04:10 -0800

Audiences said a surprising "humbug" to big-budget family fare this weekend while embracing one of the most grim and serious movies of the year.

Runaway Toyota cases ignored

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Safety investigators dismissed numerous reports of sudden acceleration, then said data were lacking.

More than 1,000 Toyota and Lexus owners have reported since 2001 that their vehicles suddenly accelerated on their own, in many cases slamming into trees, parked cars and brick walls, among other obstacles, a Times review of federal records has found.

GOP healthcare plan isn't about helping the uninsured

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Among other things, the proposal would actually increase the number of people without health insurance over the next decade. But it allows the Republicans to say they offered a cheaper alternative.

Republican lawmakers issued their own healthcare reform plan the other day, and you'd have to look hard to find a more cynical document purporting to represent the best interests of the American people.

Blimp maker aims to expand

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The founder of Worldwide Aeros in Montebello has been fascinated by airships since his childhood in Ukraine. His firm has sold more than 35 different platforms flown on four continents.

The gig: Igor Pasternak, 45, is the founder and chief executive of Worldwide Aeros Corp., a Montebello-based developer and maker of blimps used for surveillance, advertising and transport.

You may qualify for a home-buyer tax credit

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

This time, income limits have been raised, so millions more people are eligible. You don't have to be a first-timer either.

Millions of additional people may be able to take advantage of the new and improved first-time home-buyer tax credit now, and it's not just for first-time home buyers anymore. You may qualify.

New HUD rules aim to get rid of closing cost surprises

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Starting Jan. 1, loan charges and settlement fees will be spelled out on a revised version of the good-faith estimates form that borrowers are supposed to get after their mortgage applications.

Remember the bad old days of 11th-hour mortgage cost shocks and mystery junk-fee charges? Remember when the "good-faith estimates" your lender gave you upfront said closing costs would be about $2,000, but somehow they ballooned to $3,500 on the final closing sheet?

New car or used? Buy either, but be smart

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Also: How emergencies can ding credit scores, and will a spouse's bankruptcy rule out a home loan?

Dear Liz: My husband and I own a car that's on its last legs, and we are contemplating a replacement.

Facing foreclosure? Here's what you can do

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

For most of the growing legion of financially stretched families in danger of losing their homes, there is help available -- as long as they don't bury their heads in the sand.