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1、1. Dow closes above 16,000The Dow Jones industrial average jumps more than 109 points to close at 16,009.99 as the index posts its 40th record high this year.The Dows advance was propelled by a better-than-expected drop in jobless claims and a Senate panels vote supporting Janet Yellens bid to lead

2、the Federal Reserve. Above, trader Thomas Donato, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (Richard Drew, Associated Press / November 19, 2013)By Tuo Jianbo November 21, 2013, 6:03 p.m.The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 16,000 for the first time, a testament to investors

3、 hope that the plodding economy can gain momentum in the coming year.The index, a gauge of 30 of the largest American companies, jumped more than 109 points to close at 16,009.99. Thursdays advance was propelled by a better-than-expected drop in jobless claims and a Senate panels vote supporting Jan

4、et Yellens bid to lead the Federal Reserve.The stock market is caught up in its most furious rally in a decade. The Dow notched its 40th record high this year. It has jumped 22% since Jan 1.The Standard & Poors 500 index is up nearly 26%. And the technology-laden Nasdaq composite index has bounded 3

5、1.5%.It doesnt get any better than this, said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. Its been a fantastic year.Eclipsing the 16,000 milestone underscores the dramatic recovery in share prices from their low in March 2009 after the global financial crisis.It also highlights the tre

6、mendous gains enjoyed by Americans who hold financial assets primarily stocks and real estate even as vast swaths of society grapple with high unemployment and measly wage gains.The market rally has been stoked by the Feds economic-stimulus campaign.The central bank is buying $85 billion a month in

7、Treasury and mortgage securities. That helps keep interest rates low, which encourages borrowing by individuals and businesses.The easy-money policy has hoisted corporate profits and reinvigorated the housing market.It also has sent hordes of investors into the stock market in search of returns that

8、 are unavailable on low-yielding bonds and bank accounts.The intensity of the stock rally, however, has stirred concern that investors may be getting ahead of themselves, particularly individuals who have rushed into stocks in the last several weeks.Optimists say small investors are moving cautiousl

9、y into the stock market after several years of shunning equities.People are being prudent and being smart about how theyre getting into the market overall, said J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade in Chicago. Its not I have to get in and Im all in, which is one of the mistakes weve seen

10、in the past.However, others fear that stocks are in Wall Street parlance melting up.Some on Wall Street are fretting over the recent enthusiasm of small investors, who have poured money into stock mutual funds. Individuals historically barrel into the market at the tail end of rallies. They miss mos

11、t of the gains but leave themselves exposed to losses when an eventual downturn hits.The most immediate threat to the market is the expectation that the central bank will begin to reduce its bond buying sometime next year.The market tumbled in the spring when the Fed hinted at a so-called tapering.

12、The central bank backed off when the economy cooled in the second half of the year.Its now widely assumed that the tapering will start in the first half of 2014. And the chances of that are boosted by recent strong economic reports.On Thursday, the Labor Department reported that the number of worker

13、s filing new unemployment claims fell for the fourth time in five weeks, to 323,000 for the week that ended Saturday. The drop, from 344,000 the prior week, brought the number to its lowest level since late September.The start of 2014 will also be crucial for the market once companies begin to issue

14、 fourth-quarter earnings reports. Investors have been somewhat nonplused during the last half as companies have reported less-than-spectacular results.Earnings surged in 2010 and 2011 as the economy gained steam. But profit growth has throttled back since then.2. Fewer people blow 401(k) retirement

15、money on meaningless purchasesFewer Americans are cashing out their 401(k) savings to buy cars, clothes and other goods when they change jobs. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)By Tuo Jianbo November 13, 2013, 12:16 p.m.Fewer Americans are blowing their 401(k) savings on cars, clothes and othe

16、r frivolities when they change jobs.Only 7.5% of U.S. workers last year cashed out their retirement money to spend on purchases when they left a job, according to data released Wednesday by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.Thats half the 15.1% level from a decade ago, and one-third the 22.7%

17、of 20 years ago, according to EBRI.When workers leave a job - often for a new position elsewhere - they have several options with their 401(k) savings. That includes rolling the money into an individual retirement account or cashing out and spending it.(Depending on the amounts involved and the poli

18、cies of the new employer, workers also can leave the money in the old companys retirement plan or roll it into a plan at the new employer.)The decrease in consumption-related cashouts is a sign that Americans - at least those who are disciplined enough to contribute to work-based plans in the first

19、place - are getting the message about the importance of saving for retirement and not squandering it on unnecessary purchases.More than 4 in 10 people (45.2%) rolled their money into tax-preferred retirement-related vehicles, primarily an IRA or another employers savings plan, according to EBRI.That

20、s up slightly from 43.4 % 10 years ago and up sharply from earlier years. It was 35.4% in 1998 and 19.3% in 1993.3. Still Made in Britain website champions home-grown stars making everything from clothes to furnitureBy Tuo JianboPUBLISHED: 07:37 GMT, 22 November 2013As the owner of a successful webs

21、ite that markets and sells products that are produced in the UK, entrepreneur Tony Boylan can spot a fake Made in Britain label a mile off.According to Tony, even leading brands use misleading phrases on their products, including Saville Row inspired (made in China) or Country Fashion with a Union J

22、ack (also made in China).The 68-year-old explains: I am very passionate about labels, especially clothing labels, and knowing where things are made.Made in Britain: Tony Boylan used his savings to set up a website hosting British-made productsThe British and Made in Britain label is important and th

23、ere needs to be more of an emphasis on what companies are allowed to say. Many clothes have no origin label which is wrong.In recent years, Made in Britain branding has become even more valuable, especially in the wake of tragedies like the collapse of the factory in Bangladesh which killed 900 peop

24、le, as businesses place more of an emphasis on manufacture and working conditions.Tony points out: With clothing coming from places like Bangladesh where there has been terrible fires, very poor wages and working conditions, consumers are getting more cautious and more selective.Even the leading bra

25、nd stores are worried about their image and have started to rethink buying policies so that they plan to buy more from the UK.But Tony believes that championing British products is not just an ethical choice. He wants to see a resurgence in manufacturing to boost the ailing economy in Britain.Britis

26、h business is critical to Britains wellbeing. We cannot just be a service-based economy. Manufacturing has a place and British companies can be competitive with better quality, especially since labour costs from the Far East and shipping costs have risen dramatically.However, he adds: Our big proble

27、m might be the lack skills lost over the last thirty years. There is however a trend that manufacturing is coming back to this country.Tony, who lives with his partner, Kath, decided to set up his website, Still Made in Britain, as a retirement venture with his savings after many years in manufactur

28、ing consultancy.It provides a go-to platform for British products, featuring a wide variety of companies selling anything from clothing and buttons to furniture and music equipment. It has quickly grown to host more than 400 firms and attracts online traffic from across the world from shoppers looki

29、ng for British items.Businesses usually apply to be listed on the site, although occasionally Tony will invite an interesting enterprise personally, and pay a one-off fee to join site. Each company gets its own page and a link to its website. 4 Amazon shoppers hit with 49 charge for Prime service so

30、me claim they never signed actually up to By Tuo JianboPUBLISHED: 09:26 GMT, 20 November 2013Angry Amazon shoppers have been hit with a 49 charge for a special delivery service they claim they never signed up to.Unwitting customers who took a free trial with Amazon Prime have been automatically slap

31、ped with a bill without warning.Many did not even know their trial was up or that they had been charged, until they saw 49 taken on their bank statement.Prime comes before a fall: Angry shoppers say they have had to pay for a service they claim they didnt sign up toAnd others who missed the small print did not realise they would have to pay extra after 30 days.The Amazon Prime service provides customers and their fa