consumers

A fifth hospital in Connecticut has announced plans to give up its not-for-profit status, and join the for-profit Tenet Healthcare group.

Hartford has the highest rate of underwater mortgages in the country, according to a new report that says communities of color are most likely to owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. But the city administration disputes the data on which the study is based.

This Friday, wannabe entrepreneurs will gather at UConn for the second annual Startup Weekend Storrs. It’s a 54 hour marathon which aims to develop and launch new companies into the real world. But does it work? --  and does that matter? WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

If you’re planning to buy or sell a house, changes are on the way. The creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the tightening of mortgage lending rules mean the industry is in the process of being turned upside down. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

It’s been a turbulent period for the mortgage industry and four years after the financial crisis, the debates are still going on.

Do you ever wonder what the cash in your pocket is really worth? It might cost more than you know.

According to the IRS, every year the U.S. government loses billions of dollars in tax revenue due to individuals underreporting, underpaying, or not filing their taxes.

But, tax evasion is just one problem associated with a society awash in cash that can’t easily be traced.

Connecticut is a step closer to Sunday alcohol sales, after a key committee voted in favor of the measure. But the bill leaves in place many protections for small package stores worried about sweeping deregulation. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

This has been one of the consuming issues in this short legislative session – one that prompted a marathon 12-hour public hearing before the General Law Committee. Republic state Senator John Kissell said it was an extraordinary day.

Black Friday is an established Holiday tradition, as we work off the turkey with a visit to the mall. But small, local retailers often get left out of the spending spree. The relatively new concept of Small Business Saturday is an attempt to put that right. WNPR’s Harriet Jones has the story.

Charge card giant American Express began the Small Business Saturday campaign in 2010. One year on, the concept has expanded.

How much sugar do you eat? The U.S.D.A. estimates the average American consumes more than 3,500 pounds of sugar in their lifetime.

Sugar seems to be in or on everything. Cereal, coffee, yogurt, candy, ketchup and of course...soda. It certainly affects our health, and is seen as the main culprit in “epidemics” of obesity and diabetes.

But sugar has also impacted the course of history, changed the fate of empires, and affected millions.