http://finstories.com Financial Freedom. Best business news. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:39:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Japan posted a current-account surplus in January as exports climbed for a second month, an indication overseas demand is sustaining the nation’s recovery. The gap was 899.8 billion yen ($9.9 billion) compared with a deficit a year earlier, the Ministry of Finance said in Tokyo today. The ... http://finstories.com/japan-exports-surge-fueling-current-account-surplus/ Lee Sachs, a counselor to Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, plans to step down this year as the banking crisis wanes and the Obama administration winds down its emergency programs. As an adviser on domestic finance, Sachs helped conduct stress tests on the biggest banks and reshape ... http://finstories.com/geithner-adviser-sachs-plans-to-resign-as-banking-crisis-wanes/ New Zealand’s economy lost some momentum as retail spending and the property market slowed in the first months of 2010, according to the Treasury Department. Leading indicators suggest January retail sales may decline and the housing market has slipped, the department said in a report posted on ... http://finstories.com/nz-economy-loses-momentum-brings-june-rate-rise-into-favor/ WGY, 810 AM has added conservative talk show host Glenn Beck to its morning lineup. Beck will make his debut on the Albany, N.Y. news/talk station on March 1, broadcasting live from 9am-Noon. He will replace Al Roney in the WGY lineup. “Glenn has one of the hottest shows ... http://finstories.com/glenn-beck-to-replace-al-roney-on-wgy/ WASHINGTON — U.S. consumers will get long-awaited relief from some of the most costly and deceptive credit card tactics when the sweeping provisions of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 finally kick in Monday. The CARD Act, which President Barack Obama signed May 22, ... http://finstories.com/crackdown-on-credit-card-provisions-begins-monday/ Government regulators said Tuesday they have demanded documents from Toyota to determine if the automaker conducted its recent recalls in a timely manner. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has ordered Toyota to provide documents showing when and how it learned of the defects affecting approximately ... http://finstories.com/us-demands-toyota-recall-documents/ FirstEnergy announced plans Thursday to acquire electric utility company Allegheny Energy in an all-stock deal valued at $4.7 billion.The proposed merger, which is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, would create one of the largest U.S. electricity providers with an estimated $16 billion in annual revenue and $1.4 ... http://finstories.com/firstenergy-to-buy-allegheny-for-47-billion/ Cyanotech Corp. of Kona made $605,000 on revenues of $3.9 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2009. That compared with a $514,000 profit on revenues of $3.5 million in the same period in the previous fiscal year. The Big Island biotech company (Nasdaq: CYAN), which develops and ... http://finstories.com/cyanotech-reports-higher-quarterly-profit/ Renovation work that could turn a century-old former Buffalo hotel into a market-rate apartment building is expected to start this spring. The $1.8 million project, which is being shepherded by Kissling Interests, will see the conversion of the former Lake Hotel at 201 Huron St. renovated into eight apartments. ... http://finstories.com/lake-hotel-to-be-converted-to-apartments/ Richard Jerram of Macquarie Group Ltd. will become the company’s head of Asian economics and leave his position as top Japan analyst, a move that reflects China’s rise and a shift toward regional rather than country- based coverage. The Tokyo-based economist will start publishing reports on the ... http://finstories.com/macquarie%e2%80%99s-jerram-to-become-company%e2%80%99s-chief-asia-economist/