Closing costs are designed to confuse. We’ll clear up the mystery — and tell you how to protect against bogus charges. Whether you’re a first timer or have been through the drill half a dozen times, buying a home is a stressful proposition. In addition to the anxiety of sinking …

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (search) on Saturday set overdue legislative elections for Jan. 25, a move that could boost his international credibility and encourage his biggest political rival, Hamas, to hold its fire during Israel’s ongoing Gaza pullout. Abbas also said he signed a decree …

Sure, any mover will tell you he’ll treat your grandmother’s antique armoire as if it were his own — until he drops it down the stairs. Here’s a heads-up on what to look out for. 1. “We’ll hijack your stuff.” Summer’s here. Let the relaxing begin — unless, that is, …

How do high-yield funds behave in a rising-rate environment? Are they too risky to be held in a conservative portfolio? QUESTION: I hold shares in the T. Rowe Price High Yield (PRHYX) and Janus High Yield (JAHYX) funds. How do high-yield funds behave in a rising rate environment like we …

Ten things to look out for before putting the good taste of your home in a designer’s hands. 1. “My qualifications? Well . . . my friends say I have good taste.” Chalk it up to the recent home-improvement craze, but the interior design field is hotter than a $20 …

See you weeknights in the No Spin Zone at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET! Tonight … “The O’Reilly Factor” is on! A stunning new development in the search for Natalee Holloway (search)! Why have authorities in Aruba re-arrested both Satish and Deepak Kalpoe (search) along with another friend of …

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Mitchell Johnson, who served time for helping kill five people during a 1998 ambush in a Jonesboro school yard, could only dream of California as he sat handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser on New Year’s Day 2007. Deputies allegedly found two weapons while …

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Margaret Truman, the only child of former President Harry S. Truman who became a concert singer, actress, radio and TV personality and mystery writer, died Tuesday. She was 83. Truman, known as Margaret Truman Daniel in private life, died at a Chicago assisted living facility following …

WASHINGTON – President Bush’s 2009 budget will virtually freeze most domestic programs and seek nearly $200 billion in savings from federal health care programs, a senior administration official said Thursday. The Bush budget also will likely exceed $3 trillion, this official said. Bush on Monday will present his proposed budget …

NEW YORK – A judge Wednesday threw out a felony charge against a former mental patient accused of stalking Uma Thurman, leaving him to face two misdemeanor counts at a trial that would likely require the “Pulp Fiction” star to testify. The basis for the coercion charge was an e-mail …