Citigroup falls on Wachovia-Wells Fargo deal. Shares of Citigroup fell 8 percent to $20.69 in pre-market trade after a merger deal was announced between Wachovia Corp and Wells Fargo & Co.

SEC short-selling ban to expire Wednesday night. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced on Friday its ban on financial stock short-selling will expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 8.

Stocks to struggle despite rescue plan. Wall Street's mood will likely remain dark this week as fallout from the credit crisis continues to corrode the U.S. economy and questions linger about the likely effectiveness of the newly passed bailout plan in shoring up the financial system.

Investors expect volatility as credit woes persist. The worlds financial markets face an uncertain and possibly volatile week as investors await details about how the Treasury will implement the governments financial rescue package -- and watch for any further fallout from the credit crisis around the globe.

Asian stocks slide as Europe's financial crisis deepens. Asian stock markets suffered another mauling in early trade on Monday as doubts grew about whether a Wall Street bailout package will stem the global financial crisis, dealers said.

Stocks sink, yen surges as crisis intensifies. Asian stocks fell 4 percent on Monday and the yen surged to a 2-year high against the euro as investors doubted the scattered European response to the financial crisis and the $700 billion U.S. bank bailout could prevent a global recession.

Mixed fortunes for bank stocks. Bank stocks have enjoyed mixed fortunes as Prime Minister Gordon Brown prepares for an emergency weekend summit with EU leaders to discuss the global financial crisis.

Mass. asks about federal loan amid market worries. The treasurer of Massachusetts has asked the federal government about lending Massachusetts money under the same favorable terms it has given banks and firms during the financial crisis.Treasurer Timothy Cahill's requests to the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston this week were prompted by the state's inability to borrow from the short-term debt markets, The Boston Globe reported Saturday. The financial turmoil has caused credit markets to stop lending, or to charge prohibitive rates.

Alastair Darling said he was ready to help other banks. Chancellor Alistair Darling said he was ready to offer further assistance to individual banks which get into difficulties.

JPMorgan blamed for Lehman collapse: report. Lehman Brothers was America's fourth-biggest investment bank. US bank JPMorgan Chase stands accused of precipitating the collapse of American investment bank Lehman Brothers by freezing Lehman assets days..

German government in crisis talks on bank. Germany's Finance Ministry convened crisis talks Sunday to find a new way to keep Hypo Real Estate AG afloat after a $48.4 billion bailout plan for the DAX blue-chip company unraveled over the weekend.

What's Hot -- and What's Not. You don't top your peers every year for the past dozen years by adhering to conventional thinking. That, at least, is the reasoning of Rudolph-Riad Younes, co-manager of the remarkable Julius Baer International Equity A fund.

A Class-Action Settlement for Nearly Every Consumer. In a class-action settlement, the credit bureau TransUnion has agreed to provide free credit-monitoring services to millions of consumers to settle claims that it illegally passed along private information for marketing purposes.

Surviving the Storm. The message was hard to miss last week: No more wishful thinking -- it's time to prepare yourself for a grim job market.

Six Asset Classes, If by Sea, Air and Road. Robert J. Froehlich wants to mess with the minds of investors. For years, there have been just three main asset classes: stocks, bonds and cash. Two other investment options -- commodities and real estate -- are in the mix as alternative asset classes. Now Froehlich, the chief investment strategi..

When the Bank Closes Your Credit Account. Q I received a notice from Capital One that it is closing my credit card account because of inactivity. If the company closes the account, will it hurt my credit score?.

Introducing a Savings Account Beyond the Piggy Bank. Ages 8-10: Bank on It Help your kids open their own savings account. Of course, you can start saving on their behalf when they're much younger, and they probably have a wad of birthday cash stuffed in their sock drawer. But now they're mature enough for you to introduce them to how a real bank..

Bailout Bushwhack. I don't know about you, but I'm still not convinced that the bailout bill that is being forced upon taxpayers is going to curb the economic crisis enough to be worth the $700 billion in debt that may be needed to implement it.

In Absence of Data, Time to Reflect. No major data are being released this week, giving investors time to digest the stunning recent bout of market upheaval, political action and economic reports. On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve will release minutes of its latest policymaking meeting, which occurred Sept. 16. It should give insight..

When Unequal Bequests Are the Right Thing to Do. Q I am an elderly widow, and my three grown children live nearby. My older son and daughter and their families, although cordial, don't take much interest in me or my need for help with many tasks around the home. The third, my younger daughter, has always been very attentive, with no prompting, as..