BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Oil prices rose back above US$83 a barrel in Asian trade Friday, adding to gains in the previous session sparked by a decline in crude inventories at a key Oklahoma terminal and the confrontation between the West and Iran.

Light, sweet crude for November delivery rose 29 cents to US$83.17 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midafternoon in Singapore.

The Nymex crude contract jumped US$2.58 Thursday to settle at US$82.88 a barrel during the floor session.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have raised in traders' minds the possibility of disruption of Middle East oil supplies, analysts said.

The U.S. is trying to raise support for new U.N. sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programs. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the nuclear issue is "closed," and has vowed to defy any U.N. sanctions.

The price gains have put the front-month contract back near the record levels hit late last week by the October contract on the day it expired. Last Friday the October contract hit US$83.90 a barrel before it settled at a record close of U$83.32 a barrel.

Also stoking concerns about crude supplies was a slight decline in oil inventories at the Nymex crude delivery point of Cushing, Oklahoma, last

Would you like to know what 36,298 credit card users had to say about the 61,944 cards they've used recently? Would you like to know which ones they like the most? Well, the Consumer Reports National Research Center has some answers for you, along with some guidance.

Who's on first?
According to a study by the center, the top-ranked credit card is the USAA Federal Savings card, which scored 95 points out of 100 in the center's survey and charges a median interest rate of 7%. The bad news is that this card is only for military and retired military people, and their families. Next up is the Navy Federal Credit Union card. Yes, I know -- that's another case of bad news, unless you happen to be in the Navy.

If you happen to be in the military, be sure to look into USAA's offerings. The organization frequently garners high ratings for its wares. But if you're not among the ranks of the military, you needn't rush out to your local recruitment office to snag a great credit-card deal. In fact, the third-highest rating in the study was for plain old "other credit union" cards. In other words, you're likely to get a good deal from most credit unions -- and you may well be eligible to join one in your neighborhood.

Other noteworthy rankings popped up for sporting-equipment retailer Cabela's (NYSE: CAB - News) and

Car loans

Your selection of a car is one of the biggest financial decisions you will make, after the choice of a house. It is very difficult to come out ahead with your car, since it constantly loses value.

Credit Cards

Americans are notoriously deep in debt—and not just for their home and car. The average adult carries a balance of thousands of dollars on any number of retail and bank credit cards. Personal loans—including home equity, debt consolidation, and student loans—also contribute to this debt load. What is
important about this, is that all of these sources of debt contribute to the draining of a family's budget.

TOKYO (AP) -- Asian stocks soared Wednesday in the wake of Wall Street's overnight surge spurred by the U.S. Federal Reserve's larger-than-expected interest rate cut.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index jumped 500.22 points, or 3.17 percent, to 16,302.02 points in afternoon trading. In Hong Kong, the blue chip Hang Seng Index was up 928.45 points, or 3.78 percent, to 25,505.3.

Stock markets in South Korea, India, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines also advanced. Chinese shares, however, fell.

Investors were cheered by a rally in U.S. stocks Tuesday after the Fed cut its benchmark interest rate by a half percentage point to 4.75 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average surged 335.97 points, or 2.51 percent, to 13,739.39 -- its biggest one-day point jump in nearly five years.

The move came after weeks of global market turmoil amid concerns over tightening credit conditions sparked by rising default rates among U.S. mortgage holders with poor credit. The U.S. rate cut signals that the Fed wants to prevent a slump in the U.S. housing market and turbulence in financial markets from starting a recession.

Asian investors have been worried that the credit crisis might drag on growth in the U.S. economy, a

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Oil prices rose Wednesday above the previous session's record close, lifted by expectations the interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve will accelerate growth and increase demand for already tight crude and gasoline supplies.

Light, sweet crude for October delivery added 82 cents to $82.33 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midmorning in Singapore.

The Fed cut its benchmark federal funds rate overnight by half a percentage point to 4.75 percent in an effort to prevent the recent credit crunch from hurting the overall economy, a move that led to a surge in crude oil prices in the moments immediately after the announcement.

"The oil market has taken confidence from the cut in the federal funds rate," said David Moore, commodity strategist with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney.

"There had been concerns that U.S. economic growth may slow and the U.S. is the largest oil consumer, so it would potentially impact on oil demand," Moore said. "The Fed's rate cut has at least reduced the risks of a severe slowing in the U.S. economy," he said.

Nymex crude settled Tuesday at a fresh record close of $81.51 a barrel, up 94 cents. It later hit an all-time high of $82.38 a barrel in after-hours trading. Analysts note, though, that oil prices are still well

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a bold strike, the Federal Reserve slashed a key interest rate by a half point on Tuesday -- the first cut in over four years -- and left the door open to further relief to prevent a painful housing slump and jarring credit crunch from driving the country into recession.

Wall Street responded enthusiastically, propelling stocks up 335.97 points -- its biggest one-day point jump in nearly five years. Politicians, shaken by record-high home foreclosures, also welcomed the move.

In a crucial and anxiously awaited decision, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his central bank colleagues lowered an important interest rate to 4.75 percent. Economic and political pressure has been building on the Fed to act.

As a result, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and other commercial banks dropped their prime lending rate charged to millions of borrowers by a corresponding amount to 7.75 percent.

Whether Bernanke can handle the crisis successfully is the biggest challenge he has faced in his 19 months at the Fed helm.

"Today's action is intended to help forestall some adverse effects on the economy that might otherwise arise from disruptions in financial markets and to promote moderate growth over time," the Fed said in a statement released after its closed-door meeting.

The Fed's action means borrowers who can obtain credit should see rates drop on a variety of loans. It will become less expensive for people to finance certain credit card debt and for homeowners to take out

Rebates are a double-edged sword. They look wonderful when you see the price of the item you're buying with the rebate price included, but they can end up costing you money if you don't follow through and actually receive the rebate.

It's only a great price if you actually get the rebate amount refunded to you. If it is a large purchase, such as a computer system, this can be the difference between several hundred dollars in your bank account or down the drain.

According to BusinessWeek, almost a third of all computers and gadgets now are sold with some type of rebate attached, with one-fifth of all digital cameras, camcorders and LCD TVs having some type of rebate. Not all consumers take advantage of these rebates. In 2005, an estimated 40% were never redeemed for a variety of reasons, and this added an extra $2 billion to the retailers' and manufacturers' bottom line.

While the process for getting a rebate may seem pretty straightforward, it doesn't always work that way. The Federal Trade Commission set up a study about rebate programs in April, in part because "many consumers have had negative experiences with rebates and have begun to distrust them." There was even a recent instance where a computer parts supplier in California simply dumped 1,300 rebate

A small Michigan insurer is trying a novel way to woo young, healthy people who lack health insurance: let them buy lots of coverage after they get sick.

American Community Mutual Insurance Co. is rolling out an unusual two-tier coverage plan today that would give policyholders struck by serious illness or accidents the option of adding $5 million of coverage.

Signing up individuals is critical to insurance-industry growth as more employers quit providing company-paid health benefits, and carriers are eager to limit big claims by courting the 40% of uninsured who are 19 to 34 years old and healthy -- the fastest-growing segment of uninsured Americans.

Industry experts say they have never seen a policy like American Community's, introduced in Texas today under the name "Coverage on Demand." A similar plan will be rolled out early next year in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri as "Pay-As-You-Go." Overall, the company hopes to offer this product line in more than 13 states within the next year.

Here's how it works: A consumer buys one of three limited-benefit plans -- called Tempo, Rhythm or Groove -- with annual benefit caps of $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000, respectively. Deductibles range from nothing to $500. The cost of the plan for a healthy 25-year-old man in Dallas, for example, would be $88 to $95 a month, the company says.

The twist comes when a person gets seriously ill or hurt and exceeds the modest benefit cap. Under Coverage on Demand, policyholders can pay a lump-sum annual "activation" premium of $9,000 to

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks rose Tuesday as investors, heartened by upbeat earnings, awaited the Federal Reserve's meeting on interest rates. The Dow Jones industrials rose about 100 points.

Wall Street's focus will be the central bank when it issues its decision on rates and its accompanying economic statement at 2:15 p.m. EDT. The slumping housing market, tightening credit market and volatile stocks have given investors reason to believe that monetary policy is in need of some loosening.

Most in the market expect either a quarter-point cut in the benchmark federal funds rate or a half-point cut, given last month's decline in jobs and weakening retail sales. Equally important is how the Fed characterizes the housing, credit and stock markets' drag on the U.S. economy, and if it suggests there are more rate reductions to come.

As investors waited for the central bank's decision, they were pleased to see economic and corporate data come in better than expected. Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., the nation's fourth-largest investment bank, posted a smaller-than-anticipated 3 percent decline in third-quarter profit compared to a year ago. Lehman is the first of the major U.S. brokerages to report earnings from the most recent, tumultuous quarter.

The Labor Department's August producer price index was also more favorable than the market predicted. Wholesale prices fell 1.4 percent last month, the biggest decline in 10 months and led by a 6.6 percent

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Oil prices climbed to a fresh high above $81 a barrel amid hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut a key interest rate later Tuesday, a move the market believes would bolster the economy and strengthen petroleum demand in the world's largest energy consumer.

Investors expect the Fed to cut the benchmark federal funds rate at least a quarter point to 5 percent to ease pressure on the U.S. credit market.

"The market will be waiting to see how much the Fed cuts interest rates and whether its statement indicates that there may be further rate cuts or not, and those will affect perceptions of the U.S. economy and the demand for oil," said David Moore, commodity strategist with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney.

"The background picture is one of tight oil markets. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration has shown declining oil inventories in recent weeks," Moore said. Oil inventories are falling in the U.S. but remain at record levels.

Light, sweet crude for October delivery rose as high as $81.18 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, before retreating slightly to $81.04, up 47 cents, midmorning in Singapore.

The contract on Monday jumped as high as $80.70 a barrel in intraday trading before settling at a record

Gold and gold stocks are up. But is this a good time to invest in gold?

Back in 1999, the price of gold hit a 20-year low of around $250 an ounce. For the next two years, it stayed below $300.

A bull run began in the first half of 2001. Gold reached $720 in 2006. It remains over $700 an ounce.

Gold may have more upside potential. The price is still well below its 1980 peak of $850.

Gold can play a role in a diversified portfolio. The price of gold is usually not correlated to the price of stocks. When they're disconnected, gold commonly moves in the opposite direction of equities. So gold often rises when stocks sink.

Still, both gold and U.S. stocks are rising. But the U.S. dollar has been weakening. That makes the metal, typically denominated in dollars, cheaper to buy in other currencies. Gold is also a haven from weakness in

Dividend stocks may be the best way to follow Warren Buffett's famous rules:

● Rule No. 1: Never lose money.
● Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No. 1.

But that shouldn't be surprising. Playing the part of the investor whose aim is to never lose money is to study businesses that rule boring industries, make real products, and earn heaps of cash flow. More often than not, these types of stocks also offer generous dividend yields.

Consider Buffett's portfolio. Better than half the stocks held by Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B) yield more dividends than the S&P 500 average of 1.67%. Here's a sampling:

Company Current Dividend Yield

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) 5.00%

General Electric (NYSE: GE) 3.00%

Here's a money paradox to ponder: If you never worry about money, you probably should, but if you always worry about money, you probably have nothing to worry about.

Most of us can use a little fretting now and then. It keeps our minds sharp, our goals focused, and our savings accounts healthy. But some people worry way too much, even when there's plenty of money in the bank. Do you:

● save enough to meet your goals, but still feel that it's not enough?

● lack specific savings goals and just try to save everything you can?

● get so anxious thinking about retirement or paying for college that you can't evaluate whether you've saved enough?

● avoid all debt, even a mortgage, because you don't want to owe anyone money, ever?

● fight with your spouse, family, or others because they never save as much as you want?

With the stock market as bouncy as a beat-up couch, you may be thinking it's time to focus on a small number of stocks that you know really well. What better way to keep returns up and risk down?

Conventional wisdom and new academic research certainly seem to suggest that this is the way to go. Many financial planners and brokers will tell you that a portfolio of as few as 12 stocks (and up to 30) will sufficiently diversify your holdings.

And three recent studies have found that individuals who own fewer stocks do better than those who own many.

However, as is often the case with conventional wisdom (and academic research), there's a lot more to the story. Fact is, if you build your portfolio entirely on the principle of "less is more," you're a lot more likely to end up with less than more. Here's why and what to do instead.

Those were the days

The idea that 12 to 30 stocks are all you need dates back at least to the 1960s, when academics, including Burton Malkiel, author of the classic "A Random Walk Down Wall Street," concluded that that's what it took to eliminate most of the risk from a portfolio. (They