The trade-in market for homes — up or down — would stand to benefit from the latest version of a federal homebuyer tax credit, leaders of local real estate and builders associations said Thursday. The plan approved Thursday would extend an existing tax credit of up to $8,000 that is limited to first-time buyers, but it also would provide a credit of up to $6,500 for buyers who have owned their existing homes for at least five years.

Microsoft has rolled out a free anti-virus program that could eclipse all of the commercial ones. Microsoft Essentials has been proven in months of beta testing. And guess what. It’s free. There are no expensive upsells and no fees to keep the program current.

Companies across the economy are finding ways to do more with fewer workers, dimming hopes that hiring will take off anytime soon.

The heart of “Mad Men,” and the source of many of its greatest moments, is the off-the-charts business acumen of leading ad man Don Draper. Everything you really need to know about business can be learned watching Don Draper:

Weekly business rail, with job-hunting tips, BBB Watch about first-time homebuyers tax credit and more.

The global financial crisis may have pushed many Americans to start saving this year, but Carl George saw the need to promote the value of the piggy bank five years ago. The senior executive partner and former CEO of national accounting firm Clifton Gunderson, George said the American Institute of CPAs first launched a financial literacy campaign in 2004.

With concerns rising about health care costs and insurance, a number of employers are taking steps to improve workers' health by implementing wellness programs and encouraging lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and other kinds of illness.

Weekly financial Q&A, with item on saving money and emergency funds.

The all-new 2010 LaCrosse could be the make-it-or-break-it model for the once well-regarded Buick. Think of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse as more than just another midsize sedan. It is as much as anything a vehicle designed to resolve the marque’s long-running “perception problem.”

I’m constantly feeling the push and pull between being green and saving some green. I consider myself eco-minded, but sometimes environmentally friendly products include a hefty price tag, leaving me looking for other ways to ensure that I’m using affordable products that are safe for my family and the environment.