Internet search giant Google has released data suggesting that more Chicago residents are filing their taxes online, with searches for tax software provider TurboTax featuring prominently on the company’s list of top tax-related search terms. Get the full story »
Nasdaq, ICE to continue offer for NYSE
Nasdaq and Intercontinentalexchange Inc will continue to press management of rival exchange NYSE to accept their takeover offer, ICE CEO Jeffrey Sprecher said on Tuesday. Get the full story »
‘Technical malfunction’ hits Recorder of Deeds site
People trying to access the Cook County Recorder of Deeds website this morning are being redirected to a site featuring ads.
The web address http://www.ccrd.info/ redirects users to a generic web page that lists a series of advertisements. At 10 a.m., county officials said they were working on fixing a “technical malfunction.”
Bank regulators propose swap rules
Energy companies, airlines and other end-users would be mostly exempt from having to put up costly collateral when using uncleared swaps to hedge their business risks, under a proposal issued by U.S. bank regulators on Tuesday. Get the full story »
Fannie Mae brings back HomePath deal
Fannie Mae is bringing back its offer to help pay closing costs to move some foreclosed homes from its books into the hands of owner-occupants. Get the full story »
IMF urges U.S. to move quicker to cut debt ratios
The International Monetary Fund Tuesday urged the United States to outline credible measures to reduce its budget deficit, pressuring the White House to detail plans to ratchet down record debt levels. Get the full story »
Regulators hit Oak Park bank over lending law
Federal regulators hit Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest for failing to comply with the federal Community Reinvestment Act. It received the CRA’s worst rating, “substantial non-compliance,” with the law that requires banks to lend and invest in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Get the full story
Cisco to cut 500, close Flip video camera unit
Cisco Systems Inc will cut 550 jobs and shut down its Flip camera business in an overhaul of its troubled consumer products, following chief John Chambers’ recent admission that the company had lost its way. Get the full story »
Taxpayers plan to save, pay bills with refunds
More taxpayers this year are choosing to save rather than spend.
A survey by job website CareerBuilder found that 46 percent of taxpayers who will receive tax refunds plan to use them to pay off bills, down from 56 percent who had those intentions last year. Meanwhile, 36 percent plan to put the funds into their savings accounts, up from 34 percent last year. Get the full story »
Ex-boss of Chicago equity firm sentenced in NYC
The former chief executive of Chicago-based private-equity firm WexTrust Capital LLC was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison a year after pleading guilty last year to a fraud that cost investors $9.2 million. Get the full story »
Triscuit backs community gardens in Chicago, LA
An urban farm in Detroit. (Heather Stone/Tribune)
Kraft Foods Inc.’s Triscuit crackers brand and a nonprofit organization that works to establish working farms on unused land are bringing their “home farming” concept to some low-income homes in Los Angeles and Chicago.
The plans for five community gardens — three in Chicago and two in L.A. — are to be announced Tuesday at a news event in New York hosted by the cracker brand and Urban Farming, a Detroit-based nonprofit. Get the full story »
CME stakes out ground in emerging currencies
CME Group Inc. is promoting the soundness of futures markets to build on growth in contracts linked to the Brazilian and Russian currencies, according to a senior executive with the exchange company. Get the full story »
Amazon offers cheaper Kindle — with ads
A commuter reads a Kindle while riding the subway in Cambridge, Mass. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
Amazon announced its new “Kindle with Special Offers“ on Monday which will sell for $114, which is $25 less than its ad-free counterpart, Amazon’s $139 Kindle Wi-Fi. The Kindle 3G is available for $189. It will begin shipping May 3.
The Kindle’s “special offers” and ads will appear on the e-reader’s screensaver and at the bottom of its home screen. Amazon plans to mix together advertisements from launch sponsors including Buick, Olay and Visa with daily-deal style discount coupons. Get the full story »
AT&T to upgrade Chicago network speed, access
AT&T will install 35 new cell sites in the Chicago area to increase network coverage as part of the company’s $19 billion nationwide investment plan. The company will dedicate $160 million in improvements in metropolitan Chicago. Get the full story »
The day ahead in business
Reports: Balance of trade for February, 7:30 a.m.; import/export prices for March, 7:30 a.m.; federal budget for March, 1 p.m.
