Personal Finance

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is offering its customers a new way to load money onto prepaid cards.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Consumers are growing more confident in technology and plan on spending more in this area, according to the latest CEA Index released today by the Consumer Electronics Association. The CEA Index also showed that consumer confidence in the overall economy improved this month.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears Holdings disclosed in a regulatory filing that "because we believe that the company has substantial liquidity and financial flexibility," the company has elected to contribute an additional $203 million to its domestic pension plan on Sept. 14, after which the plan will be 80% funded under applicable law.

Costco co-founder and former CEO Jim Sinegal appeared on CNBC Wednesday morning to offer a preview of his speech last night at the Democratic National Convention and explain why he supports the re-election of president Barack Obama.

New York -- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index climbed to a better-than-expected 74.3, compared to 72.3 in July and representing a three-month high.

Aggressive retail discounting and record-low interest rates boosted the results, but unemployment remains a big concern. 

“Confidence is lackluster,” Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist for High Frequency Economics Ltd., told Bloomberg. “It typifies the economy right now. It’s not strong, but not collapsing either.”

New York -- California and Indiana have the highest statewide sales taxes in the country, but Tennessee and Arizona take top billing when local sales taxes are added to the calculation, according to a new analysis by the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that monitors fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels.

New York -- The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index, released on Wednesday, decreased slightly in July, marking the first decline since February 2012. 

The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

Bentonville, Ark. -- The Walmart Foundation announced Tuesday the launch of its Partnership for Women’s Prosperity, a move to help economically vulnerable women gain financial and economic security through education, job training and employment opportunities.