Personal Finance

New York -- The CEO of Sears Holdings Corp., Louis D'Ambrosio, received a compensation package in 2011 whose value was put at $9.9 million, according to a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

D'Ambrosio joined the company in February 2011. He received a base salary of $931,000. His stock awards totaled $8 million and his bonus was $150,000.

YONKERS, N.Y. — After three consecutive months of improvement, the Consumer Reports Index for March slipped to 46.1, from 49.6 last month.

March's Consumer Reports Index measures overall consumer financial health and showed that the confidence of the American consumer is waning.

Further challenging consumer confidence, The Trouble Tracker Index increased slightly this month to 52.2 from 49.1 in February, and is now at its highest level since August 2011.

Yonkers, N.Y. -- After three consecutive months of improvement, the Consumer Reports Index for March slipped to 46.1, from 49.6 last month.

March's Consumer Reports Index measures overall consumer financial health and showed that the confidence of the American consumer is waning.

Further challenging consumer confidence, The Trouble Tracker Index increased slightly this month to 52.2 from 49.1 in February, and is now at its highest level since August 2011.

New York City -- Consumer confidence in February shot up from last month to the highest level since a year ago, according to The Conference Board. The group’s Consumer Confidence Index now stands at 70.8, up from a revised 61.5 in January, buoyed by consumers' more positive assessment of the job market.

Losing weight is a little like saving money. Consumers will always intend to do more of both, but then reality sets in and they tend to do neither. Retailers can count on that pattern holding true this year, which is good news because a recent study by the National Retail Federation shows those planning to save their tax refund is at an all time high.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation expressed its support for President Obama's proposal for business tax reform, and pledged to work with the White House and Congress to win passage of legislation that would significantly lower rates in order to help retailers and other businesses create jobs.

WASHINGTON — Retailers hoping to see a boost in sales this tax season may be out of luck as more Americans this year plan to save their refunds.

The National Retail Federation's tax returns consumer survey, conducted by BIGinsight, found that 43.8% of those expecting refunds will save some of that money, up from 42.l% who said so last year and the most in the survey’s nine-year history. Two-thirds (66.2%) of tax payers are expecting a refund this year, the exact same as last year.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation expressed its support for President Obama's proposal for business tax reform, and pledged to work with the White House and Congress to win passage of legislation that would significantly lower rates in order to help retailers and other businesses create jobs.