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The government released the fine print of its landmark $25 billion mortgage settlement, and promised to closely police the banks' pledges to bring widespread housing relief, even while letting them dodge admission of wrongdoing.

The $25 billion settlement between five large U.S. banks accused of abusive mortgage practices on the one side and federal and state government officials on the other side that was announced Feb. 9 will be filed in federal court on Monday, people familiar with the matter said.

A previously announced $25 billion settlement between five major banks accused of abusive mortgage practices and government officials will be filed in federal court on Monday, people familiar with the matter said late Friday.

The economic picture got considerably messier this week, as positive data on job creation battled with gasoline-price-fueled inflation concerns in economists', policymakers' and consumers' minds. Joyous declarations that the economy is finally getting better have turned into more studious critiques of how the incipient recovery is actually affecting poor, working-class and middle-class people.

Wells Fargo recently announced that it will be instituting a $7 monthly service fee for checking accounts in six eastern states, adding to the 23 states where the fee is already in place. There are a few ways to avoid this fee.

U.S. employers hired more than 200,000 workers for a third straight month in February, indicating that companies are feeling more upbeat about the recovery.

Wells Fargo & Co., the bank with the most U.S. branches, is ending free checking in six eastern U.S. states starting in May, expanding a $7 monthly service fee for the use of its basic checking account.

Iconic guitar maker Fender Musical Instruments Corp. filed on Thursday to raise up to $200 million through an initial public offering, using a substantial chunk of the proceeds to pay off debt.

Claims for jobless benefits rose to 362,000, but is still hovering around a 4-year low for the fourth consecutive weeks, underscoring Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's view that the U.S. economy has to show stronger growth to ensure that more Americans can find jobs.

Facebook Inc. has named 25 underwriters and received multi-billion dollar package of financing, according to an amendment to its S-1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

PayPal, the online payments arm of eBay Inc, has sparked a furor in the publishing world by asking some e-book distributors to ban books that contain obscene themes including rape, bestiality or incest.

Employers probably hired more than 200,000 workers for a third straight month in February, indicating that companies are feeling more upbeat about the U.S. economic recovery, economists said before a report this week.

The U.S. government will cut fees on federally insured mortgages and move to expand home-loan relief to military veterans, President Barack Obama announced Tuesday.

U.S. bank Wells Fargo has drawn up plans to build up its overseas operations and wants to expand into 20 markets worldwide, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

There were signs of improvement in U.S. housing data released in February, but warmer weather could have been as much of a factor as strengthening market fundamentals, according to industry experts.

Terri Dial, a former senior executive of some of the world's largest banks and one of the leaders of Citigroup's post-crisis restructuring, has died.

JPMorgan Chase & Co said it may face federal enforcement actions stemming from two investigations into mortgage-backed securities that went bad in the financial crisis.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Wells Fargo & Co. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. have been warned by the Securities and Exchange Commission that they might face inquiries tied to mortgage-backed securities offered to investors several years ago.

Wells Fargo & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said Tuesday that they were facing inquiries from the Securities and Exchange Commission over civil claims connected to sales of mortgage-backed securities.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a firmer open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones futures and Nasdaq 100 futures rising 0.1-0.2 percent at 4:58 a.m. ET.

When looking for value stocks to buy, it might not be a bad idea to follow the stock picks of Warren Buffett, arguably the greatest value stock investor of all time

Warren E. Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway holding company has made him one of the richest men around, said he’s pleased by new holdings in technology.

Anyone looking for more evidence of a strengthening U.S. economic recovery needs only to consider conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, where businesses ranging from railroads and electric utilities to furniture and candy stores are racking up record profits.

Bank of America Corp appears to be going it alone in not selling mortgage loans to Fannie Mae, a move that, while sending an angry signal to the nation's largest mortgage-buyer, could force the bank to charge less attractive mortgage rates.

The prices of gasoline and other energy commodities are on the rise -- with further increases just over the horizon -- and it appears that everyone is taking notice.

Housing, the weakest of the three legs of the stool supporting the U.S. economy, is finally firming up, or so it seems to investors, economists, real estate agents and buildings after a string of heartening reports so far this year.

The index of U.S. leading economic indicators rose 0.4 percent in January, extending its upward trend for a fourth month. Friday's data points to continued growth in the U.S. economy, supported by an increase in the average workweek and improving financial indicators.

Bit by tiny bit, the economy is improving. The progress might at times seem too small or slow to be evident, but it is unmistakably occurring. People may not feel things are good yet, but they are beginning to feel the worse is subsiding, Gary Thayer, chief macro strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors, said.

Ally Financial is weighing a sale of all or part of its auto lending and banking businesses, as an initial public offering looks increasingly remote and the U.S. government seeks to recoup some $17 billion in bailout money, sources familiar with the situation said.