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ZURICH/LONDON Swiss bank UBS AG is nearing a deal to settle claims some of its staff manipulated interest rates and could reach agreement with U.S. and British authorities by the end of the year, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday. UBS is expected to pay more than $ 450 million to settle claims some of its employees submitted false Libor rates, the New York Times reported earlier. Britain’s Barclays Plc was fined $ 453 million in June for manipulating Libor benchmark interest rates, and remains the only bank to settle in the investigation, which led to the [...]

Ohio drivers who shop around for car insurance are likely to save a bigger chunk of their annual bills than motorists anywhere else in the U.S. A  ZIP-code-by-ZIP-code analysis of Ohio rates from six national insurance carriers showed an average rate for full coverage of $ 969 a year.  But the cheapest rate averaged just $ 424 a year — a savings of 56% on identical coverage. Nationally, the average potential savings was $ 407, or 32%. Rates from the six companies were the most similar in New Jersey, where a driver who bought the cheapest policy would save $ [...]

It’s no secret that retirees generally don’t like the cold, so it should come as no surprise that there is an abundance of northern states on this year’s list of 10 Worst States to Retire from However, the weather is far from the only problem these states have. If you love one of these states, don’t take it personally. This list only reports what an objective look at retirement-related factors dictates. Naturally, individual preferences can greatly affect your choice of retirement destinations. However, as a guide to some possible warning signs for retirees, MoneyRates.com has sought to identify the states [...]

This year’s MoneyRates.com Best States to Retire list includes some traditional warm-weather havens, such as Hawaii, California and Florida. But you may be surprised to see a few off-the-beaten-path locales in the top 10 too. For instance, have you considered South Dakota for your retirement? While MoneyRates.com recognizes that much of what marks a good place for retirement is subjective — family and friends, cultural attractions, natural beauty — there are plenty of objective, quantifiable factors to examine too. Knowing how a state performs in certain measures is important before you choose it for your retirement, and that’s precisely what [...]

TOULOUSE The European partners behind planemaker Airbus must fully meet their commitments regarding the planemaker’s new A350 widebody passenger jet, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Tuesday. “The European partner nations…have always played a major role in the development of major aerospace projects,” Ayrault said at the inauguration of an assembly factory for the future A350 at Airbus’ Toulouse headquarters. “It is of course the case for the A350, and it is essential that their commitments are met in full,” he said, adding that France would respect its obligations. Airbus Chief Executive Fabrice Bregier confirmed that the A350 would [...]

MOUNT VERNON President Barack Obama hit rival Mitt Romney hard on women’s issues as he headed back on the campaign trail on Wednesday after a spirited debate performance that re-energized his bid for a second term. A day after a much-improved performance in the second of three presidential debates, a revitalized Obama continued sparring with his Republican opponent, making fun of Romney’s comment that he had received “binders full of women” to consider for cabinet positions when he was governor of Massachusetts. “I’ve got to tell you, we don’t have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified, talented [...]

The number of Americans with college degrees has increased steadily in the last decade. According to the latest government data, 28.5% of U.S. residents 25 or older had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2011, up only slightly from 27.2% in 2005. While the number is relatively unchanged, there are substantial differences across the country. In West Virginia, the state with the lowest graduation rate, 18.5% of adults have at least a bachelor’s degree. In Massachusetts, the state with the highest graduation rate, the figure is 39.1%. This article was originally published by 24/7 Wall St.  Based on education data [...]

Too much kit? The Quest team prepares to board the train in Chicago. Preparing to board the sleeping car on the California Zephyr train. A rainbow frames the Chicago skyline with the Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, downtown. CNN’s Richard Quest takes a time out from battle in the Union camp The cannon is readied by Union Artillery soldiers as the camera looks on Two organizers of the civil war re-enactment shelter from the torrential rain in Iowa HIDE CAPTION Team Quest prepare for the long journey California-bound Amtrak sleeper train American Quest’s first stop: Chicago Richard Quest in Chicago [...]

TOKYO Industrialized and oil-producing countries on Thursday pledged $ 165 million to a World Bank fund to help ease economic transition in nations swept up in the Arab Spring popular uprisings. The money came on the initiative of the “Deauville Partnership,” which was formed after uprisings last year in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya ended decades-long dictatorships. The partnership includes the Group of Eight major nations as well as oil producers from the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The funds announced on Thursday are meant to provide grants for economic governance, trade, investment, and inclusive development and job creation. [...]

Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, West Virginia and Wyoming have the highest teen fatal accident rates in the nation, according to a report released this week. But teens everywhere should be cautious behind the wheel: The fatal accident rate for teens is almost three times the rate for drivers 20 and older, according to the report. Almost 18,000 teens age 16 to 19 died in car crashes nationwide from 2006 to 2010, according to the Erie Insurance study — based on the most recent statistics analyzed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Here [...]