Business Roundup-By The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) ‘ Stocks capped a difficult week with steep losses Friday amid escalating worries about the financial and automotive sectors and a rebound in oil prices. The major indexes fell by more than 1 1/2 percent on the day, and the Dow Jones industrial average gave up more…

OTTAWA (AP) ‘ In a cross-border political attack, John McCain said Friday that Barack Obama’s opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement is “nothing more than retreating behind protectionist walls.”The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting added that if he wins the White House, “have no doubt that America will honor its international commitments ‘ and we…

WASHINGTON (AP) ‘ The stress from deepening debt is becoming a major pain in the neck ‘ and the back and the head and the stomach ‘ for millions of Americans.When people are dealing with mountains of debt, they’re much more likely to report health problems, too, according to an Associated Press-AOL Health poll. And…

By Consumer Reports With the national average gasoline price hovering at about $4 a gallon, many consumers are trading in their larger vehicles for smaller models with better fuel economy. While that is a good goal, making the switch too soon could cost drivers more in overall owner costs than they’ll save at the pump,…

By Bruce Williams DEAR BRUCE: I am a 60-year-old woman and the guardian of a child since her infancy. She is now of driving age and, like all 16-year-olds, wants to learn how to drive. I investigated this with my insurance company, added her to the policy and my insurance bill shot up like the…

By Ric Edelman The Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing workers to sue the administrators of their 401(k) plans is a landmark decision that will lead to the end of the retail mutual fund industry’s dominance of this marketplace. The result will likely be lower costs for all employees nationwide. The issue in the case, LaRue…

By James Clark If you’re not getting quality rest on your current bed, then you need to pay a visit to Barr’s Furniture on Beersheba Street. The business has just put the finishing touches on a new addition that allows customers to get comfortable with about 20 different types of mattresses.‘We did this five years…

By James Clark Amy Russell, left, and Allie Ann Latimer enjoy a meal Friday afternoon at the newly remodeled Hardee’s. I’m not sure what it is, but every time people see activity around Hardee’s the first reaction is to think the longtime local restaurant is going out of business. I guess folks are still a…

By James Clark Yes, those 4,000 Volkswagen jobs would sure come in handy right about now. The state announced Thursday that Tennessee’s unemployment rate soared to 6.4 percent in May. The full 1 percent jump marks the largest one-month increase since the state began tracking unemployment data in the 1970s.‘My concern was that we would…

By James Clark Workers assemble vehicles at a VW plant in Zwickau, Germany. The company is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany and is expected to announce next month the location of a new plant in the United States. Folks are always wanting me to write about the prospect for local jobs and boy would I like…