Goldman agonized over pay cuts as profits suffered

(Reuters) - Top executives at Goldman Sachs have been considering deep cuts to staffing levels and pay for at least two years, but feared too many layoffs would leave the firm unprepared for an eventual pickup in business, people familiar with the bank said.They instead chipped away at staff levels and focused on non-personnel expenses that are less painful to cut.But investors pressured the bank...

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Consumer bureau issues rules to clean up mortgage servicing

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced new rules for mortgage servicers on Thursday to help prevent the sloppy practices that aggravated the U.S. foreclosure crisis.Mortgage servicers collect monthly payments from borrowers on behalf of the investors that own the loans. That often involves letting borrowers know about the status of loans, modifying the loans...

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Feds finalize protections for mortgage borrowers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government's consumer lending watchdog finalized new rules Thursday aimed at protecting homeowners from shoddy service and unexpected fees charged by companies that collect their monthly mortgage payments.Mortgage servicing companies will be required to provide clear monthly billing statements, warn borrowers before interest rate hikes and actively help them avoid foreclosure,...

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iPhone demand said to be ‘robust,’ recent cuts don’t reflect weak demand

Following recent reports from Nikkei and The Wall Street Journal that suggested Apple (AAPL) slashed iPhone 5 component orders in half due to weak demand,  the company’s stock fell significantly and opened below $500 for the first time in nearly a year. The reports have been called into question, however, with many believing they do not represent true consumer interest. Shaw Wu of Sterne Agee...

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Facebook unveils social search feature

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a new search feature that's designed to entice people to spend more time on his company's website and will put the world's largest online social network more squarely in competition with Google and other rivals such as Yelp and LinkedIn.Called "graph search," the new service unveiled Tuesday lets users quickly sift through their social...

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Toys and video games hook up on new Disney game platform

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Children will be able to move plastic toys that look like pirate Captain Jack Sparrow and other movie characters into a virtual world on a computer or TV screen in a game platform Walt Disney Co unveiled on Tuesday in hopes of boosting revenue at a loss-making division.Disney's new "Infinity" concept, to be released in June, comes with games inspired by "Monsters University,"...

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49ers rout Packers to book spot in NFC title game

(Reuters) - Quarterback Colin Kaepernick set an NFL rushing record as he outplayed reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers to lead the San Francisco 49ers to a 45-31 playoff win over the visiting Green Bay Packers on Saturday.Fueled by a sensational 181 yards gained on the ground by second-year player Kaepernick, the 49ers broke the game open in the second half for an emphatic win that put...

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NFL-Bold move pays off with record-breaking Kaepernick

Jan 12 (Reuters) - San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh went against the book when he stayed with second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick as starting quarterback even after regular Alex Smith was fit to return.Kaepernick made the move look like a stroke of genius as he wrote a brilliant opening chapter to his playoff career with a record-breaking performance in a 45-31 victory over the visiting...

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Bold move pays off with record-breaking Kaepernick

(Reuters) - San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh went against the book when he stayed with second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick as starting quarterback even after regular Alex Smith was fit to return.Kaepernick made the move look like a stroke of genius as he wrote a brilliant opening chapter to his playoff career with a record-breaking performance in a 45-31 victory over the visiting Green...

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Seahawks coach hails team's spirit after crushing loss

(Reuters) - Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll hailed his team's never-say-die attitude after they fell just short of an extraordinary playoff comeback against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.The Seahawks erased a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to grab the lead with 31 seconds left but that proved just enough time for Atlanta to win it with a 49-yard kick from Matt Bryant."I can't imagine that anyone...

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