Business news for Mon, 31 Dec 2007 & with word personal. 14 news.

As 2007 draws to a close, we bid adieu to a volatile year in the stock market, although one that is going to end with an overall gain. The average diversified stock fund this year will post about a 7% return, nothing to write home about given the market's historical rise of more than 10% per year, but nothing to sneeze at either given we had a virtual meltdown in some sectors of the financial world in the middle of the year.

Whether you owe money on your credit cards, have a mega-mortgage or a personal loan, you can reduce your debts with some skilful juggling. We show you how

That's four times the amount of personal data compromised in 2006.

Surveillance is "endemic" in more nations than ever, a report by campaigners for personal privacy claims.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Strategists at Citigroup expect double-digit returns in 2008, according to a note published Monday. "European equities should be supported by lower rates, macro resilience, earnings growth, reasonable valuations and liquidity," the strategists said. They are sellers of sectors exposed to financial or consumer leverage, but buyers of food and beverage, industrial goods and services, personal and household goods, telecoms and technology.

Foreclosures reshaped the U.S. economic landscape in 2007. A year ago, losing a house to bank repossession still seemed like a rare event, confined to people enduring unfortunate personal circumstances - job loss, divorce, illness, death of a wage earner. But...

The loss or theft of personal data such as credit card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels in 2007, and the trend isn't expected to turn around anytime soon as hackers stay a step ahead of security and laptops disappear with sensitive...

BOSTON -- The loss or theft of personal data such as credit card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels in 2007, and the trend isn't expected to turn around anytime soon as hackers stay a step ahead of security and laptops disappear with sensitive information.

The loss or theft of personal data such as credit card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels in 2007, and the trend is not expected to turn around any time soon as hackers stay a step ahead of security and as laptops disappear with sensitive information.

The loss or theft of personal data such as credit-card and Social Security numbers soared to unprecedented levels in 2007, and the trend...

Devices like the TV remote or personal navigator are doing more and threatening to eat into sales of other kinds of electronics.

The New Year heralds a fresh beginning when we can start over and put yesterday's wrongs right. And the extraordinary past 12 months in personal finance have certainly given many of us good reason to review our actions, writes Paul Farrow.