For many years, banks relied on overdraft fees and sudden interest rate hikes to pump up profits. But recent financial sector reforms have largely outlawed these practices. And while consumers are no doubt jumping for joy, the banks are not quietly accepting the loss of billions of dollars in annual profit. Instead, they have already rolled out a series of new (and perfectly legal) fees, ranging from maintenance fees on previously free checking accounts to innovative charges on debit cards.

Here's an in-depth look at credit reporting agencies and what the reports (and your score) entail.

Aydin Senkut ranks as a "superangel" today, part of a Silicon Valley trend emerging from the Darwinian shakeout of the shrinking venture industry. In a sense, Senkut has turned pro.

In what has been called “the most sweeping changes to the credit card industry in 40 years” by USA Today, President Obama has passed a new banking bill that curtails what banks can charge consumers. Obama hopes that this bill will help to level the playing field in debt by forcing banks to give up unfair practices that keep consumers in debt for much of their lives. “Just as we demand credit card users to act responsibly, we demand that credit card companies act responsibly too,” said Obama at the signing of the bill, making clear his pro-consumer stance on debt. So, how will the new bill affect consumers like you?

Second only to Christmas, back to school is the most important indicator of the annual retail climate, revealing whether or not the industry has some solid footing. The following graphic is a comprehensive look at the back to school economy for 2010 which shows slow but steady growth since last year’s dismal numbers.

The subject of much speculation, General Motors’ pending initial public offering might not come until mid-November, according to a new report.

If you are looking for an FHA mortgage loans, this article will provide details about government mortgage programs. This program allows first time home buyers and current homeowners refinancing to more often qualify for the homes they want to buy.

Building a business on internet has need of a good plan, with a lot of things to include.

If you own a big tech firm, you aren't Microsoft, and you weren't named in the patent lawsuit filed this week by Paul Allen's Interval Licensing, well... you're probably looking deep into your soul today and asking where it all went wrong. If you aren't a defendant - which includes AOL, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google and Yahoo! - why not? After all, the technology in dispute is, according to Interval, "fundamental to the ways that leading e-commerce and search companies operate today." Dammit, you say to yourself. Maybe you aren't one of those leading e-commerce and search companies. Sponsor Wait: most of your work is with open-source software. Like Java! Maybe that's why you aren't being sued by anyone. Aw, dammit. Ah, well. Maybe it's for the best. Not everyone can be on the A-list or in land of corporate jets, gargantuan mergers and stratospheric lawsuits. Hell, if it weren't for those of us on the B-list (or, in my case, somewhere way down in the YYs), there wouldn't be an A-list. So chin up. With a little more work, a few game-changing innovations and - yes - some luck, someday you, too, could be on the receiving end of a lawsuit big enough to alter global currency markets. Good luck with that! More Noise to Signal. Discuss

U.S. stocks fell for a third week, sending the Standard & Poors 500 Index to its longest losing streak since February, as a record plunge in home sales raised concern the economy may relapse into a recession.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Facebook in a Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging that the company commercially misappropriated the names and likenesses of minors without parental consent. The plaintiffs are seeking financial restitution for revenues and profits the company and third-parties earned from the alleged charges.In the suit, David Cohen v. Facebook (case #BC444482), the plaintiffs argue that there have been more than one million instances where Facebook has misappropriated a minors name or likeness for profit.At the core of the class action lawsuit is Facebooks Like button, and the Facebook ads that include photos and text descriptions of Facebook users who Like the company or the ad. The plaintiffs believe that Facebook is obligated to get parental consent before using minors Likes for commercial gain.When a teenager sees that their Facebook friends Like an ad, it piques their curiosity, making them more likely to click the ad or visit the page, says Los Angeles plaintiff attorney John Torjesen of John C. Torjesen & Associates. We believe it is a clear case of exploitation of children for the sake of profits.The text of the suit further details, Facebook encourages the participation of children on its social networking website, stressing the authenticity of the experience of communicating with friends. It then markets the names and likenesses of those children for us by advertisers, representing to advertisers that the use of the name and/or likeness of the child as an endorsement of the advertisers product can increase marketing returns by 400% compared to advertising that does not include an endorsement from the name or likeness of a child.The lawsuit was filed on behalf of all Facebook members affected by the companys alleged wrong doing minors whose names and likenesses were used in a Facebook advertisement or landing page.Facebook denies any wrongdoing. We believe this suit is completely without merit and we will fight it vigorously, said Andrew Noyes, Facebooks manager of public policy communications, in a statement provided to Mashable.In 2009, Facebook settled a class action lawsuit for $9.5 million over its now-defunct Beacon program.[img credit: Thomas Roche]Reviews: Facebook, MashableMore About: class action lawsuit, facebook, Facebook Like, lawsuit, legalFor more Business coverage:Follow Mashable Business on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Business channelDownload our free apps for iPhone and iPad

First came a harsh new immigration law and calls of white racism; then we turned up the heat with an “n-word” flap and the ground zero mosque hysteria. Kirsten Powers on a season of grievance jihads.

An apology is due to Barack Obama: his takeover of GM could have gone horribly wrong, but it has not. The lesson for American voters is that their president, for all his flaws, has no desire to own the commanding heights of industry. A gambler, yes. An interventionist, yes. A socialist, no.

Alan Simpson believes that Social Security is "like a milk cow with 310 million *****," according to an email he sent to the executive director of National Older Women's League Tuesday morning. Simpson co-chairs the deficit commission, which is considering various proposals to cut Social Security benefits.

Facebook is now worth as much as $33.7 billion, after investors have paid up to $76 for a share in the company ahead of its much-hyped flotation on the stock market, according to a report.

The sentiments driving the opposition to Park51 are toxic and growing.

When customers see that a company is devoting resources, effort and attention to enhancing relationships, they are more likely to become advocates for that company's products or services, new business research finds.