N. Elizabeth Fried, a human resources consultant in Dublin, Ohio, has found that a growing number of companies are paying bonuses to employees who agree to carry beepers and respond to off-hours emergencies. Worker shortages are forcing 24-hour operations like hospitals to offer beeper pay to specially trained therapists, for example. CFA and agencies say the cuts will limit debt education and the availability of counselors, but banks say the cuts will force agencies to become more efficient. Usually, consumers working with a credit counselor benefit from reduced or waived finance charges. CFA urges consumers with a history of debt trouble to pay attention to a bank's willingness to whittle down interest rates when they choose a credit card.
Some banks charge no interest.
For the 25 million to 50 million people a year who come down with the flu, finally there's help. The Food and Drug Administration just approved a new medicine called Relenza, the first treatment for influenza sufferers. The inhaler should be available for the coming flu season. Sony's new digital photo system, installed in dozens of Moto Photo stores, lets folks preview up to 30 images before choosing. The power of prayer A Duke University study of some 4,000 elderly people found those who attend weekly religious services are 28 percent less likely to die in a seven-year period.