Business & Technology, business and economy, science and technology, consumer issues, personal finance, business

Homeowners struggling to sell their homes in a short sale are getting some relief, thanks to the federal government's Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives, or HAFA, program.

Specifications for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS 6.3 AMG two-door sports coupe.

Engine: 6.3-liter V8, 563 horsepower.

Transmission: Seven-speed twin-clutch automated manual.

Overall length: 15 feet 3 inches.

EPA trunk volume: 6 cubic feet.

Weight: 3,573 pounds.

EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 13/20 miles per gallon (Combined 17.8 mpg).

One of the more overused words in the automotive world is "icon." Although the word itself simply means an image or a representation, the car people take it in a religious sense: as something sacred, like a statue of a saint.

Sometimes an automobile is called "iconic," which is more like an unintended insult because it means something that has a conventional, formulaic style.

2011 LINCOLN MKX

TYPE: Front or all-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger, mid-size, luxury crossover utility vehicle.

PRICE: TBA (estimated base price $40,000).

WHERE BUILT: Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

KEY RIVALS: Lexus RX, Acura MDX, Infiniti EX, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz M-Class.

Have you ever known someone who got a facelift and you could hardly tell the difference?

This is not the case with the new Lincoln MKX.

Robin Ryan is one of our best-known career counselors and authors, and recently posted her "top 5 reasons job hunters fail." Ryan says, and I fully agree, "employers are being extraordinarily picky about whom they offer a job to. Recent U.S. Labor Department reports show that the number of people looking longer than 27 weeks has continued to grow each month during the last year.

One of the most contentious issues in Congress, after health care, is the proposed creation of an independent consumer protection agency for financial products such as bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages and some student and auto loans.

If you're comfortable with online banking, you know that most banks offer a variety of information and gizmos on their Web sites.

It's not the distinction she was going for, but Meryl Streep was forced to accept it.

A cover letter, whether it's in the form of an e-mail introduction or a formal cover page, should not simply rehash your resume. It should bring up new and pertinent information. A good tactic is to highlight one or two aspects of your professional background most relevant to a prospective employer's needs and expand upon those points in your letter.