MSNBC: Business

Stocks opened higher on Wednesday as markets await Congressional testimony from Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke on the economy and monetary policy at 10:00 a.m. for any hints as to when the central bank may consider reducing quantitative easing.The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened higher, led by Pfizer after it said it will spin off its majority stake in animal health business Zoetis to...    

    

Thinking of getting married? Get out your wallet.The average cost of a wedding is as high as $28,400 by one estimate, and close to $26,000 by another. After plummeting in the wake of the financial crisis, spending on nuptials resumed its rise in 2010, and is once again approaching the record set before the financial crisis."In today's environment, the bride and groom are paying more of the cost. W...    

    

    

U.S. home resales rose in April to the highest level in nearly 3-1/2 years as surging prices lured sellers back into market, which should support the housing sector and the overall economic recovery.The National Association of Realtors said on Wednesday existing home sales advanced 0.6 percent to an annual rate of 4.97 million units, the highest level since November 2009.The March sales pace was r...    

    

The Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus is helping the U.S. economy recover, and the central bank needs to see further signs of traction before taking its foot off the gas, central bank chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday. In testimony that offered no sign that he is ready to retreat from the Fed's latest round of bond buying, Bernanke emphasized the high costs of unemployment and inflation th...    

    

    

The new retirement age is getting younger for many Americans who can least afford to retire.A new study released Tuesday by Prudential finds African-Americans retire earlier than the general population on average, despite significantly lower retirement savings. About 25 percent of African-Americans surveyed expect to retire before age 60, compared to 20 percent of the general population. Among cur...    

Although all the news about Chinese investment in the U.S. has focused on the deals that don't get done, Chinese investment in the U.S. is at an all-time high.The Chinese are making headlines around the word for hungrily acquiring energy and resource companies in countries such as Canada, Africa and Latin America. In the United States, the single largest Chinese investment to date is far more...