AP - Stocks started off October on a positive note following mostly good news on the economy. Shares of big manufacturing companies rose Friday after the Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index showed that factory activity was still expanding in September, although not quite as fast as analysts had hoped and slightly slower than the month before.

AP - The Federal Reserve is likely to take additional action to rejuvenate the economy and lower unemployment, an influential member of the central bank's policymaking group said Friday.

AP - WEAKER PACE: Manufacturing activity expanded in September for the 14th straight month, although at the slowest pace since November.

Reuters - Lower-income American families rate government policies more favorably than those of higher-income brackets, according to a survey released on Friday showed.

U.S. News & World Report - I'm a huge proponent of saving for retirement early and often. But there are times in our lives when it might not make sense to save money for retirement, if only for a short time. As a caveat, I would never advise someone to pass up an employer's 401(k) matching contribution. Try your best to take advantage of a 401(k) match, regardless of the situation you are in. Here are five situations when it may not make sense to save for retirement.

AP - President Barack Obama's $800 billion-plus economic stimulus law may not be earning good grades with the public, but the White House claims it's on track to produce the promised 3.5 million jobs.