NEW YORK – Stocks gained Monday, recovering from early losses, as Hurricane Katrina weakened after making landfall and crude prices retreated from a record high above $70, luring investors into the market. News of corporate acquisitions and rising home-imporvement stocks also helped. The Dow Jones industrial average (search) was up …

If you’ve ever taken Prozac, pilot lessons or a scuba vacation, you’ll pay more for life insurance — even if you’re in perfect health. DANIEL FUNK, a 40-year-old small-business owner from Santa Monica, Calif., is in the prime of his life. He exercises regularly, eats right and doesn’t smoke. Yet …

LONDON – Princess Diana’s (search) most loyal fans gathered outside her former home Wednesday to remember the eighth anniversary of her death and to revile the woman who succeeded her as the wife of Prince Charles (search). Britain’s royal family planned no special observances. Her sons, Prince William (search) and …

I want to begin investing in mutual funds, but I’m worried about the tax consequences of capital-gains distributions. Should I invest now — or wait? QUESTION: I want to begin investing in mutual funds, but I’m worried that I’m too close to the December tax-distribution season. Is it better to …

What mutual funds pay the best dividends? QUESTION: What mutual funds pay the best dividends? ANSWER: If you’re looking for a diversified fund that’s full of dividend-paying stocks, you’ve got lots to choose from. Generally speaking, funds loaded with mature companies that pay out healthy dividends typically have the word …

IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN you have probably already heard of pre-paid college tuition plans. In 1996 Congress passed a law allowing assets in state-run college savings accounts to grow tax-free until a child reaches college. And there are further proposals that would make distributions to students tax-free as well. Nineteen …

KIEV, Ukraine – Ukraine has begun pulling the last of its troops out of Iraq, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Ukraine contributed 1,650 troops to the U.S.-led force in Iraq, of which 876 are still in the country serving under Polish command in southern and central Iraq. All are due …

CLEVELAND – A couple admitted to stealing millions of dollars from an armored car company to escape financial hardships and find a better life, according to documents read in federal court Monday. FBI special agent Guy Hunneyman read the statements, made by Roger Dillon and Nicole Boyd, during a bond …

GALVESTON, Texas – A couple bird-watching in Galveston discovered the body of a baby boy Tuesday morning, at first mistaking it for a doll, MyFOXHouston.com reported. The infant was described as a 3- to 6-month-old male with blondish hair, wearing only a diaper, Galveston police said. A woman who reported …

JERUSALEM – Ahead of U.S. President George W. Bush’s arrival in the region later Wednesday, Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to begin tackling the core issues of a final peace agreement in a last-minute push to breathe life into stalled negotiations. The renewed peace talks, formally launched at a U.S.-hosted …