Demand for Illinois bonds has been brisk and state officials tout historically low borrowing rates. But that doesn’t mean investors think Illinois is without risk.

Italy saw borrowing costs tick up as it auctioned 5.25 billion euros in debt Monday. Still, Italian yields were well below those of Spain, which also raised money by selling bonds.

Chicago can now use Illinois residents’ state tax refunds to pay debts owed to the city. There are a variety of payment programs residents can enroll in to reduce the amount owed or spread payments over a longer time period.

The German economy shows signs of recovery – auto sales are up, exports are on the rise, share prices are increasing – but fears and doubts driven by the debt crisis continue to dominate the European commentary.

The United Kingdom posted a January budget surplus, but the country still faces difficult economic issues from the euro zone’s debt crisis.

Shares of the natural gas processor Western Gas Partners LP hit a fresh 52-week high Wednesday, supported by a positive growth outlook stemming from the Monday acquisition of new processing facilities in Colorado and in anticipation of solid second-quarter earnings.

For those in desperate need of cash, payday lending is easy—lenders can be found almost anywhere and cash is given to you on the spot. But these loans can be hazardous to your financial health.

A day after 10-year U.S. Treasury yields hit a 14-month low, bond guru and managing director of Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, Bill Gross, issued a gloomy monthly outlook on market conditions.

Citigroup may seem like an attractive buy but check its balance sheet again (photo Alexandra Harris/MEDILL)

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Should Blockbuster  (BBI) start preparing life rafts for when the ship finally sinks? In the latest bad break for the video rental giant, late last week Standard & Poor’s Corp. downgraded its credit rating on the company to CC from CCC. CC pretty much means that the firm is “highly vulnerable to default.”