Reuters - American International Group Inc plans to seek Hong Kong listing committee approval on September 21, to list its Asian life insurance unit, aiming to raise about $15 billion, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal said on Tuesday.

India Finance Minister: Economic Recovery Strong On Brisk Growth

Lithuania’s Finance Ministry reiterated its economic growth forecast of 1.6 percent for this year and 2.8 percent for 2011. The ministry said in an e-mailed statement today that GDP growth in the second half of this year would be between 4 percent and 5 percent. The Ministry sees inflation at 2.5 percent at the end of this year and averaging 1.8 percent next year.

Greece's Socialist government retained its finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle announced early Tuesday but changed other key officials involved in the effort to reform the country's troubled economy.

The latest finance news here and abroad with Lexi Metherell.

EU finance ministers to discuss new bank levy

Finance ministers from European Union (EU) member states were expected to agree on an overhaul of financial supervision across the 27-nation bloc as they arrived here for a two-day meeting Monday.

THE Ministry of Finance says it is co-ordinating the purchase of farming inputs for the 2010/2011 summer cropping season, with seed and fertiliser suppliers yesterday confirming their readiness to meet demand.

Pakistan Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Sheikh has made an impassioned appeal to the federal and provincial governments and military authorities to demonstrate highest level of fiscal responsibility in order to avert a ‘complete economic breakdown’.

European Union finance ministers are set to discuss the possibility of introducing a levy on banks and whether a tax on financial transactions can deal with another banking crisis, as they gather Tuesday in an atmosphere more benign than when they last met in July.

THE Finance Department hopes to file two cases a month against corrupt government officials to instill discipline in the Customs and Internal Revenue bureaus, an official said over the weekend.

AP - Private mortgage insurer Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp. said Friday it added $1.2 billion in new primary insurance coverage in August and the number of delinquent loans it insures declined.

The Motley Fool - Satellite-radio star Howard Stern is negotiating in public again.

AP - Coast Guard: no sign of oil leak after Gulf platform fire, but crews continue to monitor.

U.S. News & World Report - It may seem a bit strange to be talking about income taxes in September. There are, however, good reasons to think about taxes well before April 15. For starters, there are some big changes in the tax code that go into effect in 2011. Depending on your income tax bracket and investments, some simple planning now could save you a bundle later.

AP - RECORD LOWS: Mortgage rates fell to the lowest levels in decades for the tenth time in 11 weeks, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan was 4.32 percent. The 15-year fixed loan hit 3.83 percent.

U.S. News & World Report - More than four years after real estate values peaked, the historic plunge in home prices remains fresh in the minds of mortgage lenders. After taking painful losses on delinquent home loans, banks have imposed tougher standards--such as increased credit scores and higher down payment requirements--on applicants of all stripes. And as investors fled for the hills, the exotic mortgage products that helped fuel the real estate boom have largely disappeared from the private market. But that doesn't mean all buyers need a big pile of cash to snag a home loan. ...

U.S. News & World Report - The Latte Factor, a term coined (and trademarked) by personal finance guru David Bach, is one of the most talked about concepts in the world of personal finance. But it might be based on faulty math.

The Motley Fool - Shares of Salary.com (Nasdaq: SLRY - News) -- a small provider of human resources applications on the cloud -- soared 43% yesterday, after agreeing to be acquired by larger rival Kenexa (Nasdaq: KNXA - News).

Reuters - U.S. mortgage rates fell in the past week to the latest in a series of record lows as yields on government debt dropped, according to a survey released on Thursday by Freddie Mac, the second-largest U.S. mortgage finance company.

AP - A new Treasury Department program to give people without bank accounts faster access to their tax refunds will help some avoid costly short-term loans. But careless consumers could end up racking up fees and padding bank profits.

U.S. News & World Report - American consumers hate being told what to do, and to prove it, we routinely make choices that are irrational and counterproductive. We make impulse purchases we can't afford. We build bigger houses than we need, chaining ourselves to an onerous mortgage for years. We drive rugged, four-wheel-drive vehicles even though we never leave the pavement. We buy Snuggies.

U.S. News & World Report - If you're combining your life with a new spouse, moving from one house to another, or just frustrated with the amount of documentation you have filed (or unfiled) in your basement, it's a good time to simplify your finances. Simplification is not only practical, it is beautiful. This is the concept of kanso, a Japanese aesthetic usually applied to gardens. Through a stretch of the mind, we can apply this beauty to our lives and our finances.

AP - Mortgage applications rose 2.7 percent last week as more borrowers took advantage of the lowest rates in decades to reduce their monthly loan payments.

The Motley Fool - When Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A - News) was buying railroad company Burlington Northern last December, Warren Buffett told Matt Rose: "I've seen what's been done here [in the U.S.]. I think I know how the country is going to develop. I think the West is going to do well. I'd rather be in the West than the East. So I really don't have much of a worry about that."

The Motley Fool - In coming up with ways to protect their portfolios, many investors draw on lessons learned from their most recent mistakes. Unfortunately, most people right now are taking the lessons they learned from the 2008 bear market and buying bonds, which could easily prove to be far riskier than they thought.

U.S. News & World Report - Most people think retirement planning is about saving, investments, and the timing of retirement account withdrawals and Social Security benefits. Ensuring you have sufficient income is definitely one of the most important aspects of retirement planning. But so is controlling your expenses. One way you can do that is by downsizing your current lifestyle. Here is how controlling costs can help you prepare for retirement and still enjoy a nice standard of living.

The Motley Fool - "The American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes. There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts. Period."-- President Barack Obama, after passage of financial reform legislation