U.S. gross domestic product grew by 3.3% in the second quarter, although economists say the $90 billion in economic stimulus package contributed to the rise.

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With the stock market regularly posting triple-digit swings and commodity prices jumping up and down, it's easy to understand why some investors are stressed out.

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As the cost of gasoline soared over the past year, many small businesses took steps to mitigate the damage to their cash flow and profits. Now, even though gas has fallen from the record levels it hit in mid-July, companies are making those money-saving strategies permanent.

Q: With so much talk about Internet security problems and credit card fraud, how do I protect myself while shopping online? A: One of the biggest risks in shopping online is clicking on a link to what appears to be a legitimate site but is, in fact, a forgery run by criminals interested in your credit card number and other personal information. An estimated $3.2 billion was lost to such "phishing" sites in the United States last year, according to a survey by Gartner Inc.

Economists and the media keep talking about the fragile state of the consumer, but it might be time to look at how businesses are spending, too. Construction of new plants, stores and more is growing at a brisk pace, factory orders are at six-month highs and corporate purchases of things like computers and software is slowing but not by much.

Even one collapsing bank is one too many. The takeover by federal regulators of IndyMac Bank -- the fifth to fail this year -- was unsettling for savers and investors. And the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has close to 100 other banks on its watch list.