Labor Day weekend is officially upon us. While some may see this as a time for BBQs and relaxation, others know the weekend is the best time to barter and bargain until you are blue in the face. Yes, Labor Day weekend is the best time to shop for cars. If you were keeping an eye on the automotive industry this week you would have seen the discounts getting better and better. But why is that?

No banks failed for the second consecutive week, sending the financial industry into Labor Day weekend on a positive note.

The week was a busy one, filled with bad and good news alike in the banking industry. Consumers got some unwelcome news on to start the holiday weekend when the government issued its jobs report, but Citibank customers received a reprieve from checking account fees, which might help even things out. Even banks had an up-and-down week: JPMorgan Chase announced its plans to shutter its valuable proprietary trading desk while the FDIC added to its "Troubled Bank List."

The economic recovery took a hit Friday when the government announced unemployment rose in August one-tenth of a percentage point to 9.6%. The private sector of the economy improved a bit, but sizable hits to the public sector reduced the number of total jobs by 54,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So you've spent the summer spending and you can see those holiday expenses coming not too far around the corner. What should you do?

Between the kids' summer camps and your busy work schedule, August might have flown by without allowing you to take a few days off to travel. Don't despair — airline and travel deals are available during every month of the year.

One of the biggest banks in the world is making an aggressive move into the biggest nation in the world. Citigroup announced this week its plans to create 12,000 jobs in China as part of a plan to expand further into Asia, a continent on which the bank already has a substantial footprint.

Professionally speaking, taxes are a burdensome charge many Americans are expected to pay on a daily basis. Unprofessionally speaking, taxes stink. Taxes have been enforced as a means to supply the government with money to cover various expenses. Given the nation's extreme debt and poor economy, many states have needed to get creative with how they tax Americans.

At the time this article was written, the Student Loan Debt Clock read $848,436,401,755. A shocking number in and of itself, but the rate at which that figure increases is equally unsettling.

Everything's bigger in Texas, including personal spending. Two of the top five U.S. cities for spending were in the Lonestar State, according to the Bundle Report 2010. Austin, Texas, topped the list, followed by Scottsdale, Ariz., and San Jose, Calif. Plano, Texas, came in at fifth.