Four of Hawaii's prominent real estate companies, Dolman Associates, Conley Dew Ltd., Bradley Properties Ltd., and Coldwell Banker--McCormack Real Estate, have merged to form Coldwell Banker--Pacific Properties.

If you're getting close to retirement, now is not the time to start shifting your investments to short-term certificates of deposit or money market accounts.

Reports from around the country

The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, and the National Realty Committee have joined in urging the government to ease proposed regulations that would prevent banks from purchasing commercial mortgage-backed securities that have a single borrower who owns 5 percent or more of the total issue.