Filed under: Investing , JC Penney , Sears Holdings , Wal-Mart Stores , Target Corp , Costco , Retail On Tuesday, Sears Holdings ( SHLD ) shocked the world with news that it would close as many as 120 of its iconic Sears and Kmart stores. The reason: As the rest of the retail industry enjoyed a modestly successful holiday sales season, Sears, well, fell on its face. According to the National Retail Federation, sales for American retailers are expected to increase 3.8% this holiday season

Filed under: Technology , Ford Motor Co , Microsoft , Nokia , Apple , Stock Picks , Amazon.com , Toyota , Yahoo , Stocks in the News If you think 2011 was a wild year for technology, just wait until you see what 2012 has in store for you. Thankfully, you know that the best way to beat the market is to stay a step ahead of it.

Filed under: Energy , Economy Americans have grown used to oil at $100 a barrel and paying more than $3 per gallon for gas at the pump. But don’t get too comfy — the price of filling up is probably going up in 2012. Uncertainty in the Middle East, growing global demand, and a lack of easy oil will be the drivers behind the price spike, and as we’ve seen recently, any change in the status quo will send the black gold higher.

Filed under: Consumer Ally , Food When consumers think of the Butterball brand, they think turkey. But on Thursday, unappetizing images of poultry in peril emerged that might cause many Butterball buyers to ponder what really went on before their holiday turkey dinners reached their plates.

Filed under: Technology , Media , Google , eBay The next time you find yourself “wasting” hours going through clips on Google’s ( GOOG ) YouTube — or criticizing someone for doing just that — start thinking about the ways that you could make money through online videos. Obviously, there’s not a lot of cash to be made consuming the eye candy: There aren’t too many job openings for couch potatoes who want to moonlight as viral video critics. However, there’s definitely some profit to be had for the enterprising souls who actually make the..