Look for fresh signs of improvement for American manufacturers. Nowhere is the comeback more evident than in exports by the auto industry. American and foreign auto firms with U.S. factories are adding jobs and production. Cuts in labor costs, a favorable exchange rate, and a boost in productivity are all making U.S. industry more competitive versus foreign imports. New factory orders may show an increase when the government releases its monthly report today. The Institute for Supply Management – the people who do the buying for businesses – says manufacturing grew modestly after a rise for new orders and stronger production.

Honda is boosting production at American plants, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Japanese car maker “says it expects to export more vehicles from North America – with nearly all of them coming from its U.S. factories – than it brings in from Japan by the end of 2014.”

U.S. auto firms are releasing vehicle sales for June. May was an especially strong month, with GM, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and Nissan all reporting sales gains. Last year was the first time that more than 1 million cars and light trucks were exported from U.S. plants – the highest on record.

AT&T has a new patent for a system that could allow users to send e-mail that will self-destruct. Writing in Forbes, Matt Hickey calls it “email-on-a-yo-yo string”. This new type of e-mail could be used by organizations that want to control information to keep it from getting into the wrong hands. AT&T’s patent describes a scheme “that would allow the sender of an email to control that message’s behavior after it has been sent, such as to whom it can and can’t be forwarded and can even the message’s lifespan,” says Forbes. Messages could be remotely “self destructed” if needed.

A shakeup for Zynga. The former star of social gaming has brought in Don Mattrick, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox business, to lead the company. The maker of “FarmVille” has been struggling as its online games wane in popularity. Zynga recently announced that it was cutting 520 jobs – about 18 percent of its workforce. Mattrick’s move to be CEO at Zynga is a blow to Microsoft, which is preparing for the launch of its first game console in 8 years.

Stock market futures are up this morning after a gain for Wall Street yesterday. 2 out of 3 stocks rose yesterday on the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones Index gained 65 points.

Richard Davies Business Correspondent ABC News Radio abcnews.com Twitter: daviesabc

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Car insurance companies are aggressive in boosting about their discounted rates, but which ones offer the most?

Bankrate.com put together a list of 17 discounts that car companies offer, such as a discount for having an anti-theft device for your car or being a member of the U.S. military. Of the 10 companies studied, Farmers offered the highest number of discounts at 16.

“The cost of car ownership isn’t getting any cheaper these days, and gas prices are stuck above $3 a gallon,” said Bankrate’s insurance analyst Doug Whiteman. ” It’s important to get whatever discount you can.”

Bankrate found that 10 major car insurance carriers provided a discount for having multiple policies with that carrier. Eight of the 10 major insurers charge less for paperless billing.

Not all the discounts are clearly advertised, some of which can be found in question-and-answer sections or blog posts, said Whiteman. Some discounts are particular to certain states or by location. For example, some carriers offer discounts to young drivers attending school at least 100 miles from home, which is known as a distant student discount.

“The idea is  if your kid is away from school, he or she is much less likely to be driving the family car, so you can get a break on your insurance,” Whiteman said.

And there are even more discounts that Bankrate did not track, Whiteman said. Some carriers might have discounts for new parents, or those who own a home.

“It’s a really good idea on a regular basis to review your car insurance policy, maybe at renewal time,” Whiteman said. “Some companies better at advertising discounts than others. In some case you have to talk to someone on the phone.”

Here’s Bankrate.com’s cheat sheet for car insurance discounts you may be missing:

(Image credit: Bankrate)

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The Walt Disney Co. announced on Monday that it extended Bob Iger’s tenure as chief executive and chairman through the expiration of his contract June 30, 2016.

Iger, 62, was named CEO on Sept. 30, 2005, overseeing the company during its acquisition of Pixar in 2006, Marvel in 2009 and Lucasfilm, announced last October. The contract extends his tenure 15 months beyond his previously announced retirement date as CEO in 2015. Under that 2011 contract, he was to have remained executive chairman until mid-2016.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent of ABC News.

“For nearly eight years as chief executive officer, Bob Iger has proven he has the unique ability to drive creative and financial success at the world’s preeminent entertainment company,” said Orin C. Smith, independent lead director of the Disney Board, in a statement.

Smith noted that since Iger became CEO, the company’s market capitalization has risen to $113.7 billion from $48.4 billion.

“Mr. Iger’s ability to consistently deliver against a strategy of producing high-quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion has repeatedly resulted in record revenue, net income, and earnings per share for the company,” Smith said.

Meet Zynga’s New CEO: The Former Xbox Boss

Apple has applied for the patent “iWatch” in Japan, as speculation grows about new kinds of hot tech products. In recent weeks there have been growing indications that Apple, Samsung and Sony are all working on wearable devices. Last week Sony announced the latest version of its SmartWatch, a water-resistant device with NFC, says PCWorld. Samsung said recently that it is working on a smart watch. The New York Times reported in February that Apple was experimenting with the design of a device similar to a wristwatch that would operate on the same iOS platform as its iPhone and iPad and would be made with curved glass.

Both Samsung and Apple are seeking to wow consumers who are looking for more than a larger screen or faster download speeds on their smartphones. A shocker for Samsung, as sales for its Galaxy S4 smartphone failed to live up to investor expectations. Bloomberg News says 15 analysts cut second-quarter net income estimates for Samsung in June. Samsung’s share price  dropped more than 12 percent last month.

It was a great first half of 2013, but a difficult month for the stock market. Both the Dow Jones Index and S&P 500 are up more than 13 percent since the beginning of the year. Stock market futures rose this morning. June was a turbulent month for the bond market, with the worst monthly losses in years. The sudden rise in interest rates was the reason for losses in most bond funds.

China has gone from being a driver to a drag on global economic growth. Two surveys show China’s manufacturing weakened again in June amid a credit crunch and slower orders from overseas businesses. HSBC says its monthly purchasing managers’ index declined to 48.2. Numbers below 50 show a contraction. A separate measure by an industry group, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, showed activity declined to 50.1. Manufacturers were hurt by falling orders and a shortage of credit in June as Chinese regulators are trying to cool a lending boom they worry could race out of control.

Another record high for unemployment in the eurozone. A report today puts the official rate up to 12.1 percent. The jobless rate is far higher in most of southern Europe.

A blockbuster merger in the publishing industry. Random House and Penguin group have completed an agreement that creates the world’s largest publisher of consumer books. Parent companies Bertelsmann and Pearson say they’ve signed the final contracts to combine the global activities of the two publishers and create Penguin Random House.

Richard Davies Business Correspondent ABC News Radio abcnews.com Twitter: daviesabc

(Image credit: GoBank)

The first bank that was designed for mobile use launched to the public this week, allowing users to pay what they want in fees.

GoBank, launched by publicly traded Green Dot Corp., has no overdraft or penalty fees. The company says that it “works for tips,” allowing users to pay up to $9 a month as a membership fee. But members can use the same account features even if they don’t pay a fee.

Customers get a free debit card, or they can create a custom debit card with a photo of their choice for $9. The company gets most of its money through debit card swipe fees from merchants. There’s a bill-pay feature and the accounts are FDIC-insured.

NerdWallet’s senior analyst John Gower had positive reviews, saying, “GoBank’s concept and ease-of-use resonates well with younger, tech-savvy consumers but isn’t beyond the grasp of newer mobile users either.  The app, website, and various features are quite easy to navigate and understand, which is something many banks still struggle with.”

Gower said offering customers the chance to pay what they feel is fair “is a unique and refreshing strategy among banks.”

Starting next week, the company will offer free custom debit cards as part of a promotion with store partners, like Rite Aid and Barnes & Noble College bookstores.

Members can use fee-free ATMs from more than 42,000 locations around the country and add cash at over 3,900 ATMs.

The number of ATM locations is a very competitive option for people who don’t want to deposit checks to their GoBank account by snapping a photo on their smart phones, or enroll in GoBank’s direct deposit. (Bank of America, for example, has 5,400 retail banking offices and approximately 16,300 ATMs. Chase says it has 19,500 ATMs and 5,500 branches.)

GoBank is available in the iTunes App store. Android phone users can download the app for free via Google Play and MetroPCS will distribute the mobile application across its compatible Android device portfolio.

One of the coolest features of GoBank is that users can view their balance on the login screen, which the company says is the primary reason why a person logs into their bank account.

GoBank also allows users to send money with no charge through text or email. If you want to send money to someone not using GoBank, they can move the money with PayPal.

GoBank says its product offers a “high tech/low price proposition.”

“I think we’re going to see more innovation with regard to financial products and services, both mobile and online, and whatever the next big thing is,” said Michael Schreiber, editor-in-chief of Credit.com. “As issuers innovate in this space, data security will be of  paramount importance.”

(Image credit: Joshua Schwimmer | Jason Fulford)

An extreme scavenger hunt charity event hosted by a Goldman Sachs partner, which last time led participants to control the light show atop the Bank of America skyscraper, is accepting applications for its next competition in the fall.

For the last “Midnight Madness” event, contestants didn’t know the start line until the day of the event, which lasted 15 hours, included laser mini-golf in an abandoned building in New York City and cost the investment bank’s philanthropic fund, Goldman Sachs’ Gives, about $270,000 to support the event.

It raised $1.4 million for Good Shepherd Services, which serves vulnerable youth and families in New York City. About 180 Goldman Sachs employees in 20 teams participated in the one-night event.

Without an entry fee, all of the money raised was given to Good Shepherd Services, for which Goldman Sachs partner Elisha Wiesel is a board member.

For the next event on Oct. 5, Wiesel said the technology constraints will likely cap the number of teams to 25. Already 19 or 20 of those spots are spoken for, but he hopes only about 15 teams will be from Goldman Sachs, with the other teams from other financial market participants.

“My goal is for this not to be a Goldman event going forward,” Wiesel said. In fact, Wiesel said he hopes someone else will eventually take the reins in leading the event so he can play.

“I don’t think it’s good for the charity or architects behind Midnight Madness to depend on one firm,” he explained.

Teams that compete should be prepared to make a minimum sponsorship contribution of $50,000 to Good Shepherd Services, but Wiesel is asking returning teams who are excited about the charity to donate more.

He hopes the donations range around $50,000 to $100,000 per team, but he said, “Our goal is not to be disciplinarians or enforcers.”

Interested teams should contact Good Shepherd Services’ director of external relations Nicole Boisvert, she said.

In planning this event, Wiesel wanted to resurrect a scavenger hunt that was started by some Columbia University students in 1996, as first reported by Quartz. The inspiration for the original event was the film, “Midnight Madness,” which is a Disney comedy film about college students competing in a puzzle race.

Wiesel recruited Mat Laibowitz, who founded Midnight Madness as an engineering major at Columbia, and Dan Michaelson, a university classmate.

Wiesel said the event could not have also taken place without professional event planning, which was led by Lindsi Shine, CEO of Insider NYC.

When asked how the event coordinators got the competitors to control the lights atop One Bryant Park with an iPhone app, Wiesel said one aspect was social networking: “getting to the right person who ultimately had access to that light show.”

The second element was technology. Fortunately, there was an existing API to do that over the iPhone.

“We knowingly take some artistic and technological risk in doing the event,” Wiesel said. “It didn’t go exactly as planned, but we were able to give the players a fun gift in changing those colors at six in the morning.”

His ordeal finally over, a U.S. executive detained for a week by his company’s Chinese workers in a pay dispute has arrived home. Chip Starnes, 42, flew into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport in Florida early this morning.

He told reporters it was a big relief to be back with family and friends. “Big time really to see everybody here and go get a pizza,” he said.

Starnes described his experience at the factory as a “nightmare.” He said he felt like he was animal in the zoo. “I mean I was put in a situation where I was being shaken down,” he said. “Forced to pay severances to people who have jobs.”

The workers began blocking all exits from the plant in Huairou district on the outskirts of Beijing June 21 after seeing equipment being packed for shipment to India and thinking the entire factory was being shut down. They said the company owed them unpaid salary.

Starnes says he will go back to China and continue doing business there as the head of a medical supply company. Starnes is a co-owner of Florida-based Specialty Medical Supplies.

Former New Jersey senator and governor Jon Corzine plans to fight back against allegations by federal regulators that he was responsible for the misuse of customer money while CEO of MF Global. The boutique brokerage firm collapsed in 2011. Corzine is being sued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and faces a lifetime ban from the  industry.

“Mr. Corzine did nothing wrong, and we look forward to vindicating him in court,” his attorney said in a statement. A civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan seeks to restrict Corzine’s ability to trade investments and demands he pay unspecified penalties.

The suit charges that MF Global violated the law in the weeks before it collapsed by using customer funds to support its own trading operations. About $1.2 billion in customer money vanished when the firm collapsed.

The major stock indexes have been up for three straight days, and Wall Street futures rose again this morning. Good news on jobs and consumer spending Thursday bolstered the markets. The Dow closed up 114 points, or 0.8 percent, to 15,024. The S&P 500 index climbed nearly 10 points, or 0.6 percent.

Italian prosecutors allege that a Vatican official tried to bring $26 million in cash into Italy from Switzerland aboard an Italian government plane. Officials say Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, a recently suspended accountant, is already under investigation in an alleged money-laundering plot. Scarano was arrested today.

Richard Davies Business Correspondent ABC News Radio abcnews.com Twitter: daviesabc

Bonhams/Simon Clay

John Lennon’s 1965 Ferrari can be yours.

The blue Ferrari 330GT coupe with a matching interior will be auctioned off in July by the London-based auction house Bonhams.

The fully restored car is expected to be sold for $340,000.

See Photos of the Coolest and Most Expensive Cars

Lennon bought the car in 1965 right after he got his driver’s license. He personally handpicked it from a selection of Maseratis, Aston Martins, and Jaguars luxury car dealers sent him, according to  Bonhams’ website.

That same year the Beatles coincidentally debuted their single “Ticket to Ride” which reached No. 1 in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to Bonhams.

According to a driver’s log book, which comes with the car, Lennon drove 20,000 miles in the Ferrari between 1965 and 1968.

Businesses, local governments, and home buyers may all feel the pinch of higher interest rates. With the recent rise of long-term bond yields, some economists worry about the negative impact on the US economy. Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages have gone up almost a full percentage point since they reached record lows during the winter. Higher rates will also raise the cost of financing roads, bridges and other public projects. During the past few days, says The New York Times, “Georgia, Philadelphia, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York and others have delayed sales of new bonds, citing the precipitous plunge in prices that is driving up interest rates.”

This might sound strange. Bad news for the US economy may be good news for the stock market. The official first quarter estimate of US economic growth was cut yesterday from an annual rate of 2.4 percent to 1.8 percent. That raised hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep in place its bond-buying program, which has been a boon to stock and commodity markets. Stock futures rose this morning after a second strong day in a row for the Dow, S&P 500 and other averages.

Are you working as effectively as you should? A new survey of the US workplace says only one in four employees is in an optimal environment. According to the findings from Gensler, a global design and architecture firm, the rest are struggling to work effectively, resulting in lost productivity, innovation and worker engagement. The report suggests that in many cases open-plan offices are hampering workers’ ability to concentrate.

Satellite TV operator Dish Network is pulling out of its bid for Clearwire – the wireless network operator. Last week Sprint raised its offer to buy the part of Clearwire it doesn’t already own.

The European Union has struck a deal on who will pay for future bank bailouts after the EU’s 27 finance ministers held seven hours of negotiations. Their agreement is seen as an important step toward setting up a banking union with the goal of restoring financial and economic stability to the region.

The biggest city in the country is requiring business owners to give their workers paid sick time. New York’s city council overrode a veto by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to give about 1 million workers up to five paid sick days a year.

Richard Davies Business Correspondent ABC News Radio abcnews.com Twitter: daviesabc

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Feng shui, simplified, is the ancient Chinese art that aims to improve your life by rearranging your home. Feng shui means wind and water,  and for centuries Chinese practitioners have believed that how a building is oriented, what you have in it and where you place those things can change the balance and flow of energy through your house. Below five experts share their tips to a happy home.

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Pun-Yin is the daughter of feng shui grand master Tin Sun. She was equipped with 15 years of apprenticeship experience with the grand master before taking on clients independently. She recommends:

1. DO NOT have more than one pair of shoes near the entryway of your foyer.
2. DO allow sunlight and fresh air into the bedroom daily.
3. DO NOT have any electrical elements near your bedside, aside from a light. If it operates by an outlet, move it.
4. DO have stones that have a Zen feel in a small container on your nightstand to feel a sense of tranquility from nature.
5. DO NOT place headboard underneath a window or a beam
6. Avoid using the computer in your bedroom, especially on your bed since that will add fire energy and compromise your sleep quality.

Tisha Morris is the author of two feng shui books, “Feng Shui Your Life: The Quick Guide to Decluttering Your Home” andRenewing Your Life” and “27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home” and is a certified life coach and feng shui consultant. Her advice:

1. Is there a piece of furniture that you keep bumping into? If so, it is out of the flow. Energy should be able to meander through your home to avoid stagnation.
2. Take an objective look at the pictures on your wall. Make sure that when you look at each picture, it makes you feel good. Does it evoke good or bad memories, positive or negative meanings? This also applies to photographs around your home. Are they energy enhancers or drainers?
3. Clutter is stagnant energy and taking up valuable space for new energy. If your love life is stagnant, then clear out stuff from past relationships. If your career is stagnant, clear out your office. If it’s your body that’s cluttered, then clean out your cupboards, fridge and clothing closet.

Benjamin Huntington is the owner of Veritate Design firm in New York City that specializes in feng shui design. His advice:

1. Make sure that the front door opens easily, the knob is secure and check that nothing is stored behind stopping it being opened fully.
2. Place a welcoming picture, mirror or table with a bowl on it  on the right as you enter.
3. Place a small area carpet, any size, inside the front door to define an entrance space.
4. Try to arrange the seating so that most people can see the entry door from their seat.
5. Provide a single focal point for the seating group, for example, a picture, sculpture, fireplace.

Ken Lauher graduated from the three-year BTB Feng Shui Master’s Training program, and is a feng shui consultant, making appearances on TLC, NBC  and ABC. His advice:

In feng shui terms, the stove is extremely important in the influence on our public life, our career, recognition  and wealth. Keep your stove clean and well appointed. Make sure all the burners work.

1. Make sure you use your stove frequently, cooking at home whenever you can. This has several practical and feng shui benefits: You’ll save money on expensive restaurant meals or take out, you’ll eat healthier as a result of preparing your own, fresh cooked food, and you’ll energize this important area of your home for greater success in your career, fame  and reputation.
2. Make use of each burner on your stove as often as possible, rotating their use if you only cook one or two dishes at a time.
3. The burners of your stove represent money. Add mirrors behind and also to the side of the stove to symbolically double your wealth.

Anna Maria Kinberg, owner of Interiors By Anna Maria, LLC. and an International Tely Award winner, combines her  nowledge of feng shui and interior design to help her clients lives. Her advice:

1. For love: The relationship corner is in the southwest of the space, the element is wood and the colors are pink, red and white. Enhance this area of your space by adding two candles, love birds, pictures of a couple along with round framed mirrors that will bounce the good energy around the room.
2. For fame and recognition: The south corner of your space governs fame, this corner attracts opportunity for becoming well known and widely respected. The color red and the fire element sets the energy moving in this sector. Use the No. 9, which is associated with the south corner, if you have pictures of awards, famous people you know or want to have in your circle of influencem a grouping of nine will activate the chi in this sector. This is also a perfect place to put a fireplace when redesigning a room. Be careful not to use too much red, this could lead to restlessness and agitation.
3.  For money cures and wealth:  The wealth corner is in the southeast area of your space. Printers, fax, computers  and TVs, which use  energy,  will activate your money sector. Water symbolizes money, the colors are blue and black. Add water features, such as fountains and fish tanks. If this is not possible, use rounded framed mirrors, which also represent the water element.

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