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Home improvement is one of the fastest-growing segments of e-commerce. But the consequences of a bad decision when it comes to finding a contractor or remodeling products online are far worse than buying the wrong paperback.

What if those rave reviews you read about a contractor are ringers posted by his daughter — or if your supposedly in-stock sink order doesn’t ship for two weeks, throwing off your entire work schedule?

Follow these tips to avoid glitches and get the most for your money.

To find a contractor: Sites that are driven by consumer ratings are your best bet. That’s because you get to see what as many as hundreds of prior customers say about all the pros in your area.

Just watch for sites with anonymous postings and ads that appear in search results that look like positive ratings. In the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles metro areas, or a few counties in New York, Connecticut, and Florida, check out Franklin-Report.com, which compiles user comments into Zagat-like ratings.

Beyond those regions, a good alternative is Angieslist.com, which charges $5 a month, and uses the credit card info to prevent anyone from creating more than one login in order to post multiple revews.

To vet a contractor: The next step is to talk to former clients and visit current and completed job sites. Sadly, there are no e-ternatives to doing this in person.

But there is one key step you can do online: a background check high quality business cards. Get a report about a contractor’s licensing, bonding, insurance, bankruptcy, civil judgments, criminal background, liens, and credit rating for $13 at contractorcheck.com, run by the credit bureau Experian.

To order supplies

Sites run by home-improvement chains (such as HomeDepot.com and Lowes.com), boutique manufacturers (BeadBoard.com, Horizon-Shutters.com), and specialty e-tailers (eFaucets.com, TileShop.com) offer bigger selections than local retailers do. But the main attraction is price: Discounts of 10% to 50% aren’t uncommon.

Just keep in mind that if something goes wrong, those savings could turn into cost overruns. As with any online purchase, you run the risk of shipping damage or late deliveries, which can derail a project with multiple tradesmen working around one another’s schedules.

So order online only if your contractor okays it and provides technical specs; you’re far enough ahead of the installation date to make other arrangements if there’s a problem; the site is an authorized dealer for the brands you’re buying; and if possible, you’ve seen the product firsthand.

Otherwise, buy locally. It’ll be easier to get matching items quickly if needed, and you’ll avoid having to deal with a faraway call center if a problem arises.  

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Despite a mixed performance on Friday, stocks booked the best monthly gain in a year, with the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 both rising nearly 7% in July.

Stocks were supported this month by strong quarterly financial results from major U.S. companies. About 75% of the roughly 300 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings so far have beat analysts’ estimates.

But the earnings optimism has been tempered by ongoing concerns about the economy, particularly worries that tepid job growth will eventually undermine corporate profits.

"Even though earnings and guidance have been better than expected, there’s still skepticism in the market because jobs have been missing in action," said Alec Young, an equity strategist at Standard & Poor’s.

Friday’s session was choppy, as investors weighed mixed reports on U.S. economic growth, consumer confidence and regional manufacturing activity.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) fell 1 point, or less than 0.1%. The S&P 500 (SPX) index fell less than 1 point and the Nasdaq (COMP) composite gained 3 points, or 0.1%.

The rally this month came after stocks had drifted lower since April as investors grappled with concerns about the debt crisis in Europe and signs the recovery in the U.S. economy will be sluggish.

Stocks slipped Thursday as cautious comments from a regional Federal Reserve president about the health of the economy spooked investors.

Looking ahead, Young said the market could push higher late next week if the government’s July employment report comes in better than expected on Friday. Economists believe the report will show employers cut 160,000 jobs in July after a loss of 125,000 the month before.

Economy: Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation’s economic activity, rose at a 2.4% annual rate in the second quarter, down from an upwardly revised 3.7% in the first quarter.

Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had expected GDP to show an annualized rate increase of 2.5%.

It was the fourth straight quarter of growth, and seemed to back some economists’ views that the recession that began in December 2007 ended at some point in the middle of 2009. But the report indicated that consumer spending, which drives the bulk of U.S. economic activity, remained weak.

Separately, the Reuters-University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index fell to 67.8 in July from 76 the month before. While the index reflected how nervous consumers were about the economy and job market, the decline was slightly smaller than expected. Economists had expected the index to fall to 67.5.

The Chicago PMI, a regional reading on manufacturing, rose more than expected in July. The index rose to 62.3 this month from 59.1 in June. Economists were expecting a reading of 56.3.

Earnings: Chevron (CVX, Fortune 500) posted second-quarter results that topped forecasts and said profit tripled in the quarter. Shares rose about 0.1%.

Merck (MRK, Fortune 500) reported earnings per share that beat analysts’ expectations, even as net income fell 52% on acquisition costs. Sales growth, however, fell short of expectations. Shares fell 1.5%.

Companies: Walt Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) said early Friday it will sell Miramax Films for about $660 million to an investor group, Filmyard Holdings.

World markets: European stocks ended the day mixed. The CAC 40 in France fell 0.2%, while Germany’s DAX gained 0.2%. The FTSE 100 in Britain fell more than 1%.

Asian markets finished lower. The Shanghai Composite fell 0.4% and the Hang Seng lost 0.3%, while the Nikkei in Japan tumbled 1.6%.

Currencies and commodities: The dollar was up versus the euro, but down against the British pound and the Japanese yen.

U.S. light crude oil for September delivery rose 59 cents to $78.95 a barrel.

COMEX gold’s December contract gained $12.70 to $1,183.90 per ounce.

Bonds: Treasury prices rose, pushing the yield on the 10-year note down to 2.91% from 2.99% late Thursday. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.

How much of a hit did you take in the recent correction? Are you worried about a bear market? What changes have you made in your portfolio and what changes do you plan on making for the rest of the year? E-mail your story to realstories@cnnmoney.com and you could be featured in an upcoming article. For the CNNMoney.com Comment Policy, click here. 

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The free credit score industry has been booming since the recession as a lot of people hit hard times and want to keep an eye on how the recession has affected their credit standing.

Citigroup said Thursday it would pay $73 million to settle charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission that the bank, as well as two of its executives, misled investors about the company’s exposure to the subprime mortgage market.

Wall Street’s top regulator said Citigroup repeatedly made misleading statements in investor presentations and in public filings about the actual size of assets it controlled that were backed by subprime mortgages.

Between July and mid-October 2007, the company maintained its holdings of what have now been dubbed "toxic assets", stood at $13 billion, when in fact the number was closer to $50 billion, according to the SEC.

"The rules of financial disclosure are simple — if you choose to speak, speak in full and not in half-truths," Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, said in a statement.

Also charged in the case were two Citigroup executives, including former chief financial officer Gary Crittenden and Arthur Tildesley, Jr., who currently serves as the head of cross marketing at the company.

Crittenden agreed to pay $100,000 to settle the charges while Tildesley, the former head of investor relations, agreed to pay $80,000.

In a statement issued Thursday, Citigroup stood behind the men, calling them both "highly valued" employees.

"We are pleased that we have reached agreement with the SEC to put this matter concerning certain 2007 disclosures behind us, and that the SEC is not charging Citi or any individual with intentional or reckless misconduct," the company said in a statement.

Citigroup neither admitted or denied the SEC’s allegations. But Thursday’s settlement is the federal agency’s latest attempt to crack down on fraud and misbehavior on Wall Street during the crisis.

Earlier this month, the SEC struck an agreement with Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500). The company agreed to pay $550 million to settle charges that the company defrauded investors in the sale of an investment tied to subprime mortgages.

Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) stock edged higher in afternoon trading Thursday. 

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Centene posted a profit of $22.8 million, or 45 cents a share, for the second quarter, up 13 percent from $20.2 million, or 46 cents a share, in the prior-year period, as its managed care at-risk membership rose.

The health insurer reported a 4 percent increase in revenue to $1.08 billion for the quarter ended June 30, up from $1.04 billion a year earlier.

Analysts had expected an average profit of 42 cents a share on revenue of $1.1 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.

Centene said its quarter-end managed care at-risk membership totaled 1,531,800, an increase of 242,800 members, or 19 percent year-over-year No teletrack payday loans.

Last month, the city of O’Fallon, Mo., approved $24 million in bonds to help finance Centene's new data center.

St. Louis-based Centene (NYSE: CNC), led by Chairman and CEO Michael Neidorff, provides managed care programs and related services to individuals under Medicaid. It reported revenue of $4.1 billion in 2009.

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A coalition of 38 states is pressing Google to answer for its unintentional collection of personal data through unsecured private wi-fi networks from its Street View cars.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is leading the multistate investigation, asked the Internet giant whether it had tested its Street View software before use.

That check "should have revealed that the program collected data transmitted over wireless computer network," Blumenthal said in a letter to the company Wednesday.

Blumenthal also asked what Google has done with the data, particularly if it has sold or used the information. He also requested that Google identify the individuals responsible for including the snooping code into the Street View software and the specific locations where the unauthorized data was collected.

"We will take all appropriate steps - including potential legal action if warranted - to obtain complete, comprehensive answers," Blumenthal said payday loans. "Our multistate investigation will determine whether laws were broken and whether legislation is necessary to prevent future privacy breaches."

Google first disclosed that it had mistakenly collected "payload data," which includes what websites people are visiting, from wi-fi networks that were not password-protected in May.

The information was gathered and stored while Google’s Street View cars drove around the world collecting images for the company’s mapping service using local wi-fi hotspots.

Blumenthal launched the investigation last month. Backing the probe are a growing number of states - including Texas, Florida and New York - as well as Washington, D.C.  

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Laguna Development Corp. unveiled an additional $15 million in expansions and updates at its Route 66 Casino in the past week.

The company opened the new Thunder Road Steakhouse & Cantina, the 360 Lounge, and added more than 200 new slots, bringing its total to 1,700.

It is the culmination of a larger expansion that firm unveiled over the past several months, including an Irish-themed poker room and pub, a new players club, bingo room and snack bar.

Skip Sayre, director of marketing for Laguna Development, said extensive customer surveys found players wanted a steakhouse, more slots and a non-smoking section.

Thunder Road was influenced by the movie of the same name that starred the late Robert Mitchum. It offers a wide selection of tequilas, as well as barbecue and Mexican dishes. The decor features life-sized cars crashing through walls, neon signs and two-story murals electronic check payday advance. A live entertainment stage, lifted on hydraulics from behind the bar, is another new feature.

This is the third major expansion at Route 66 since 2007. In 2008, a $40 million hotel expansion took place. The Main Street Restaurant, KXX Night Club and Kids Quest, as well as the $4.6 million Buffet 66 opened in 2009. Laguna also renovated its Dancing Eagle Casino last year, to the tune of about $3.9 million, adding 100 more slot machines and a new restaurant and lounge.

Laguna Development Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Pueblo of Laguna, whose lands are located mostly east of Albuquerque.

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The manager of community affairs at Rackspace Hosting has decided to leave her high-tech employer to join the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Mari Aguirre will become the new chief of staff for the Hispanic Chamber. Currently, as manager of community affairs, Aguirre is also president of the Rackspace Foundation.

In her new role as chief of staff, Aguirre will oversee the Hispanic Chamber’s Leadership Foundation and lead 15 employees. Before joining Rackspace (NYSE: RAX), Aguirre worked for former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger. In the mayor’s office, Aguirre worked on education and workforce initiatives, diversity issues, board and commission appointments and the Hurricane Katrina volunteer effort guaranteed cash advance.

“Mari is very talented, has a tremendous work ethic, has great passion for our small-business community, and we are very excited that she agreed to join our great organization,” says Hispanic Chamber President and CEO Ramiro A. Cavazos.

San Antonio-based Rackspace is the world’s leading information technology infrastructure hosting and cloud computing company.

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NEW YORK — Simon Hallett, chief investment officer of Harding Loevner, knows a thing or two about international markets. The nearly 30-year investment-industry veteran manages two highly rated mutual funds, Harding Loevner International Equity, and Harding Loevner Emerging Markets. His firm manages more than $7.3 billion. Here are his views on the European debt crisis and the global economy:

With all the discussion about Greece and the decline of the euro, what’s on your mind?

All that we’re seeing now in Europe is a kind of a ripple effect from what began here three years ago.

We wrote to our mutual fund shareholders in October, and talked about the twin big risks that the world faced. One is the risk of higher inflation resulting from the massive expansion of monetary supplies.

That helped finance the other big risk: the contraction in assets that came as a result of terrible lending by the banks. So there’s this kind of tradeoff between inflationary pressures in the future, and massive deflationary pressures now.

We don’t know what policy is going to enable us to steer between these two monsters. There is a tremendous risk of policy errors at a time when government involvement is much, much greater. But we basically said, deflationary pressures are the ones that are going to win out over the coming years, and that has some implications for the kind of companies in which we should invest.

What can we expect now?

We’re seeing a contraction in bank assets because they made stupid loans. And equity markets, in particular, seem to be very short-sighted about where the strains are going to emerge next. Governments in Europe have too much leverage. Not just in terms of their balance sheets, but also in terms of their unfunded commitments, such as welfare benefits, and unemployment benefits. In order to fix the credit problems that the banks have, governments have to generate more revenue, so they have to push tax rates up and that threatens the economic growth. So I think we’re going to continue seeing strains on government finances, strains on the finances on anybody who has too much debt.

What kind of companies can best operate in this kind of environment?

Our philosophy is to make sure that balance sheets are strong, cash flow is strong, that management is capable, and that the competitive position is invulnerable — or at least as strong as you can possibly assure. And that this is the kind of company that can eke out fairly modest amounts of growth wherever they can find it. They’re not reliant upon very strong economies.

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The Business Response Team created by Mayor Karl Dean and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce toured flood-damaged businesses Thursday to better understand their needs.

“We’re trying to determine how best we can get businesses helping businesses get back on their feet,” co-chairman Henry Hicks of Gray Line Tours said after a tour of Soundcheck, which provides storage and rehearsal space for musicians and was destroyed by flooding.

The team also met with representatives of Interior Design Services, which is located in the same warehouse facility on Cowan Street near the Cumberland River. Steve Meek, chief financial officer with IDS, said the company could use help figuring out how to insure the company’s space going forward. Soundcheck owner Ben Jumper said he is looking for help from the Mayor’s Office to get occupancy permits fast-tracked.

A separate group of representatives from the Business Response Team toured industrial businesses on Visco Drive. Businesses can visit nashvillebusinessrecovery.org, to inquire about assistance and to find out how to contribute to flood recovery efforts and share resources with businesses in need. See this story for more information.

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LSI Industries announced Tuesday that it will close its LSI Greenlee Lighting plant in Dallas and consolidate the operations in Cincinnati.

The Dallas plant employs 40. The closing will take place in phases over six months, with about five to six engineering and sales employees remaining in Dallas, said Chief Financial Officer Ron Stowell. The plant manufactures outdoor architectural and landscape lighting, he said.

LSI said in a news release that it is consolidating the operations to centralize its manufacturing operations, lower costs and improve how it uses space in its Cincinnati plant. Besides its Dallas and Cincinnati plants, LSI has 13 other facilities in the U payday advance low fees.S. and Canada.

The company said it will try to sublease the 40,000-square-foot Dallas plant. Its lease on the building extends to February 2012.

LSI Industries (NASDAQ: LYTS), headquartered in Blue Ash, designs and manufactures lighting fixtures and graphic elements for the retail, specialty niche and commercial markets. The company posted sales of $53.5 million and a net loss of $2.5 million for its fiscal third quarter.

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