Bargaining works, and so does salty language (sort of)

• Regaining some of its lost momentum, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 2.1 percent higher last week.

•Yes, you can still bargain for a better price at a store, car dealer, or with a service provider ... and end up paying less, the November issue of Consumer Reports magazine says. More than 90 percent of respondents to its survey of 2,167 US households reported success in negotiating reductions in a wide range of areas, from furniture to medical bills. Women tended to be less willing than men to try haggling but those who did were just as successful at it.

•Using salty language at work can help build solidarity and team spirit, a new study has found. If it's kept among one's peers, that is. Researchers at Britain's University of East Anglia say cursing on the job is an effective means of expressing frustration and relieving stress, as long as it's not abusive or uncivil. But a bright line ought to be drawn, they advise, at using profanity in front of senior managers and customers.

•Looking for a job? If you're like the majority of others in that position, your resource of choice probably is the Internet now rather than the help-wanted pages of the newspaper, the Conference Board reports. In a survey of job-seekers between January and September, 73 percent of respondents said they used the Web not just for listings but also because they could submit applications and sign up to be notified of new openings by e-mail. Reliance on newspapers alone dropped from 75 percent two years ago to 65 percent. – Robert Kilborn