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Retail sales rose 1.3% in November, which may indicate that the U.S. economy is recovering better than expected, according to data from the Commerce Department.

Other financial news included a report from the University of Michigan and Reuters indicating that their consumer sentiment index rose in early December to the highest level since September.

The financial news caused some economists to upgrade their forecasts for growth during the fourth quarter, according to MarketWatch.

Sales gains were spread throughout the various sectors, and only furniture and clothing sales fell during the month. Many retailers are hoping to see sales improve this holiday season as compared to last year.

“Consumers are tapping into savings and beginning to spend. With the U.S. and global economy turning up, hours and incomes will continue to rise, supporting further gains in consumer spending,” John Herrmann, chief economist at Herrmann Forecasting in Summit, N.J., told Bloomberg.

Although some economists are hopeful about an economic recover, challenges remain. Many consumers worried about the credit crunch continue to sock away money in savings rather than spend.  Also, the U.S. unemployment rate is at 10%, and many employed workers still believe that they could become a victim of downsizing.

When you open a Chase business checking account, you can receive a $100 bonus. You must request a coupon for the bonus offer online and take it to a Chase branch. The offer is good through Dec. 31, 2009. Other details of the checking account deal include:

• Minimum deposit of $500 within 30 days of opening account
• Opening deposit must be funds from non-Chase or affiliate accounts
• Up to 200 transactions per month
• No monthly service fee

The $100 cash bonus is deposited into your checking account within 10 days after the minimum deposit requirement is met. The free checking account requires you to do one of the following:

• Make five or more debit card purchases
• Link business checking account to a Chase business credit card
• Link business checking to a Chase Premier Checking or Chase Premier Platinum checking personal account
• Maintain a monthly average balance of $4,000 to $7,500 in the checking account

Bank deals are restricted to one business checking account bonus per customer per year. The cash bonus may be reportable as interest income on your tax return. Employees of JP Morgan Chase are not eligible for bank deals that offer a bonus.

Funds in a Chase business checking account are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) up to $250,000 per depositor.

Residents of Georgia can get a  Quantum National Bank Hi-Rate Money Market with a rate of 1.7% annual percentage yield (APY) on deposits of $100,000 and up.  Other money market rates are available for smaller balances. Details of the money market deals include:

• Minimum opening deposit of $100
• Simple interest paid monthly
• Money market rates can change at any time
• Fees could reduce earnings on the money market
• Check writing available

To avoid paying a $12 monthly fee on money markets, accounts must have a minimum average daily balance of $1,500. You also are charged a $10 excessive withdrawal fee if you make more than six external withdrawals per statement cycle. The bank does not limit the number of automatic loan payments, ATM, or in-person withdrawals.

There are some limits on the number of daily transactions with ATM cash cards and debit cards. You can withdraw up to $400 through ATMs in any one day. Also, you can purchase $1,500 worth of goods and services each day through the bank’s point of sale service.

Quantum offers a free bill pay service and pre-authorized deposits can be set up for money market accounts. You also can access account information online or by phone.

If you are looking for long-term savings, EmigrantDirect has a certificate of deposit with a 2.5% annual percentage yield (APY). When you open a MyWay CD you must choose a term of five to 10 years. Shorter terms have rates of 2% APY. Other details of the CD offer include:

• Minimum deposit of $1,000
• Must have an EmigrantDirect American Dream Savings Account
• Penalty for early withdrawal
• Insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) up to $250,000 per depositor

Interest on CDs can be withdrawn by transferring the money to your linked account. The bank notifies you 14 to 30 days before the date of maturity. At that time you can decide to renew the CD, deposit additional funds, withdraw some money, or close the account.

The American Dream Savings Account has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. The savings can be linked to any checking account. The savings account had a 1.2% APY as of Dec. 4, 2009.

You can open a savings account online. You can make the initial deposit to your savings with a check, but future transactions are processed electronically between your savings and checking accounts. You can link up to two checking accounts to the EmigrantDirect savings account.

Getting some kind of return on your money is better than nothing. And although certificate of deposit rates aren’t as high as they’ve been in the past, you can take a few steps to earn some interest on your money now and possibly be able to take advantage of higher interest rates in the future.

A CD ladder can help you do this. You can take advantage of different CD rates and terms by spreading out a large sum of cash. For example, if you have $30,000 to invest, instead of putting it in one CD, divide it up and put it in four different accounts with different CD rates and terms.

Each time a CD matures, roll the money over into another CD. Hopefully, interest rates will have improved at the point you reinvest your money in another CD.

It’s probably easiest to build a CD ladder by opening multiple accounts at a bank that offers several CD rates and terms. But you can certainly shop around to find the best rates being offered by various banks and spread your accounts around at different institutions. Just make sure any bank where you open a CD is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC).