Today's number: 142,208

        Job cuts announced by U.S. businesses in January, up 6 percent from December and the most for any month since Challenger, Gray & Christmas started tracking such reports eight years ago.

       Today's career advice:

        If you are thinking about changing your career direction, here are three things the new book Career Choice, Change & Challenge ...,by Tony Lee and Deb Koen, suggests you do:

        Analyze your risk-taking history and tackle your internal barriers (procrastination, fear of failure, lack of motivation).

        List the external barriers you anticipate in making a career change, along with your plan for overcoming each.

        Answer this question: “If you had a crystal ball and could see that you had three more successful careers in you, what would they be and how/when would you make each happen?”

       Today's promotion:

        Dennis Pascarella has been named regional executive vice president of the East Central Region of AXA Advisors LLC, provider of financial services for consumers and businesses. Mr. Pascarella has overall management responsibility for the Cincinnati branch office of AXA Advisors and its 124 financial professionals. He joined the company in 1986 and was promoted to branch management in 1998.
       Today's company: BIGG'S

        FROM SUPER TO HYPER: Pierre Wevers brought the hypermarket concept to the Cincinnati area from France, where combination grocery and general merchandise stores were taking hold. Mr. Wevers launched Bigg's in 1984.

        MAKEOVERS: This month, the company plans to spend more than $1 million on renovations to its older Eastgate, Highland Avenue, Florence and Forest Fair stores.

        COMMUNITY TIES: Bigg's is a Partner in Education to Cincinnati's schools as part of the corporation's emphasis on children, education and the arts. Contributions of more than $500,000 in 2000 aided such programs as ArtLinks, which brings the arts into schools.

        STORES: There are 10 Bigg's stores, with locations to open in Groesbeck and Lawrenceburg.

        Today's money tip:

        People looking to save taxes, fund their children's education, and perhaps even buy a car or computer for their child may want to consider opening a custodial account, according to a financial-planning expert at A.G. Edwards. “Custodial accounts allow anyone, such as a parent or grandparent, to contribute up to $10,000 per year ($20,000 if married) to the account in the child's name,” financial-planning specialist Phil Behnen said.

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