Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on May 13th, 2012
Health care credit cards have become an easy way for New Jersey medical patients to receive treatment when they lack insurance coverage. New Jersey officials, however, are now investigating whether these cards are actually predatory and have a negative impact on consumers credit scores.
New Jersey Health Care Credit Cards Gaining Popularity
Health care credit cards have become a popular source of payment among patients who need treatment but dont carry health insurance or cant afford care.
The cards are marketed solely by health professionals and are only to be used to pay for specific types of health expenses.
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Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on May 3rd, 2012
POUND
The pound is continuing to trade strongly against the euro this morning but is down by nearly one quarter of a percent vs. the USD. Overnight we saw sterling reach a 3 and half year high vs. the single currency and many analysts are expecting further gains while concerns grow over the region and austerity measures continue to be implemented here by the UK government. Investors focus is very much on the Euro zone at the moment which is enabling weaker UK data to have a smaller impact as shown by this morning’s retail sales which posted their largest fall in a year. The market will now be focused on the Bank of England decision tomorrow with the majority of economists expecting no change in QE or interest rates.
EURO
The euro remains weak against the pound and even weaker vs. the USD this morning as euro zone political and economic concerns encouraged investors to sell the currency. P
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Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on April 12th, 2012
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With the housing market is it is, it can get a bit over whelming for anyone, especially when there are predictions of the market crashing dominating the market.
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Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on March 29th, 2012
March 07, 2012
By Richard Barrington | MoneyRates.com Senior Financial Analyst, CFA
Yesterday the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its worst day of 2012 so far. Ordinarily, that news wouldn’t affect depositors in savings accounts, or might even reaffirm their conservative choice of investment. This time though, it represented yet another setback for savings accounts and other deposit vehicles.
The problem in this case was that the tumbling stock market dragged interest rates down with it. Any decline in market interest rates is another sign that depositors could have an even longer wait before they see higher CD, savings and money market rates.
The Dow fell 203.66 points yesterday, representing a 1.6 percent loss in a single day.
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Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on March 17th, 2012
Home construction permits filed by government-reported builders increased considerably in February, providing a sign that the housing market could be moving in the right direction. However, some wonder if recovery is truly on the horizon, with actual housing starts slipping a bit in the same month.
Home Construction Permits Jump to 3-Year High
As home builders push through building season, which begins in January, theyre finding good reason to file permits, according to new figures from the government.
The number of permits filed jumped to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 717,000 in February. This represents a 5.1-percent increase from January and a 34.3-percent hike from year-earlier levels. In fact, its the strongest reading since Oct. 200
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Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on March 15th, 2012
TODAY`S HEADLINES
Sterling supported by improved UK outlook
MPC member Broadbent speaks at 11.30am
Fear of debt contagion weakens Euro
Euro remains weaker against USD
POUND
Sterling has dipped just below 1.20 vs. the euro this morning and has slipped back into 1.56 against the USD after Fitch lowered the UK’s long-term outlook yesterday to negative from stable, while confirming its top-level AAA rating. The pound has been aided this week by a recent improvement in UK economic data including retail sales and a narrowing of the trade gap reducing the chance of a second recession and further QE by the Bank of England. Sterling has also been supported against the Euro by a recent widening in the difference between short-term UK and German bond yields, helping generate more inertest in sterling.
EURO
The Euro remains weaker against the pound and USD this morning as investors remain very concerned about the threat of a debt crisis spreading beyond Greece into Portugal, Italy and Spain. T
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Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on March 1st, 2012
Russian financial institution Sberbank has reported its financial results for the first two months of 2012, in accordance with its own internal methodology.
Net interest income was up by more than a quarter, year-on-year, rising by 28.8%, with net fee and commission income up by 20%.
Operating income (pre-provision) rose by a similar margin, up by 25%, with operating income after provisions are accounted for rising by 20.2%.
Provisions in the first two months of the year more than doubled from the RUB4bn of 2011 to RUB9.4bn in 2012.
Pre-tax profits rose from RUB59.1bn last year to RUB70.7bn, and profits after tax increased from RUB52.8bn to RUB61.7bn.
The improved results are in line with Januarys figures, suggesting a stable and solid improvement over the previous year.
Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on March 1st, 2012
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Smartphones, tablets and social media sites have become more popular than ever. That said, Canadians are becoming more concerned with becoming a victim of fraud. Fraudsters continue to evolve, and get more sophisticated methods of stealing or tricking consumers into revealing personal information using these online channels.
In the 2012 TD Canada Trust Fraud Prevention Month poll, it is revealed that 84% of Canadians are concerned about online fraud and many are taking action to protect themselves. According to the 2012 TD Canada Trust Fraud Prevention Month poll, there are fewer Canadians concerned about becoming victims of fraud compared to last year (72% vs 79%), however, many Canadians are becoming worries about emerging fraud, which includes:
- Online fraud
- Malicious social media apps
- Phishing
- Fraudulent cell phone apps
As technology evolves, fraudsters gain new outlets to gain access to your personal information.
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Posted by: Brodie Jerrems in
Bank Rates on February 10th, 2012
February 03, 2012
By Richard Barrington | MoneyRates.com Senior Financial Analyst, CFA
It’s a symptom of a mixed economic environment that if a piece of information indicates a trend in one direction, it won’t be long before something comes along to contradict it.
Late last month, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released its advance estimate of fourth-quarter 2011 U.S. GDP. This initial look at last quarter’s economic strength indicated a real growth rate of 2.8 percent, the strongest reading in a year-and-a-half.
The glow from this encouraging news hadn’t subsided before an unpleasant surprise threw a damper on it. Just a few days later, Amazon released a fourth-quarter earnings report that fell well short of analyst expectations.
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