| Shoring up retirement path
Like many couples in their 50s, Wanda and Donald McCoy are worried about retirement.
And perhaps with good reason: They haven't managed to save much over the years.
They both are planning to work until age 70, but Donald's job as a truck driver can be demanding. And Wanda, as a breast cancer survivor, knows that health-care surprises happen all the time.
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Bubble bursting?
No wonder the Fed has chosen to repeat the formula today. But this episode seems more serious than the dotcom one however, and it probably won't be resolved quite as easily. Why? Because in 2000, we only managed to soften the landing from the crashing of the stock market bubble by creating a housing bubble. That supported American consumer spending, (enabling Asia to carry on exporting). Alas this time there are no more obvious bubbles to create. So today's cut in interest rates will struggle to support consumer spending at the levels necessary to act as a motor to the global economy. Indeed, fiscal policy will struggle to do that either. If you want to know the challenge facing the world, it is summarised by the American savings ratio - the proportion of disposable income saved by American households.
Rudd warns of economic trials
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd today issued a renewed warning about the economic challenges facing Australia amid concerns about the health of the US and Asian economies. Listing the possible dangers ahead, he accused the former Howard government of leaving Australia with a legacy of inflation that was making conditions more difficult. Mr Rudd said he was mindful of the global fallout from the US sub-prime mortgage crisis affecting world credit markets. "We believe that we are facing a dual set of significant economic challenges,'' Mr Rudd told reporters. "One is global. The global economy, downward revisions of growth coming off the back of US sub-prime, ramifications of that across Europe, some slackening of demand in Japan, and you see the outcome of that in terms of the IMF numbers for global growth being trimmed.
THE AGE OF SHIVA
Most of the time we just feel sorry for everybody. Much of the novel focuses on Meera's complex feelings, first for her sisters and parents, then for her husband and finally for her child, Ashvin. When she looks at her beloved son, Meera launches into soliloquies that are half dithyramb, half goo and suffused with obvious sexual innuendo. For instance, the novel opens this way: "Every time I touch you, every time I kiss you, every time I offer you my body, Ashvin. Do you know how tightly you shut your eyes as with your lips you search my skin? Do you know how you thrust your feet towards me, how you reach out your arms, how the sides of your chest strain against my palms? Are you aware of your fingers brushing against my breast, their tips trying to curl around something to hold on to, but slipping instead against my smooth flesh? "Ashvin.
Advisers for Clinton plan the endgame
Their Wholly-Owned & Wholly Influenced "News" media are selling the Obama Product because Obama is in favor of Nukes. In 2005 Obama Voted FOR the Cheney Energy Bill (H.R.6) which ENABLED the nuke industry to make its Plans to build 29 new nukes-by Guaranteeing Taxpayer Payback of any nuke loans that default. (No nukes were built for the past 30 years because the banks wouldn't loan the money - too risky) Obama Voted FOR the Cheney Energy Bill-despite the fact the Congressional Budget Office rated the risk of default on the nuke loans at 50% or greater. (Does that sound like…GOOD…JUDGMENT to You?) [NY Times has several articles about the nuke plans & a map showing all 29 locations; Wikipedia covers the subject] Clinton Voed AGAINST the Cheney Energy Bill and said her Energy Plan does not include nuclear.
Bank customers claim back more than £550m
Royal Bank of Scotland Group, which includes NatWest, has paid out £119m so far, while Barclays has paid out £116m and HSBC £115m. Lloyds TSB refunded £76m to customers before the test case began, and Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks said claims and costs, as well as provisions for future administrative costs relating to the issue, totalled £11m. The banks are currently awaiting the judgment from a test case which could pave the way for a ruling on how much they can charge people who go overdrawn without authorisation or breach their agreed limit. The case was bought jointly by the seven banks, Nationwide and the Office of Fair Trading after consumers began to reclaim millions of pounds through the courts. It concerns whether unauthorised overdraft charges come under the scope of the 1999 unfair terms in consumer contracts regulations, which the banks and building society say do not.
Nick Robinson's Newslog
Don't shoot the messenger, boys, it's bad form. I don't understand why Peter Kilfoyle's got his knickers in a twist. According to the 'They Work for You' site he's not at all bothered about 'transparency' in governmentas he's never voted on it, either for or against! .
Best Answers to Sunday Question ...
Meanwhile, everyone wonders why Tuggle and killer/kidnapping suspect Joseph Edward Duncan III were so stupid that they'd reappear near the scene of their crimes here. 5. At least half the ski lift gondola cabins at Silver Mountain resort are overdue for new parts, safety inspections or both, according to the former head gondola mechanic at the North Idaho resort, here. 6. IMHO-NW: D.F. Oliveria/Spokesman-Review (Ronny Turiaf's surgery), Robert L. Jamieson Jr./PI (Ressam terror case), G. George Ostrom/Bigfork Eagle (Of porta-potties and wildfires), Robert Herold/Pacific Northwest Inlander (Roe vs. Roberts), Jamie Kelly/Missoulian (I want to be rich, so I can laugh at you). *2 of 13 Japanese tractors stolen from Sacramento, Calif., turn up in northeast Washington here.
Harper to draw the line on Afghanistan
Increasingly, over the past few months, Harper is appearing more and more like a fool so it is fitting that he should play such a high stakes game on a policy that he can't win a majority on. Posted 05/02/08 at 11:11 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment .
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