| Britons Face Billion-Pound Interest Payback
One in four people is struggling with their debts as Britons collectively face a 93bn annual bill for interest. At the same time, around three million people have taken out a debt consolidation loan to try to get on top of their borrowings. Borrowing through credit cards, loans, overdrafts and mortgages has hit almost 1.4 trillion, according to comparison website uSwitch.com. An estimated 9.5m people had "maxed out" on one form of credit during the past six months, while 38% have had a credit card application rejected, the group claims. But nearly two-thirds of these failed to close down their existing credit facilities, and instead went on to rack up a further 2,300 of debt on average. Overall, the research found that the average household has now amassed unsecured debts of 4,281.
Annual “Lambs to the Slaughter” ritual has begun
It's that time of the year again. Holiday spending was up another 5% this year to …. get this….. $457.4 Billion. As reported By Parija B. Kavilanz, CNNMoney.com staff writer in the article found here. That's right, billion with a “B". And, once the credit card bills begin to get delivered…. the slaughter will begin. Many might be thinking that I'm going to drone on about the high cost of credit, how long it will take to pay off those credit cards, fees, penalties, etc… Not this time. The ritual that I'm referring to is mortgage refinancing. Every year thousands of homeowners find themselves in a little trouble with last years spending habits. And this year many people are going to get the old Double Whammy with roughly 12% of adjustable mortgages coming due. Scratching their heads trying to figure out how they will make ends meet, refinancing (or debt consolidation) begins to look appealing.
BCE's shares climb
Shares of BCE Inc. bounced back yesterday after a week-long fall, easing fears that the massive buyout for the telecom might collapse. BCE's shares regained 91 cents to close at $34.91 in Toronto trading yesterday after upbeat analysts' reports buoyed confidence in the deal. BCE is to be taken private by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and private equity firms, including Providence Equity Partners Inc. and Madison Dearborn Partners LLC. .
Sunday, February 24:
With Kucinich's Exit, Democratic Discourse is Diminished (6 comments) Kucinich never got much credit from the media or the other candidates. But he influenced the national debate for the better, and the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is diminished by his exit. HELP! I DON'T UNDERSTAND (1 comments) I watched a documentary on the Afghanistan and Iraq war going on, it's history and what led up to the invasions, "No End In Sight". I felt that the information provided was factual and without propaganda value particularly. I am left with the general question; what the hell is going on? Actually I have had this question for some time. It appears that there are 4 possible answers. If there are more, please set me straight. Tuesday, January 22: How Free Is the "Free Market"? (2 comments) The mainstream media - and therefore much of the general public - are under the misconception that what currently exists in the US and industrialized Western countries is a free market.
Life jail terms for bomb attack seven
A BANGLADESHI court jailed seven Islamic militants for life for carrying out blasts as part of nationwide bomb attacks that shock the country in 2005. Five of the seven militants from the banned Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were present when the verdict was handed down in a crowded court in Rajshahi city. The other two are on the run and were tried in absentia. "They were found guilty of carrying out five bomb blasts at Chapainawabganj town on August 17, 2005. One of the bombs was exploded at a court and injured three people," police inspector Mahbub Siddiqui said. Authorities said the JMB was behind 400 almost simultaneous blasts in all but one of the country's 64 districts. The attacks were part of a campaign apparently aimed at forcing predominantly-Muslim Bangladesh to replace its secular legal system with traditional Islamic law.
McCain and Obama trade jabs on Iraq
At the time, she had a salary of $37,000 and assets of only $35,000, the Times learned. Her husband told a court that at the time he had "no income, negative cash flow, no liquid assets," the Times said. Auchi participated in more than just Rezko's pizza and property ventures, however; he also contributed to Barack Obama's campaign by donating to a 2005 fundraiser through a company of which is wife is a Director. I quote the relevant paragraph from a London Times exclusive: Times has, however, discovered state documents in Illinois recording that the Panamanian company Fintrade Services SA lent money to Mr Obama's fundraiser. Fintrade's directors include Ibtisam Auchi, the name of Mr Auchi's wife. Mr Auchi's spokesman declined to respond to a question about whether he was linked to this business.
China's market for financial data worth more than $100-million
However, this latest dispute is largely a fight for money. The Chinese market for financial information was estimated to be worth more than $100-million in 2006, and has continued to grow since then. James McGregor, a former chief executive officer of Dow Jones's businesses in China, said Xinhua "began to lust" over the obvious profits in the financial news and data business in the 1990s, which led to its power grab in 1996. But even China's banks did not want Xinhua to dominate the information supply, Mr. McGregor recalled in a book published in 2005. "China's banks and commodity trading firms didn't want Xinhua in the middle of their information flow," he wrote in the book, One Billion Customers. "They figured that Xinhua's censors would slow news delivery and kill controversial stories that China found distasteful but nonetheless moved financial markets where Chinese traders had positions to defend." .
PICC gets ready for share float
But we haven't decided whether the group will go public as an entity or if it will just be Hong Kong-listed PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd returning to the mainland market."
The share sale's timing depends on the market and other factors, said Zhou.
"We expect the country's stock market to reach its peak around the Olympic Games, but PICC won't be prepared to list then," said Wang Xiaogang, an analyst at Shanghai-based Orient Securities.
The country's largest insurers - China Life, Ping An and China Pacific Insurance - have all floated on the Shanghai exchange in the past two years.
As PICC prepares to list at home, it's also speeding up its equity investment. The group set up an investment company last year, paving the way for PICC's entry into private equity firms and other industries.
Data Ltd Leverages SkyeTek's RFID Platform to Deliver Industry's First ...
NEW YORK, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Conference, SkyeTek, Inc., the leading provider of embedded RFID reader technology, announced that Data Ltd Inc. is leveraging SkyeTek's embedded Contactless Payment reader technology in their Ruggedized Tablet PC device to enable mobile point of sale (POS) transactions in the retail and hospitality industries. By incorporating SkyeTek's M4 HF reader module into its device, Data Ltd is able to offer retailers the industry's first 3-in-1 handheld device with barcode scanning, magstripe reading and contactless payment capabilities to enable improved POS operations, real-time loyalty programs and a more personalized customer experience. "As an organization, we pride ourselves on continued innovation and our ability to bring products to the market quickly," said Bryan Wesolek, President of Data Ltd.
Groundbreaking Web Site Holds Answers to Life's Questions
LINCOLN, Neb., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking new Web site launched today, eXtension.org, promises to be a gateway to answering all of life's little questions -- from parenting, to saving and investing, entrepreneurship and vegetable gardens. eXtension experts are the brains behind eXtension.org, a sort of "next-gen Google," where curious minds can find a range of information including how to calculate their retirement readiness score, tips to easing credit card debt, how to grow the best tomatoes on the block or ways to set a schedule for a new born baby. Even better, if the consumer can't find the information he or she is looking for, real live authorities in their area of interest monitor and answer questions through the Web site. And all of eXtension's resources are available to knowledge-seekers at no cost.
|
