School might be out for summer for the kids, but that doesn’t mean CIOs are excused from learning some new skills or refining ones they already have.
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Gonzobanker
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The 2009 Gonzo CIO Curriculum
29 Jun 2009 | 1:00 am -
Inflation Fears are Far from Inflated
15 Jun 2009 | 1:00 amOur industry’s laser focus on the credit and capital issues of today cannot allow us to lose sight of the rising enemy that could jolt our world and the assumptions about the future. -
Customer Value – The Front Line Perspective
5 Jun 2009 | 1:00 amWhat does the front line think customers value? What do they think customers are willing to pay for? How do you make a value proposition work? -
Trouble in Camelot
29 May 2009 | 1:00 amThis year, we see that our Gonzo credit union counterparts are not immune to the damage that can be done by regulatory bureaucrats. There’s trouble in Camelot. -
Sleepy Tuesday
15 May 2009 | 1:00 amThe IT Steering Committee at a mid-size bank smack dab in the center of Gonzo land is set to kick off at 1PM on a sleepy Tuesday afternoon.
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Google News: Banking
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Italian bank profit fall to slow in 2009-Moody's - Reuters
3 Jul 2009 | 7:19 amItalian bank profit fall to slow in 2009-Moody'sReutersMILAN, July 3 (Reuters) - Italian bank profits will fall again in 2009 but less than in the previous year when results were strongly penalised by trading and more » -
Bank of Ireland margins under pressure as economy suffers - MarketWatch
3 Jul 2009 | 6:44 amFinFacts IrelandBank of Ireland margins under pressure as economy suffersMarketWatchLONDON (MarketWatch) -- Ireland's largest bank said Friday that demand for loans remains weak and margins have come under Bank Of Ireland: Trading Conditions Are ChallengingWall Street JournalBank of Ireland's margin under pressureMarketWatchall 81 news articles » -
Illinois bank failures mount - Chicago Tribune
3 Jul 2009 | 6:05 amSeattle TimesIllinois bank failures mountChicago TribuneNot a single bank or thrift failed in Illinois between July 2002 and September 2008. But since last fall, Tally Hits 52 as Regulators Close 7 BanksWall Street JournalMillennium State Bank of Texas failsBizjournals.comState banking regulators close John Warner BankClinton Daily JournalMorris Daily Herald -Fort Worth Star Telegram -Galena Gazetteall 282 news articles » -
HSBC's Swiss Bank Asked Clients to Surrender Secrecy - Bloomberg
3 Jul 2009 | 5:07 amifaonline.co.ukHSBC's Swiss Bank Asked Clients to Surrender SecrecyBloombergJuly 3 (Bloomberg) -- HSBC Holdings Plc's Swiss private bank last September asked clients and independent money managers to surrender their HSBC in Geneva alerted clients on waiving banking secrecy: reportMonsters and Critics.comIs Swiss Banking Dead?BusinessWeekIRS Apartheid Blocks Americans from Swiss BanksSovereign SocietyTV3 News -Journal of Turkish Weekly -Bloombergall 12 news articles » -
Wachovia Bank International Changes Name to Wells Fargo Bank ... - FOXBusiness
3 Jul 2009 | 2:02 amThe Plain Dealer - cleveland.comWachovia Bank International Changes Name to Wells Fargo Bank FOXBusinessEffective July 4th, the name change reflects the bank's continued integration with Wells Fargo which acquired Wachovia Corporation on December 31, 2008. Wells Fargo Warms to Investment BankingTheStreet.comWells Fargo Will Accept Registered Warrants Issued by State of WELT ONLINEWachovia locations to become Wells Fargo banksNorthern Colorado Business ReportStarNewsOnline.com -Oakland Tribuneall 154 news articles »
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NYT: Banks and Banking
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Caution Kept Icelandic Bank Clear of the Worst
3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pmMargeir Petursson, the chairman and founder of MP Bank, saw the looming crisis long before others did. -
F.D.I.C. Closes Seven More Banks
2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pmSix Illinois banks and one bank in Texas were closed by federal regulators on Thursday. -
Europe’s Central Bank Holds Rate Steady
2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pmHaving lowered its main refinancing rate to 1 percent, the bank appears to have adopted a wait-and-see approach to additional stimulus. -
Beware of Rallies in Uneasy Times
1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pmInvestors should hope for a boring stretch in the markets. Until the fundamentals improve, more excitement could be dangerous. -
Europe Tests Its Banks but May Guard Results
1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pmPolitical figures in Europe remain unsure about the wisdom of naming weak banks.
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NetBanker
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Mobile Banking Forecasts (U.S.): TowerGroup vs. Online Banking Report
3 Jul 2009 | 3:16 amTowerGroup has just released a new research note discussing the growing adoption of mobile banking in the United States. The research unit of MasterCard is predicting a five-fold increase in active users (note 1) between year-end 2009 and year-end 2013. In comparison, we (note 2), are projecting a four-fold increase. But either way, it's a phenomenal growth curve and is a market that financial institutions must pay attention to. Following are the numbers Tower released, more details are contained in the full report (purchase here). I also compared to those that we projected in our Jan 17… -
M&I Bank's Understandable Online Guarantee
2 Jul 2009 | 2:39 amWhile reviewing M&I Bank's Metavante-powered online application for our latest report (note 1), I noticed the bank's Online Security Guarantee (first screenshot below). It's important to post reassurances prominently on banking websites, especially on product application pages. It helps users overcome their security and trust fears and move forward with opening new accounts online. Often the explanations of guarantees are full of legalese and exceptions in the fine print, reducing their effectiveness. But M&I's does a good job with concise and easy-to-comprehend copy (see… -
Alpine Bank Emphasizes Service with Animated "Escape" Banner on Homepage
30 Jun 2009 | 1:18 amBusiness runs in cycles and right now many of the large financial brand names are a bit tarnished. Over the next few years, we'll likely see community banks and credit unions turn up the volume on marketing campaigns emphasizing their low-key, low-risk community-based services. We ran across this good example two weeks ago at $930-million (assets) Alpine Bank of Illinois. The bank uses a clever escape theme that should resonate with hard-core computer users and novices alike (see screenshot 1 below). The eye-catching banner sequence (see screenshot 1a) asks a serious of three questions, then… -
SmartyPig Deposits Up Ten-fold with High-rate Strategy
25 Jun 2009 | 5:21 amMaintaining one of the highest rates in the country, currently 2.75% (see note 1), SmartyPig's deposits have grown ten-fold since January (see chart 1, below). And the company plans to continue its aggressive pricing and marketing, hoping to grow another five-fold to a half-billion by year-end (see chart 2, below) or 50x what they started the year with. Deposits in the United States are held by part owner, Des Moines, Iowa-based West Bank. Australian deposits are held by SmartyPig partner ANZ Bank. To help fund their growth objectives, SmartyPig announced today that Red McCombs, co-founder of… -
New Online Banking Report Published: Online Account Opening
23 Jun 2009 | 11:26 pmWe just completed our latest Online Banking Report. It will be mailed to subscribers this week. It's also available online here. There's no charge for current subscribers; others may access it immediately for US$495. Improving Online Account Opening ROITen strategies to increase online application conversion rates 102 pages (published 21 June 2009) In this report (abstract PDF), we focus on ways to increase conversions and improve your results when opening financial accounts online or over a mobile phone. The online application is the new branch new-accounts desk. And, just as you provide…
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Glenbrook Partners-Payment News
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A Look at Credit Card Issuers Raising Rates
2 Jul 2009 | 5:07 amIn an article titled "Credit Card Issuers Raising Rates Ahead of New Law", Nancy Trejos writes for the Washington Post about how some US credit card issuers are raising fees and interest rates ahead of the date when new rules take effect early next year - "much to the irritation of Congress and consumer advocates." -
Bling Nation Announces $8 Million in Series A Funding
2 Jul 2009 | 4:52 amMobile payments provider Bling Nation has announced receiving $8 million in Series A funding with $6.3 million coming from lead investor Lightspeed Venture Partners. The remaining $1.7 million was raised primarily from Meck, Ltd., which invested an initial $5.3 million in Bling Nation, and CampVentures. -
Headline News - July 2, 2009
2 Jul 2009 | 4:50 amNYCE Looks to 2010 for SafeDebit Rollout, Pilot Later This Year 41st Parameter Names J. Peter Selda as Chief Executive Officer Paymetric Adds to Management Team to Position Company for Strategic Growth MarketWatch: Visa secures $1 bln via stock sale in Brazil Note: Throughout the day, as Payments News happens, this post is updated. For job opportunities available for payments professionals, visit PaymentsJobs.com. Employers looking to hire payments professionals can post their job openings there as well. -
Glenbrook's Newest Partner: Jacqueline Chilton
1 Jul 2009 | 12:05 pmGlenbrook Partners, a leading financial services consulting and research firm, has named Jacqueline Chilton as a partner in the firm. As a respected consultant in the payments industry, Jacqueline offers clients expertise in opportunity assessment, strategy development, and business case justification across multiple disciplines including payment cards, risk and compliance, and processor platforms. -
Fitch: June US Credit Card Chargeoffs Up 62% vs 2008
1 Jul 2009 | 6:22 amFitch Ratings reports that credit card chargeoffs in June were 10.44%, 62% higher on a year over year basis. 60+ day delinquencies set yet another record high at 4.45% this month after dropping seven basis points (bps) in May. Given delinquency and bankruptcy trends, Fitch expects chargeoff increases to decelerate in the coming quarter, although actual improvements are not foreseen at this time.
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The Bank Channel
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Innovation round up - June 09
2 Jul 2009 | 7:09 pmSo, my 2 cents worth ...This month we see a mix of ideas and new features from banks, more so than say 6 months ago - my desk research is telling me that 2 clear trends are emerging this side of the GFC. Banks are beginning to innovate again; and 2 they're innovating for the new environment - a post bank-bloated environment that was first about the organisations shareholders and not the customers.This was fast becoming a redundant and false economy in which to operate.Thank god we now are beginning to operate in an environment where customers are empowered. It keeps us honest.The era of… -
BarCampBank Melbourne on Sept 4th
29 Jun 2009 | 7:10 pmFollowing last weeks BarCampBank Sydney, we've decided to add a Melbourne event:http://barcamp.org/BarCampBankMelbourneFriday September 4th from 2pm to 6pm at a location to be confirmed.Looking forward to you all attending and discussing new technology, banking innovation, and other issues we face. Its of course an 'unconference', so all attendees must participate, talk, question, etc.More details soon! -
Hiatus
15 Jun 2009 | 4:20 pmYou'll no doubt have seen my lack of posts recently. A work deadline has meant its been quiet on the blog front. But hopefully you're following The Bank Channel on twitter - twitter.com/thebankchannel, or in twitter speak, @thebankchannel. Many links and items being posted there as they come to hand.Make sure you can make it to Sydney forCustomer Experience in Financial Services conference on Thursday June 25BarCampBank on the afternoon of Friday June 26 (register here)Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to this. -
NAB launches banks into the world of biometrics
10 Jun 2009 | 3:23 amDespite the fact I'm closer to this than most, its still big enough to share the entry into biometrics that NAB has announced this week.From Finextra:"National Australia Bank (NAB) has introduced biometric voice verification for its telephone banking customers.Following an internal pilot involving 2000 branch staff in May, the speech security function is now available to NAB's 3.3 million personal banking customers.Customers calling the bank's contact centre can now register their voice pattern, which NAB says is harder to steal than a password or PIN, improving authentication.In addition,… -
FST Media Future of Banking & Financial Services Conference
1 Jun 2009 | 4:39 pmEveryone get along to the Future of Banking & Financial Services Conference, June 17 in Melbourne. "Secure your place at this annual forum for the banking and financial services industry. Engage with industry leaders who will share their forward-thinking insight about the trends, disruptions and threats facing the future of banking and financial services. "Speakers include leaders from ANZ, Westpac, BOQ, UBank, JP Morgan, CBA, Suncorp, BT, NAB, and others.Topics includeHow to Innovate During the Tough TimesInnovative Technology in Customer Centric Banks Operational EfficienciesThe…
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The Bankwatch
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Future for many banks remains grim | Roubini
3 Jul 2009 | 7:04 amThis interview with Roubini, on a visit to China, is wide ranging, and provides a good assessment of where we are in the economic cycle, why we got here, and importantly what to expect next. In particular this assessment on US banks is sobering. That aside, it is a worthwhile read. Dr. Doom Has Some Good News The first involved banks. Like Paul Krugman and others, Roubini had been warning that many banks were weaker than they seemed. Rather than trying to nurse them along, he said, the government should move straightaway to nationalization: “I’m concerned that we’re not going to… -
Morgan Stanley and MUFG in joint push
30 Jun 2009 | 9:37 pmMorgan Stanley hooks up with one of the largest Japanese banks to compete with Citi and JP Morgan. Morgan Stanley and MUFG in joint push | FT Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is set to merge its securities subsidiary with Morgan Stanley’s Japanese securities operations, to create one of the top three brokerages in Japan. The Japanese bank and Morgan Stanley have been in talks since MUFG invested $9bn last year into the then-struggling US broker, for a 21 per cent stake. Researched by Nobyuo Henderson Posted in US Tagged: Morgan Stanely, Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ -
“The Fourth Turning” | demographics and predictable change
30 Jun 2009 | 8:27 amDemographics is an interesting science, and one that has real impacts on society over time that are really only apparent after the fact. Mauldin recounts a conversation with Strauss and Howe on their book, “The Fourth Turning“. The premise is that the US and the western world move in 80 year cycles, with four ’seasons’ within each cycle. As historians, they have looked back in time, and concluded the cycles are quite consistent. Whether you buy that or not, the four cycles noted do describe the 20th century well, and place us firmly in the latter part of the… -
On VRM, Facebook, and being misunderstood for long periods of time
26 Jun 2009 | 10:47 amI simply love this post at RWW. The post is about how FaceBook could turn on the power of their userbase to the benefit of consumer power. I have long been a fan of VRM and at the same time at something of a loss to see how it could be initiated. Then I read this post, and new lights went on. The post is about FaceBook, but it is less about them, than it is about business models for dot.com companies with large userbases who insist on following tradigital advertising models. The whole ‘We have lots of eyeballs so lets monetise’ thing. [disclaimer] I have long believed that… -
BofE Governor in the dark on banking regulation
25 Jun 2009 | 8:20 amThe management of UK banking/ financial system has become highly politicised reflecting the general Browns government style. This from the meeting yesterday between Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England and the Commons committee. Governor in dark on banking regulation | FT His comments to MPs on the Commons Treasury committee flabbergasted its members. John McFall, the committee chairman, said the lack of communication at the top level between the Bank, Treasury and Financial Services Authority was unbelievable. “The tripartite authorities are a communications black holes, which is…
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BankerVision
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AMPlify09
30 Jun 2009 | 10:52 pmToday I want to write about something amazing, and that amazing thing was Amplify09, the corporate innovation festival organised by financial services company AMP in Australia last week. Corporate innovation festival, I hear you ask? Well, yes indeed, and when I first heard about it, I was impressed, but couldn't for life of me see how anyone could possibly get a business case together to support such a thing. Let me paint you a picture: get your Head of Innovation to go around the world and find the most interesting people she can. Doctors, political advisers, new media people, web… -
The death of experience
28 Jun 2009 | 11:19 pmAs you know, I spent last week at Amplfy09, an innovation festival hosted by AMP of Australia. At one of the events, I had the chance to sit with some financial planners and their clients. The question I posed was this: Which do you think has more brain power: 25 twenty-three olds (i.e., brand new graduates) with a year's experience each, of one 65 year old with 25 years of experience? The obvious answer, of course, is that the crowd of 23 year olds has more brainpower, but the real question is whether the value of experience outweighs the obvious advantage in mental watts of the group. My… -
The death of experience
28 Jun 2009 | 11:19 pmAs you know, I spent last week at Amplfy09, an innovation festival hosted by AMP of Australia. At one of the events, I had the chance to sit with some financial planners and their clients. The question I posed was this: Which do you think has more brain power: 25 twenty-three olds (i.e., brand new graduates) with a year's experience each, of one 65 year old with 25 years of experience? The obvious answer, of course, is that the crowd of 23 year olds has more brainpower, but the real question is whether the value of experience outweighs the obvious advantage in mental watts of the group. My… -
Where is James?
17 Jun 2009 | 10:32 pmI wanted to write a quick note to let you know that I'm presently engaged in reviewing the typeset proofs for Futureproofing, which arrived last week. You have to go through every single page, and use all these funny little coded marks to tell the publisher what changes you want made. It is all very tedious and very time consuming, especially as I have just found a significant error I made a few months ago in the manuscript. That means I have to write out all these pages of coded squiggles, using a crib-sheet the publisher conveniently supplied. The poor crib-sheet has been referred to so… -
Centre or Periphery Part 2
10 Jun 2009 | 10:52 pmIn a comment on my most recent post, where I suggested that banks are likely to be pushed out of the centre of the financial value chain, Colin Henderson writes: My own thinking on this is that banks, and we already see this to a certain extent, will evolve into two groups that I have roughly describe as: 1. financial utilities2. innovators The former will meander in and out of government control, but never stray far as economic impacts exceed the stress test results periodically. On their clear thinking days they will consider new services or approaches that will work in the future…
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Topix: Banking Business News
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Lynnwood's City Bank says it was reprimanded by FDIC
3 Jul 2009 | 10:06 amFor the third time this year, a Snohomish County-based community bank has been reprimanded by the federal government. -
First Financial acquires three banking centers
3 Jul 2009 | 5:50 amFirst Financial Bancorp has acquired three banking centers from Irwin Financial Corp. -
Chase will accept California IOUs for a week
3 Jul 2009 | 1:42 amChase bank said Thursday it would accept government IOUs from California through July 10 to help its customers as the state deals with a financial crisis. -
Canada cancels Haiti's $2.3M debt
2 Jul 2009 | 9:29 pmFederal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty answers questions after a meeting with his provincial and territorial counterparts in Mississauga, Ont. -
Bank of America sets $713 million TARP payment
2 Jul 2009 | 5:12 pmCHARLOTTE, N.C. - Bank of America Corp. said Thursday its board has authorized roughly $713 million in dividend payments to the U.S. government under the troubled asset relief program.
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Commercial Banking News
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Georgian Bank leadership changes part of strategy shift
3 Jul 2009 | 8:41 amThe new CEO of Atlanta's second largest, locally headquartered bank said his appointment signals a strategic shift in the midst of the worst financial industry crisis in decades. -
Report: Bank M&A activity declines
3 Jul 2009 | 8:15 amThe Texas banking merger and acquisition market that slowed to a crawl in 2008 has virtually come to halt. -
Georgian Bank founder and CEO Teel replaced
2 Jul 2009 | 3:41 pmThe founder and driving force behind the Atlanta’s second largest, locally headquartered bank has been replaced as chairman and CEO of the $2 billion institution and its holding company, in a move effective late Thursday. -
Millennium State Bank of Texas fails
2 Jul 2009 | 3:21 pmThe Texas Department of Banking on Thursday closed Dallas-based Millennium State Bank of Texas, the first bank failure in Texas this year and the first in the Dallas area in more than a decade. -
AuburnBank added to national stock index
2 Jul 2009 | 2:31 pmThe parent company of AuburnBank, Auburn National Bancorp. Inc., is being added to a national stock index in the “small cap” category.
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Investment Banking News
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Georgian Bank leadership changes part of strategy shift
3 Jul 2009 | 8:41 amThe new CEO of Atlanta's second largest, locally headquartered bank said his appointment signals a strategic shift in the midst of the worst financial industry crisis in decades. -
Report: Bank M&A activity declines
3 Jul 2009 | 8:15 amThe Texas banking merger and acquisition market that slowed to a crawl in 2008 has virtually come to halt. -
Georgian Bank founder and CEO Teel replaced
2 Jul 2009 | 3:41 pmThe founder and driving force behind the Atlanta’s second largest, locally headquartered bank has been replaced as chairman and CEO of the $2 billion institution and its holding company, in a move effective late Thursday. -
Millennium State Bank of Texas fails
2 Jul 2009 | 3:21 pmThe Texas Department of Banking on Thursday closed Dallas-based Millennium State Bank of Texas, the first bank failure in Texas this year and the first in the Dallas area in more than a decade. -
AuburnBank added to national stock index
2 Jul 2009 | 2:31 pmThe parent company of AuburnBank, Auburn National Bancorp. Inc., is being added to a national stock index in the “small cap” category.
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Bankinfosecurity.com
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7 Banks Closed Before Holiday Weekend
Six Illinois Institutions Among the FailuresThe July 4th holiday weekend started off with a bang late Thursday when federal regulators announced the closings of seven banks - six of them in Illinois, one in Texas. The seven failed institutions include: Founders Bank, Worth, IL.; Millennium State Bank of Texas, Dallas, TX; The First National Bank of Danville, Danville, IL.; The Elizabeth State Bank, Elizabeth, IL.; Rock River Bank, Oregon, IL.; The First State Bank of Winchester, Winchester, IL.; The John Warner Bank, Clinton, IL. -
FDIC Proposes New Rules for Bank Deals
The board of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) on Thursday voted to ask for comment on a proposal that would set higher limits for private equity firms purchasing failed banks. Under the proposal, private equity investors that would want to buy any failed banks would be limited from lending to investors and investment funds, and would have to make sure the new bank remained well capitalized. -
Cybersecurity Plan Means New Jobs
Agencies, Contractors Need Advanced Skills NowSo, the Obama administration has presented its cybersecurity plan establishing the practice as a major, new national priority. What does this mean for information security careers? Security experts that work closely with the government offer insights on the direction the new administration has taken regarding its security policies and how these can impact security careers. -
The Harvard State Bank, Harvard, Illinois, Assumes All of the Deposits of Rock River Bank, Oregon, Illinois
Rock River Bank, Oregon, Illinois, was closed today by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Banking, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with The Harvard State Bank, Harvard, Illinois, to assume all of the deposits of Rock River Bank. -
The Privatebank and Trust Company, Chicago, Illinois, Assumes All of the Deposits of Founders Bank, Worth, Illinois
Founders Bank, Worth, Illinois, was closed today by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Banking, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To protect the depositors, the FDIC entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with The PrivateBank and Trust Company, Chicago, Illinois, to assume all of the deposits of Founders Bank.
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Moreover Technologies - Bank of America news
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$318/Day Part-Time Jobs in - Sponsored Link
3 Jul 2009 | 10:53 amAd - Learn How I Make $9,500+ A Month Just Using My Home Computer. -
/C O R R E C T I O N -- Bank of America/
3 Jul 2009 | 10:53 am--In the news release, Bank of America to Pay $713 Million in TARP Preferred Dividends, issued 02-Jul-2009 by Bank of America over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that in the 13th and 14th paragraphs, the figure '$0.1916170' should read -
Bank of America sets $713 million TARP payment
3 Jul 2009 | 9:20 amBank of America Corp. said Thursday its board has authorized roughly $713 million in dividend payments to the U.S. government under the troubled asset relief program. The government's financial bailout program was extended to a number of financial -
Bank of America accused of anti-consumer practices
3 Jul 2009 | 6:45 amprint By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer and labor groups demanded Bank of America Corp and other lenders reform their sales practices so that workers under pressure to meet sales quotas do not saddle customers with costly and -
/C O R R E C T I O N -- Bank of America/
3 Jul 2009 | 6:17 amIn the news release, Bank of America to Pay $713 Million in TARP Preferred Dividends, issued 02-Jul-2009 by Bank of America over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that in the 13th and 14th paragraphs, the figure '$0.1916170' should read
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Moreover Technologies - Banking news
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.Bank Info - Sponsored Link
3 Jul 2009 | 12:47 pmAd - Get Info for .Bank from 14 search engines in 1. -
China Systems reports British Arab Commercial Bank deal
3 Jul 2009 | 12:47 pmChina Systems, the world's leading trade services solutions vendor, has recently signed British Arab Commercial Bank (BACB), one of China Systems' longest running customers, for use of its SOA compliant, J2EE-based Corporate Portal Trade Finance solution -
Two Taiwanese arrested for alleged bank scam
3 Jul 2009 | 12:45 pmTourist police have arrested two Taiwanese men for allegedly luring mainland Chinese to transfer money to specific accounts in China, and then withdrawing cash from ATMs in Pattaya. Wang Chen Chieh, 37, and Juan Tai Cheng, 34, were arrested at a Siam -
Bank of Canada details July 6 week liquidity ops
3 Jul 2009 | 12:42 pmTORONTO, July 3 (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada released the following details for its liquidity operations for the week of July 6. It said it will conduct: AUCTION AUCTION DATE TERM AMT MATURITY Term PRA July 6 168 days C$2 bln Dec 23/09 Term PRA for -
HSUS Teams up With Bank of America
3 Jul 2009 | 12:41 pmExtract not available.
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Moreover Technologies - US banking news
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Us Banks Info - Sponsored Link
3 Jul 2009 | 12:41 pmAd - Get Info on Us Banks from 14 search engines in 1. -
HSUS Teams up With Bank of America
3 Jul 2009 | 12:41 pmExtract not available. -
American Express Plans Live Audio Webcasts of the Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call and Sem...
3 Jul 2009 | 12:41 pmGrowth-Focused Women Entrepreneurs Overcome Challenging Economy to Reach Million... American Express Statement on Karl Malden American Express Introduces First in the Industry: New Service To Help Consumers... American Express Completes Repurchase of -
American Express Statement on Karl Malden
3 Jul 2009 | 12:41 pmAmerican Express Plans Live Audio Webcasts of the Second Quarter Earnings Confer... Growth-Focused Women Entrepreneurs Overcome Challenging Economy to Reach Million... American Express Introduces First in the Industry: New Service To Help Consumers... -
PNC Reporter Nick Delgado on the Patti Arroyo Show
3 Jul 2009 | 11:52 amWritten by Paul Charfauros K57 Interviews PNC Reporter Nick Delgado on the Patti Arroyo Show reporting on the three bodies found in Dededo. Listen to the Patti Arroyo Show every day 10 am to 12 pm on Newstalk K-57. If player does not load, then click
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Moreover Technologies - Commodities news
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Commodities Info - Sponsored Link
3 Jul 2009 | 11:22 amAd - Get Info for Commodities from 14 search engines in 1. -
DJ UPDATE: India Seen Importing Record Amount Of Sugar This Yr - ED&F Man
3 Jul 2009 | 11:22 amIndia is expected to import a record quantity of sugar from Brazil this year due to a reduced domestic production forecast, ED&F Man said Friday in a report. India is facing an 8 million metric ton sugar deficit in the harvest year ending in -
DJ Coffee Republic Requests Trading Suspension
3 Jul 2009 | 11:22 amCoffee Republic PLC (CFC.LN), a company engaged in the operation, both directly and through franchising, of specialty espresso and deli bars said Friday that it has requested the suspension of the quotation of its shares pending clarification of the -
DJ India Seen Importing Record Amount Of Sugar This Yr -ED&F Man
3 Jul 2009 | 11:21 amIndia is expected to import a record quantity of sugar from Brazil this year due to a reduced domestic production forecast, ED&F Man said Friday in a report. India is facing an 8 million metric ton sugar deficit in the harvest year ending in -
DJ MARKET TALK: Liffe Coffee Flat;US Bank Holiday Dampens Activity
3 Jul 2009 | 11:20 am1643 GMT [Dow Jones] Liffe robusta coffee futures are flat but have traded higher at times, buoyed by a slightly weaker dollar against the euro, says a London-based trader. He adds that trading activity has been lackluster given the fact that U.S.
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Moreover Technologies - Online banking news
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Online Banks Info - Sponsored Link
3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pmAd - Get Info for Online Banks from 14 search engines in 1. -
'Mobile Banking to Inject $8 Billion to Local Economy By 2012'
3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pm(Daily Trust/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Mobile banking in Nigeria is expected to contribute at least some $8 billion to Nigeria's treasury by year 2012, Rep Ado Dogo has said. Dogo, the Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on -
Alliance and Leicester launches Online Saver account paying market leading interest rate
3 Jul 2009 | 11:36 amPersonal Finance > finance news > Alliance & Leicester launches Online Saver account paying market leading interest rate Alliance & Leicester, part of Santander, has today launched an Online Saver account paying a market leading interest -
Bug leaves NetBank customers in the dark
3 Jul 2009 | 10:47 amONGOING problems with the Commonwealth Bank's internet banking system, NetBank, which prevented customers from seeing their transaction histories this week, have raised questions about the stability of the bank's IT infrastructure. A spokesman said the -
PayPal fixes shipping snafu, but will it be enough for the channel?
3 Jul 2009 | 8:25 amA survey by online payment company PayPal Inc. and e-business analysis firm ComScore Inc. shows that unexpected shipping charges cause 56 per cent of Canadian online shoppers to abandon their virtual carts. They don't know until the very end (of the
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Banking News
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Canada finance minister says unemployment to rise
3 Jul 2009 | 1:10 pmTORONTO Canada's finance minister said Friday that the country's economic recovery will likely be modest and job losses will mount into 2010 even after growth has begun. Jim Flaherty gave... -
How Angela Became Miss Germany
3 Jul 2009 | 1:04 pmAnyone wondering why Chancellor Angela Merkel is so popular with German voters may find some answers in an unlikely place this week. The first ever cartoon biography of the German leader hit book stor... -
MagIndustries Corp. Announces Resignation of Chief Financial Officer
3 Jul 2009 | 12:58 pmTORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 3, 2009) - MagIndustries Corp. (the "Corporation")(TSX VENTURE:MAA) today announced that Mr. Jeff Swinoga, the Corporation's Chief Financial Officer has resigned h... -
Canada Dominion Resources 2009 Limited Partnership Raises $40.0 Million
3 Jul 2009 | 12:44 pmTORONTO, July 3 /CNW/ - Canada Dominion Resources 2009 Limited Partnership (the "Partnership") announces the completion of its initial public offering of limited partnership units ("Units") pursuant... -
RBC Asset Management Inc. and Phillips, Hager & North June sales results
3 Jul 2009 | 12:44 pmTORONTO, July 3 /CNW/ - RBC Asset Management Inc. (RBC AM) and Phillips, Hager & North (PH&N) announced June net redemptions of $872 million. Money market funds had net redemptions of $1.3 billion a...
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Bank Lawyer's Blog
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It Takes A Village...Of Idiots
2 Jul 2009 | 7:44 pmMost bankers and bank regulators appear to be on hiatus until next week. The double whammy of Friday "flex day" and the day before a Saturday holiday has apparently driven the "bank biz" to seek a pool, an umbrella, and a cool beverage. Come to think of it, that sounds like a great idea.Instead of a "serious" (always a relative term on this blog) post, I'll leave you with some recent snark from a "Snark Meister," Libertarian, co-host of ABC television magazine program 20/20, and blogger John Stossel. He quotes Alan Abelson who, in turn, paraphrases the late Texas writer and liberal pundit… -
Boneheads Bash Bogus Tweeters
1 Jul 2009 | 7:27 pmA report in today's Wall Street Journal about consumer advocates organizing a hash-tag "tea party" to assault what the advocates thought was a Goldman Sachs Twitter account, but that turned out to be a fake Tweeter Bird, wasn't quite as amusing as the "Goldman Sex" fiasco, but it was close.ACORN, a grassroots housing advocacy organization, and MomsRising, an online community of mothers, told their members and the Twitter public at large to tweet “petition @GS_NEWS Prevent home foreclosures with the MHA program now! http://act.ly/5l retweet to sign #Homewrecker.” Their goal is to get… -
Blindsided
30 Jun 2009 | 7:45 pmI returned to the office today, haven't had time to read the SCOTUS opinions in Cuomo v. Clearing House Association, and won't get a chance to read them until this weekend. Therefore, I'll save my bloviating about it until next week. By that time, I should have some decent commentary written by others to pilfer and/or mock. One preliminary reaction, though: I didn't see this one coming, any more than I saw Ginsburg and the other court liberals joining forces with The Court Jester, then letting him write the majority opinion. I guess I should have taken the questions asked during oral argument… -
On The Road Again
24 Jun 2009 | 7:23 pmMy misanthropic nature periodically takes a whipping, usually at the instigation of my spousal unit. The next week is one of those times, when we must hit the road and visit family members. Inasmuch as my wife's family never heard of "family planning" (not even "natural" family planning) and bred like rabbits, this will entail a thousand miles of hard road, survivable only by the consumption of many (and I mean "many") Shiner Bocks (thank God Catholics drink!). Therefore, this blog will be on vacation until the middle of next week, at least.On the other hand, while I'll have laptop, cell,… -
ILCs: Plenty Of Fight In The Dog
23 Jun 2009 | 7:41 pmIt's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.---Mark TwainWhile the OTS has been getting much of the attention of the trade press for being singled out by "The One" and his minions for liquidation, the industrial loan corporation charter and similar forms of "non-bank banks" are also on the administration's chopping block. The Democrats in the House have been pushing for the end of the ILC for the last few years, especially during the eighteen month period that ended in early 2008 when the FDIC put a moratorium on insurance applications for new ILC charters…
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Topix: Finance News
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5 Stock Bargains, Based on Sales
2 Jul 2009 | 6:56 pmFor much the same reason, moderate changes in corporate sales can lead to huge swings in earnings. -
MovingBeyond the Lost Decade
2 Jul 2009 | 6:55 pmThe first decade of the 21st century is almost over, and for most folks, the end can't come too soon. -
The 'Cash for Clunkers' Law Looks Like a Lemon
2 Jul 2009 | 6:50 pmWhen President Barack Obama made the "Cash for Clunkers" bill law on June 24, supporters like Senator Carl Levin hailed it as a great way to modernize America's car fleet and "accelerate national economic recovery." But don't expect either to happen in any meaningful way. -
Retirement: The Big Rethink
2 Jul 2009 | 6:48 pmThe recession is making the sandwich generation feel a financial pinch. But they should not skimp on retirement savings. -
Inside Wall Street
2 Jul 2009 | 6:47 pmThe business of managing wealth has lost a lot of its pizzazz, and Wall Street is no longer upbeat on the sector.
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JD Supra Finance & Banking
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Public Finance and Litigation Alert: Massachusetts Ethics, Lobbying and Campaign Reform - How Will it Affect You?
3 Jul 2009 | 2:22 amContributor: Mintz Levin - Public Finance Section [View: Profile | Documents] -
Tender Offer Considerations for Cash Repurchases and Exchange Offers
1 Jul 2009 | 10:10 amContributor: Morrison & Foerster LLP [View: Profile | Documents] -
Surprise Annual Audit Proposed for Investment Advisers with "Custody" of Client Assets
1 Jul 2009 | 3:31 amContributor: Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP [View: Profile | Documents] -
Pacific Gas and Electric ("PG&E") Issues Its 2009 Renewable Portfolio Standard Solicitation
30 Jun 2009 | 10:28 amContributor: Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis [View: Profile | Documents] -
Energy and Clean Technology Alert: Smart Grid Stimulus Dollars May Start Flowing Soon
30 Jun 2009 | 10:03 amContributor: Mintz Levin - Corporate Practice [View: Profile | Documents]
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Wallet Pop: Banks
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Join us on our 'bank anger' tour across the blogosphere
2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pmFiled under: BanksBank fees are on the rise, and sometimes it may seem like there's not much we can do but complain. But complaining is something.Now, I know that it's nothing new to blast a bank on a blog, or trash it on Twitter or spread your fury about their practices on Facebook, but with bank fees climbing and climbing (overdraft fees are estimated to cost Americans $38.5 billion this year), I went on my own little Internet tour today, looking around for reactions to banking fees, just to see what I could find and get a sense of how people are feeling toward banks these days. Not too… -
15 million Citibank card holders will pay more, bank evading Fed's rules
1 Jul 2009 | 12:30 pmFiled under: Banks, Borrowing, CreditGot a Citibank credit card, or any one of the co-branded cards, including Sears and MySpace, among many others? You may have hoped you'd be safe from unreasonable rate hikes thanks to new Federal constraints on banks' ability to raise rates for borrowers. But those laws don't go into effect until February 2010, and for Citibank, there's no time like the present.According to the Financial Times, Citibank has already raised rates for you -- and you -- and you! As many as 15 million U.S. card accounts in total. And the increases are big. A Credit Suisse… -
Bank of America customer service goes Ms. South Carolina on me
24 Jun 2009 | 4:30 pmFiled under: Banks, Consumer ComplaintsBank of America complained that the credit markets were so tight, soooooooo tight, that it couldn't possibly generate cash in the private sector, and that was why it needed a federal bailout. Well now it got its federal bailout, and it continues to rip off consumers across the country with one of the worst savings account rates in the world -- 0.10% APY.This means that for every $1,000 you save with Bank of America, you get a pre-tax return of $1 per year. Emigrant Direct's FDIC-insured savings account pays 1.55%, and the national average on a money… -
How to save elderly relatives who keep falling for scams
19 Jun 2009 | 1:30 pmFiled under: Banks, Ripoffs and Scams, Technology, Fraud, Consumer ComplaintsMy family knows about cashier's check scams and other crafty international methods of loosing the elderly and other emotionally fragile types from their money. Over the past few months, both my husband's great uncle and his sister's ailing landlord have been the subject of a series of shysters and hopeful perpetrators of fraud; and despite a great deal of effort on my husband's part, no law enforcement officials, banks or wire services helped in the least. Fortunately, my husband has talked them out of sending money… -
Why yes, your bank fees are going up ... and there's more to come
18 Jun 2009 | 6:00 amFiled under: Banks, Consumer ComplaintsGrowing up, I always had the sense that a bank was where you'd go if you wanted to make money, not lose it. After all, I remember watching Mary Poppins on TV, and Mr. Banks' song, "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank," where he told his son in song: "If you invest your tuppence wisely in the bank, safe and sound, soon that tuppence, safely invested in the bank, will compound."Granted, you can still make money at your neighborhood bank, of course. But you can lose a lot of money, too. Even in these recessionary times, and actually because of these recessionary times,…
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AOL: Banking News
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Bank Fees Continue to Rise
18 Jun 2009 | 9:20 amStressed out over high bank fees? We provide you with the inside scoop on how to keep these costs at bay. If you want fewer bank fees in your future, consider doing the following... -
Woman Loses $1 Million in Mattress
10 Jun 2009 | 1:03 pmAccording to a story on CNN.com, In Tel Aviv, Israel, a woman gave her elderly mother a new mattress. It was a gift, and the daughter tossed out the old bed. -
Banks Boost Checking Fees to Raise Cash
28 May 2009 | 11:03 am -
A Newsman and His Housing Crisis
26 May 2009 | 8:34 amEdmund Andrews wasn't just reporting on the unfolding subprime-mortgage crisis -- he was also living it. The New York Times's economics writer and the author of the forthcoming Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown talks to us about how and why he got tripped up by a deal that was too good to be true. "I have no one to blame but myself for my woes," Andrews tells us. "But it is too easy to snarl in contempt at homeowners who got in over their heads in the housing bubble. I've seen too many people who really were duped by the system, and I've learned too much about how corrupt the… -
What the Cardholder Law Means to You
21 May 2009 | 4:54 pmPresident Obama may sign Congress's new bills protecting credit cardholders, making them federal law, as early as this week. But what does that mean to you? Read on to learn what's in the fine print.
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AOL: Checking Accounts
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Bankrate Checking Study
30 Jun 2009 | 2:48 amBankrate 2007 Checking Study -
Banks Boost Checking Fees to Raise Cash
28 May 2009 | 11:03 am -
'Times Magazine' on Credit, Foreclosure
15 May 2009 | 12:26 pmOn Sunday, The New York Times Magazine will publish its Money Issue, featuring at least two stories virtually guaranteed to spoil your brunch: reporter Edmund L. Andrews's personal tale of his own harrowing misadventures in the subprime-mortgage crisis, and Charles Duhigg's study of what the credit-card companies are doing to track your every move (and figure out whether you've been naughty or nice). Read on. -
Secured Credit Cards Harder to Get
4 May 2009 | 4:50 amIf you're someone who needs to establish or rebuild your credit, you're probably in the market for a secured credit card, backed by your own funds rather than a bank's. But offers for such cards are plummeting as banks shy away from taking on more risky debt. So how can you get a secured card if you really need one? Read on to learn some helpful stragegies. -
Cash Vanishes from Small-Biz Accounts
27 Apr 2009 | 1:36 pmSmall-business owners and entrepreneurs are fuming as credit-card processors, desperate to turn the tide of red ink and avoid their own bankruptcies, have begun demanding cash reservers from their customers -- and, in some cases, seizing cash from their cardholders' bank accounts. For a small business, the effects of such actions could be dire, even fatal. Read on to learn about a new threat to small business.
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AOL: Loan News
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The Inside Story on Home Loan Modifications
2 Jul 2009 | 7:51 amWalletPop's Lan Nguyen chats with Andy Firoved, CEO of Homeowner Toolbox, about what you need to know about landing that home loan modification. Listen in here. -
Government to Pay off Student Loans?
2 Jul 2009 | 7:44 amWith student lending volume growing at an unprecedented clip, many families are taking some comfort in the numerous repayment assistance programs that can come as a perk with some jobs -- most of which require government work. -
Small Businesses Borrow From Clients
30 Jun 2009 | 4:41 pmIt's a tough time for many businesses to get loans, especially small businesses that don't have the same assets that larger businesses can use as collateral. More business owners looking for alternate funding. The latest target - customers. Find out more -
Pressured Into Buying a House?
30 Jun 2009 | 4:41 pmIt's time to buy a home! That's what I hear several times a week from friends, co-workers and commercials. Feeling pressured? Read this renters story. -
Carnival of Money: Roadmap to Money Health
26 May 2009 | 12:17 pmAre you in a money rut? Or do you miss shopping and need help sticking to your resolution to save? Walletpop has rounded-up a some of the best money-advice blogs out there. Consider this your roadmap to money health.
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AOL: Student Loans
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College Aid Gets Simplified
26 Jun 2009 | 12:47 pmIn an effort to ease the FAFSA process, Education Secretary Arne Duncan has announced some plans to tackle this issue. View this post in full to find out more. -
The Dolans Tell How to Pay for College
19 Jun 2009 | 6:54 amFor many families, the college dream is turning into a financial nightmare. Your son or daughter gets accepted to a private university--great, right? Sure, until you start worrying about how to come up with enough money to cover that big tuition bill. Watch today's video as the Dolans have some surprising advice for a dad struggling to pay for his daughter's college education. -
Class of 2009 Struggles With Jobs
12 May 2009 | 11:46 amLuckily for our blogger Zac Bissonnette, he's still in school, but from what he sees, it's a tough market out there. See what he tells CNN about the woes of recent college grads. -
7 Places Grads Can Get Jobs
17 Apr 2009 | 1:03 pmAbout to graduate with no job in sight? Send your resume to these places, says SmartMoney and you might have some luck getting a job as everyone else is getting laid off. -
Credit Markets Improve -- But Don't Cheer
7 Apr 2009 | 12:57 pmWhile you might find it easier to get a mortgage or a big loan this spring than six months ago, the loosening of the credit markets has economists feeling more spooked than celebratory. Any brief leap is better than a brief tumble, but the bounce doesn't counter our exploding unemployment or heal our banks. As last week's stock-market rally starts to feel very ... last week, it's worth noting that a phenomenon like the credit-markets bounce is familiar enough to have its own macabre nickname, a nickname not beloved by cat-fanciers. Read on to find out more.
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AOL: Credit
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Credit Card Companies Have Their Way
1 Jul 2009 | 8:47 amSuze Orman has pointed out, that the credit card companies have an entire year to have their way with you. And nobody will hear you scream. Find out more. -
What You Buy Affects Your Credit
29 Jun 2009 | 1:37 pmAs credit card companies continue to tighten their lending standards on card users, some are using purchasing data -- gleaned from millions of card transactions processed daily -- to weed out who may or may not be good credit risks. -
Job Losses, Housing Market Driving More Bankruptcies
29 Jun 2009 | 10:15 amJob losses and the disastrous housing market continue to drive more and more people into bankruptcy court. View this article in full to find out more. -
What Will New Credit Card Rules Mean for those Under 21
29 Jun 2009 | 10:01 amThe new credit card rules signed into law recently herald a great deal of positive changes, but one requirement sticks out as an odd addition. -
High Credit Score Increases ID Theft Risk
25 Jun 2009 | 3:21 pmHaving a high credit score makes it easier -- and cheaper -- for you to borrow money, but a high score also makes it easier for identity thieves to secure stolen credit in your name. Read on to learn more about a disturbing new report from credit-report provider Experian.
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AOL: Credit Cards
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What You Buy Affects Your Credit
29 Jun 2009 | 1:37 pmAs credit card companies continue to tighten their lending standards on card users, some are using purchasing data -- gleaned from millions of card transactions processed daily -- to weed out who may or may not be good credit risks. -
High Credit Score Increases ID Theft Risk
25 Jun 2009 | 3:21 pmHaving a high credit score makes it easier -- and cheaper -- for you to borrow money, but a high score also makes it easier for identity thieves to secure stolen credit in your name. Read on to learn more about a disturbing new report from credit-report provider Experian. -
Don't be Fooled by Discover's 'Cash Over'
25 Jun 2009 | 10:54 amDiscover claims that Cash Over is a great way to avoid ATM transaction fees and combine two trips without any surprises. But for most credit card users, this is almost as bad as using your credit card for a cash advance. -
Pay Only Half Your Credit Card Debt
17 Jun 2009 | 12:58 pmCredit-card companies are realizing it's better to get something than nothing. some credit card companies have changed the rules and are giving front-line customer service reps the right to cut your principal balance, as well as interest and penalties, if your balance is past due. -
Even Smart People Make Credit Mistakes
10 Jun 2009 | 12:58 pmSo you think you're a good credit card holder? You live within your means, you don't have too many cards, and you pay your bill every month? You might have the virtue of a nun, but the credit card issuers will still find a way to to take a swipe at you. Here are six things that even regular paying cardholders should look out for.
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AOL: Credit Reports
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High Credit Score Increases ID Theft Risk
25 Jun 2009 | 3:21 pmHaving a high credit score makes it easier -- and cheaper -- for you to borrow money, but a high score also makes it easier for identity thieves to secure stolen credit in your name. Read on to learn more about a disturbing new report from credit-report provider Experian. -
Even Smart People Make Credit Mistakes
10 Jun 2009 | 12:58 pmSo you think you're a good credit card holder? You live within your means, you don't have too many cards, and you pay your bill every month? You might have the virtue of a nun, but the credit card issuers will still find a way to to take a swipe at you. Here are six things that even regular paying cardholders should look out for. -
The Best Credit Card Perks Left Today
5 Jun 2009 | 10:54 amHere's the scoop: the airline industry and credit card companies have promised more perks to help consumers save money. However, when our fellow WalletPoppers Andrea Chalupa and Todd Pruzan talked with Mr. Credit Card of AskMrCreditCard.com for Walletpop Radio, another strategy came to light. -
Time to Schedule a Credit-Card Checkup
27 May 2009 | 7:20 amIf you haven't requested a copy of your credit report for mistakes recently, or contacted your creditors about your rewards points, it might be time for an annual review of your credit cards. Read on to find out the benefits and how to make a check-up work for you. -
Obama Signs Credit Card Reforms into Law
22 May 2009 | 1:34 pmPresident Barack Obama signed new credit card rules into law Friday. Finally consumers will get the protection they need starting as early as August.
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AOL: Mortgage News
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Time for the Return of ARMS?
30 Jun 2009 | 4:39 pm"We might even be back to looking at adjustable-rate mortgages," says Bob Moulton, president of Americana Mortgage. Have we learned absolutely nothing from this mortgage meltdown? Find out more. -
Houses at $299k Sell Better Than $301k
30 Jun 2009 | 4:33 pmIn a piece on selling your home in a hurry, Money Magazine staff reporter Beth Braverman offers some good tips -- but then there's this clunker... -
More Americans are Behind on their Mortgage Payments
30 Jun 2009 | 8:58 amNow that one in eight people are behind on their mortgages, the "it's not so bad" crowd seems to have quieted down a bit. But here's the reason that we should relax: -
Is a Reverse Mortgage a Good Deal?
26 Jun 2009 | 7:21 amCompanies are promoting a reverse mortgage as "the answer". Watch today's video to learn whether a reverse mortgage is right for you, and get a few warnings about the potential risks. -
Portland Mayor Headed for Foreclosure?
17 Jun 2009 | 12:59 pmPortland, Oregon Mayor Sam Adams is five months behind on his mortgage. And now his default notice is all over the state's foreclosure website!
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Capital Solutions Bancorp Blog
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7 Tips to Grow Your Business
24 Jun 2009 | 4:50 pmThe economy is not an excuse for becoming stagnant. Many businesses are growing today. Yes, today. Many of today's big and successful businesses were founded in tough times. Need names? Here you go: Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and Southwest Airlines. I'm not saying ignore the economy and go about your business. Rather, I'm suggesting you take a look at your business in the following seven ways. These will help you grow your business and cash flow.read more -
The Effects of Making Late Payments
22 Jun 2009 | 9:24 pmA business that chooses to pay its employees and vendors late instead of taking out a line of credit to get the needed cash flow will experience more problems as opposed to avoiding interest by not taking out a line of credit. Not taking out a line of credit for paying bills and making payroll causes the following problems:read more -
Starting a Business during Tough Times
19 Jun 2009 | 8:49 amThink the gloomy economy is the worst time to start a business or to add new products and services? Think again. Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Method (environment-friendly soaps and household cleaners) all came to be during an economic downturn. How in the world do such companies manage to thrive when starting up during bad times? A blasted economy offers several advantages for new companies:read more -
Invoice Your Way to Cash Flow
15 Jun 2009 | 8:42 amHow you handle your business invoicing process can affect your cash flow. As I've said it many times in this blog, cash flow keeps your business going. It doesn't matter how well a business is doing, it's possible to lose it all due to poor cash flow management.read more -
A Factoring Tale
12 Jun 2009 | 9:20 pmJames was in the oil and gas business. He sold equipment to oil and gas companies that need to replace broken or missing parts. One day, another business owner approached James with a fabulous deal, the kind you couldn't pass up.read more
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HomeATM Blog
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HomeATM's SafeTPIN Could Cut E2EE Upgrade Costs in Half
3 Jul 2009 | 12:29 pmEnd-to-End Encryption Would Cost $4.8 Billion - MercatorHomeATM's PCI 2.0 Certified SafeTPIN could cut those costs by $3.0 Billion (60%) or More!Digital Transactions published a story on the cost of end-to-end encryption. Here is an excerpt:Demand is booming for better payment card security as a result of the many data breaches of recent years, and the solution being touted more than any other is “end-to-end encryption.” But a new report from Mercator Advisory Group Inc. asserts that the term is imprecise and implementing the technology will take incentives, collaboration, and… -
"Who Killed Michael Jackson?" The Answer at a Malicious Website
3 Jul 2009 | 9:51 amAccording to TrendMicro's blog, there is an email spam which is playing on the "inquiring minds want to know" crowd by asking: "Who killed Michael Jackson?" The answer of course is located on a malicious website. From TrendMicro:"Michael Jackson has been dead for a week already, but there are still a lot of speculations regarding his death. The spam runs are plenty as well — a Michael Jackson-related spam was seen bearing the subject "Who killed Michael Jackson?", coming from a sender named x-files. The spam message suggests that the icon was killed, and that information… -
Nigeria Hit Hard by Onliine Scams
3 Jul 2009 | 9:27 amIn late June I posted about the problems Nigeria was having with their ATM systems. Now, ComputerWorld Kenya is reporting that banks have not done enough to protect consumers when it comes to online banking and online transactions. Here's a blurb from the June 23rd post on the problem with Nigerian ATM's followed by ComputerWorlds story regarding online scams. Pictured on the left is corporate offices of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)Nigerians call for scrapping of ATM System The current upsurge and nefarious activities of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) fraudsters is… -
Overstock Drops Affiliates 4 States Over Internet Taxes then Rein"states" 2
3 Jul 2009 | 8:30 amOverstock.com's marketing affiliates in two states must have been in a total "state of confusion" as Overstock first "stated" that they were being dropped (so Overstock wouldn't have to collect sales tax) before shortly thereafter, rein"stating" them. Hawaii made a "statement" by vetoing the internet tax bill and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stated it made "absolutely no sense." I wonder if he said that from his estate? Wall Street Journal Overstock.com Inc. informed its marketing affiliates in four states — California*, Hawaii**, North Carolina and Rhode Island… -
More on MasterCard Settling 13 Year Wal*Mart Case
2 Jul 2009 | 6:49 pmEarlier today, I posted that Visa has deposited a total of $4.8 Billion dollars over the past 15 months into their "Litigation Escrow Fund" which equivocates to $340,000,000 per month over the last 15 months. Then I posted that MasterCard has decided to pay off their antitrust lawsuit settlement early, for $335,000,000, thus saving $65,000,000. Digital Transactions has a story on the settlement. Here's an excerpt:MasterCard Puts the 13-Year-Old Wal-Mart Case in the Rear-View Mirror (July 2, 2009) MasterCard Inc. plans to pay off its remaining $400 million settlement…
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About.com: Banking
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FDIC Takes 2 Banks - 47 in 2009
2 Jul 2009 | 10:23 amIt looks like the FDIC wants to get a jump on the holiday weekend. Today they announced 2 bank failures: First State Bank of Winchester (Winchester, IL) John Warner Bank (Clinton, IL) Losses to... -
No More Microsoft Money
1 Jul 2009 | 12:29 pmWhat a day: the Sony Walkman turns 30, and Microsoft Money goes away. Microsoft will no longer offer the product for sale. It turns out they're better at operating... -
Free Bill Pay Services
30 Jun 2009 | 2:59 amAre there any free bill pay services out there? Paying bills online makes life easy. You don't have to write checks, get them into the mail, and sort through your... -
Some Benefit From Reward Checking, Some Pay
29 Jun 2009 | 11:23 amRewards checking accounts pay high interest rates on money in a checking account. How do they do it? The bank requires you to jump through some hoops, with requirements such... -
A Virus at the ATM?
25 Jun 2009 | 8:00 amThis is not about catching H1N1 from the person in front of you. Some ATMs can be hacked and infected with a nasty program that doles out sensitive information. The...
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BankInnovation.net
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Judge Rules; It is legal to post Social Security numbers on Web sites
Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert B.J. Ostergren is a proud Virginian. She’s known as “The Virginia Watchdog,” but I like to call her “The Pit Bull of Personal Privacy.” She is relentless in her efforts to protect citizens’ privacy, and she is primarily concerned with the posting of personal information online. So in order to make this point, she finds politicians’ personal information on their own states’ websites, and republishes that information online. Publicly appointed government employees known as Clerks of Courts, County Clerks or Registrars are responsible for… -
Identity Theft Credit Card Security
Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert Credit card fraud comes in two different flavors: account takeover and new account fraud. Account takeover occurs when the identity thief gains access to your credit or debit card number through criminal hacking, dumpster diving, ATM skimming, or perhaps you simply hand it over when paying at a store or restaurant. Technically, account takeover is the most prevalent form of identity theft. I’ve always viewed it as simple credit card fraud, rather than “identity theft” in its truest sense. New account fraud, as it relates to credit cards, occurs… -
GE Capital to Lay Off 127
GE Capital, the one-time pride of General Electronic, has laid off 127 more people in its Connecticut offices. The company continues to lay off employees, and when all is said and done, GE Capital is expected to have reduced its staff by 37%, according to Layoff Tracker. Here's an expert from the blog's post: GE Capital Corp. has laid off 127 employees at a Bedford operation in the past three months, and the company said staff reductions may continue through mid-September. The company said it is restructuring its GE Capital Americas, which has an operation at 2208 Texas 121, according to a… -
Why Bair Will Lose Her Fight with Geithner
The pitched battle over regulatory reform essentially boils down to two perspectives. There is the Geithner camp that argues systemic risk should be monitored and minimized when it pops up. And there is the Sheila Bair camp that says the prospect of concentrated systemic risk should be eliminated before it has a chance to surface, much in the way Teddy Roosevelt eliminated the opportunity for trusts to surface. Whichever side you agree with (I favor Bair's) matters little, because the ultimate winner will be crowned not on merit, but on another factor: access to President Obama. This week The… -
18% Drop for Case-Schiller Index
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The Financial Brand
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Time capsule: ‘Bank of the Future’ from 1973
2 Jul 2009 | 4:21 amFor as modern and progressive as the vision for this project was, it’s interesting that they didn’t foresee the advent of TV merchandising. These days, that text-cluttered sign would be on a gorgeous, vertically-mounted plasma screen. Check out the silver, spacey boots and matching uniform on the “Banker of the Future.” It’s fresh off the set of Star Trek. In the bottom-right inset there’s a photo of the TV teller — it’s an innovation from Diebold. Further Reading: Read more about this “Bank of the Future” at Wells Fargo’s… -
Inside-out vs. outside-in
1 Jul 2009 | 4:21 amHere are two different approaches to building a brand strategy. 1) INSIDE-OUT You pick your own brand direction. You take a stand, confidently go out to the world and declare, “This is what we stand for and the way we are going.” A combination of gut instincts and sheer courage is enough to create the conviction that your brand strategy will resonate with your target audience. You believe with all your heart that by sticking to your guns, you’ll win a loyal following. Financial brands are most commonly built from the inside-out. Why? In some cases, an organization simply has supreme… -
10 interesting (and free) whitepapers
30 Jun 2009 | 4:21 amBank Branches That Meet Customer Needs McKinsey always delivers valuable insights, and this whitepaper is no disappointment. From the description: “Banks agree that branch networks will long remain the cornerstone of their retail distribution strategy. Banks have spent huge sums refurbishing their branches, but they adopt an intuitive approach that emphasizes aesthetics and expensive format changes, overlooking the customer’s needs.” Great stuff packed into 8 pages. DOWNLOAD THE REPORT How Financial Services Institutions Can Build Share of Wallet and Loyalty Online The 2009… -
Caja Navarra: Pioneers in Civic Banking
29 Jun 2009 | 4:21 amIn northern Spain, there’s a bank that really gets branding. It’s called Caja Navarra, or CAN for short, and they could show community banks in the United States a thing or two about what’s really possible with “community banking.” They didn’t just slap a bunch of generic principles together and call it a brand strategy. CAN has wrapped itself entirely around one, two-word concept: Civic Banking. The brand strategy is built solely around transparency, accountability and, above all, social responsibility. Never before has The Financial Brand seen a bank so… -
Snapshots of stories you might have missed
26 Jun 2009 | 11:38 amHere’s what’s been making the news in the financial industry lately. Click on the hotlinked summaries to read the full story. No Ally: Bankers turn on one of their own Jack Those Fees: With all those deposits, how else are you going to make money? Take It Back: 31 banks have given back $70 billion in TARP funds Viral Fail! Blog post about systemic nightmare at bank goes viral (read comments) Web 2.0: 10 ways financial services can use social media Photo Cops: Innocent picture of an open ATM lands man in jail Remote Tellers: Souped-up ATMs come to Michigan eMagazine: Green Banking This…
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Bank News, Bank Deals, My Bank Tracker
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A Recession-Proof CD From Discover Bank
3 Jul 2009 | 8:30 amIf you’re worried about hanging on to your job in the next few months and this worry has stopped you from putting your saved money into a CD, Discover Bank just might have the solution for you. 12-month CDs opened from July 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009 can be withdrawn before maturity without any penalties if the reason for withdrawal is job loss. It’s essentially a No-Penalty CD strictly if you become unemployed. And at 2.20% APY, it’s the highest 12-month no-penalty CD anyone can find these days. To qualify for the penalty-free Benefit, one should: Be a full time employee… -
$200 Business Checking Bonus Available From Chase
3 Jul 2009 | 8:09 amChase is currently offering a $200 bonus to new and old consumers who open a business checking promotion by 7/31/09. The bonus requires a $500 minimum deposit, but comes with a Free Business Checking where you pay no monthly service fees (up to 200 monthly transactons) on a Chase BusinessClassic Checking or Chase BusinessClassic Checking with Interest account when you have an active Chase Business Credit Card. The promotion can be viewed here. This offer is only available to Chase and not Wamu consumers. -
The CD Ladder Explained: Maximizing Yields and Balancing Risks
2 Jul 2009 | 9:23 amWith CD rates at rock-bottom low these days, laddering your CD portfolio is a good way of taking advantage of the highest CD rates at present while ensuring that you still have easy access to part of your funds should CD rates climb back up in the near future. But first, what is a ladder CD? A CD ladder is a strategy for investing in CDs where an individual doesn’t just invest in a single CD for a fixed amount of time, but instead “ladders” his CD investments over different maturities. The general rule of thumb for CDs is the longer the term, the higher the rate of return… -
Top No-penalty CDs July 1, 2009
1 Jul 2009 | 11:59 amIf you’re afraid of the long term commitments of CDs or just inexperienced, take a look at a type of CD called No-Penalty (No-Penalty CDs are also known as liquid CDs or bump-up CDs). Traditionally No-Penalty CDs have a bit lower APY than regular CDs, but with such difficult financial times and if your job may be at risk, it’s a perfect way to invest. Here is a rundown of some No-Penalty CDs by months: 9 Months CD No-penalty CD 1.20% APY: When it comes to 9 month CDs, two of the best-known banks give you simple options with a good rate for your investment. Bank of America is… -
Irwin Union Bank is Giving Away Free HDTV and HD Camcorders
1 Jul 2009 | 5:30 amIrwin Union Bank has come up with an exciting promotion. Here’s the deal: Open an 11-month CD with a minimum of $20,000 and get a free 22-inch HD LCD TC or an HD Camcorder! The promotion is available until August 31, 2009. A lot of people already gave credit to Irwin Union Bank for this promotion. It is definitely a lot better than the usual toaster given away by other banks. The 11-month CD does not have a flat rate. You are required to type in your local zip code first and you will be given your area’s rate. Their 11-month CD rates can range from 1.75 APY to 2.60 APY. Though this sounds…
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Obamanomics
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Manhattans still cost a million dollars | NY Times
2 Jul 2009 | 6:09 amManhattan apartment prices fell sharply during the second quarter of 2009, as the limited number of deals struck during the darkest months of the economic downturn began to close, according to a series of market reports released Wednesday. The number of closings fell more than 50 percent, and prices in some categories were reported down as much as 25 percent, compared with the same quarter in 2008. Sale prices were also down from those reported in the first quarter of 2009. One report, by Brown Harris Stevens and Halstead Property, put the average price of a Manhattan apartment in the second… -
Banking on an alliance | FT.com
30 Jun 2009 | 10:36 pmIn 2005, after his triumphant return to Morgan Stanley – the bank he had left four years before after losing a power struggle – John Mack got a call from the Tokyo office. The senior banker on the other end of the line urged the new chief executive to strike a joint venture with one of the large Japanese banks to take advantage of their large deposit base and unparalleled corporate connections. Four years and a devastating financial crisis later, the Tokyo office has had its way. Morgan Stanley and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the world’s largest banks by… -
2 Consulting Firms Merge in $3.5 Billion Deal – DealBook Blog – NYTimes.com
29 Jun 2009 | 1:36 amTwo management consulting firms, Towers Perrin Forster & Crosby and Watson Wyatt Worldwide, on Sunday announced an agreement to merge into a new publicly listed company called Towers Watson. The deal, valued at about $3.5 billion, will help the companies extend their global reach, the companies said in a statement, according to Reuters. Under the terms of the agreement, Watson Wyatt shareholders would receive 50 percent of Towers Watson shares on a fully diluted basis. Towers Perrin shareholders and some of its employees would be entitled to 50 percent of the new company’s shares on… -
Burger King’s Brand Image Strategy = Controversy
27 Jun 2009 | 3:32 amTHIS COULD HAVE BEEN A BANKING CAMPAIGN FOR CREDIT APPLNS In an effort to keep making horrible ads that have nothing to do with whatever Burger King’s brand identity is they’ve come out with this pile of crap: Let’s not forget their past insulting work here, Mexican get sizzled, and here, Slap that booty. Obviously the only branding strategy Burger King can come up with is to be controversial. Brilliant. So I’m out of the Burger King loop. They obviously want people in the business to write negatively about them because what women is gonna run out and buy this sandwich now? And do men… -
Railroads, bridges, airports and ETFs
25 Jun 2009 | 10:17 amCountries worldwide are dedicating vast amounts of money to infrastructure spending over the next five years and there are easy avenues to prosper from this spending with ETFs. A recent white paper by Eric J. Gerritsen on The Journal of Commerce Online provides a brilliant snap shot of the infrastructure boom that awaits. Eye Popping Numbers According to Gerristen’s White Paper, the U.S. will spend $150 billion of the government’s stimulus funds on infrastructure. Other developed nations like Germany, Australia, Great Britain and Canada are all planning large amounts of…
