Finance Globe

Choosing a Financial InstitutionIf you need to open a checking and savings account, and possibly even get a credit card, it's a good idea to do some comparison shopping before you open your accounts.Aside from offering the services you need, convenience and cost should be your two determining factors in choosing a financial institution. A branch location near school, work, or home can save you time, but it may be worth a short walk or drive...

President Bush announced this morning the decision to help U.S. automakers General Motors Corp. and Chrysler, LLC with an emergency loan to give them an opportunity to bring their businesses back to profitability. Ford Motor Company is not taking out a government loan at the moment; Ford CEO Alan Mullaly said that they have enough money to get through the ongoing recession.Bush said that under normal economic circumstances he would allow the automakers to fail as...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, reported earlier today that Atlanta, Georgia-based sub-prime card issuer CompuCredit Corporation has agreed to a settlement in response to charges of unfair and abusive credit card practices.The FTC filed a complaint in federal court in June 2008, alleging that CompuCredit Corporation used deceptive and misleading conduct in marketing, issuing, and servicing of credit accounts.The sub-prime card issuer has agreed to reverse fees associated with their credit...

The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), a division of the U.S. Treasury Department, approved a final rule today to prevent savings associations from engaging in credit card practices that are unfair to consumers.The Federal Reserve Board (FRB) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) are expected to approve the same rule later today, so that consumers can expect the same kinds of protections regardless of what type of financial institution issued their credit cards.The OTS began...

The U.S. Department of Labor reported today that consumer prices declined by 1.7% in November, after a 1% decrease in October. Price declines like this may seem very small to the consumer - a 2% discount is hardly anything to get excited about - but the U.S. hasn't seen a price decline this severe in the entire time the Department of Labor has been keeping track of consumer prices starting in 1947.Price Changes by CategoryThough the...

The Federal Reserve announced today that they cut the federal funds rate to a range of 0 to .25%, down from the previous interest rate of 1%. The rate cut brings the key interest rate down to a historic low. Citing their concern over the worsening job market, and the decrease in consumer spending, business investment, and industrial production, this is the Fed's latest attempt at stimulating the economy with a rate cut.The Fed stated that...

Unemployment rates in the U.S. continue to creep upward as the economy lost over a half a million jobs last month. The Department of Labor reported on Friday that the jobless rate for November is 6.7%, up from 6.5% in October.We haven't experienced this level of joblessness for over fifteen years, since September of 1993 according to statistics from the Department of Labor.The U.S. economy has lost 2.7 million jobs and the unemployment rate has risen...

This morning President-elect Barack Obama outlined details of the economic recovery plan that will create or save 2.5 million American jobs and help both Main Street and Wall Street.Obama plans to strengthen the economy by improving the nation's infrastructure, reducing the nation's dependency on foreign oil through energy-efficiency programs, and by fixing schools as an investment in our children. He has spoken of this plan a number of times, but without giving many details; the Obama...

It can be difficult to raise kids that aren't influenced by the ads, the commercials, and what their friends have. Hey, it's even hard for adults to resist becoming at least a little materialistic. While there's nothing wrong with enjoying some of the creature comforts that make life a little more enjoyable, overdoing it can leave a person with a pile of debt and a pile of clutter.Those who let it go too far as adults...

President-elect Barack Obama said in his address on Friday that this week's news points to the severity of the nation's economic crisis, citing that new home purchases for October were at the lowest level in fifty years, while 540,000 claims for unemployment were filed last week - the highest in eighteen years. He also said that "we now risk falling into a deflationary spiral that could increase our massive debt even further." He said he was...