Posted on February - 07 - 2010

Coming soon: Clearer credit card bills

Those low, low monthly minimum payments no longer will be an excuse.

Under the credit card reform law that starts to kick in Feb. 22, credit card issuers must put the bad news right upfront on your monthly bills:

If you make only the minimum payment each period, you will pay more in interest, and it will take you longer to pay off your balance.

And then they have to show you the math, such as how many months’ worth of minimum payments it would take to reduce your balance to zero and how much you would save in interest by paying off the balance in 36 months.

That’s one of many changes coming to your credit card accounts and statements courtesy of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009.

Read more…

Posted on February - 06 - 2010

The Banks and the Mortgage Brokers

Over the past decade franchised mortgage brokers have experienced boom times. Mortgage Choice, RAMS, Wizard and others expanded to meet the demand for credit from the proliferation of non-bank credit providers; until recently. There’s no escaping the brutal reality of the credit crisis: it’s hitting the non bank sector hardest.

According to the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) the market share of non bank mortgage originators has declined from a peak of 15 per cent to about 4 per cent; effectively bringing an abrupt halt to the trend from the late 1990s. The appeal of buying into a branded, non bank franchise may be waning.

Mortgage brokers often work in what are referred to as a franchise environment. Thi

Read more…

Posted on February - 06 - 2010

What is Equitable Relief for the Victims of a Ponzi Scheme?

A Ponzi scheme uses money from later investors to pay unrealistically high returns to earlier investors. Accordingly, earlier participants are more likely to have received a financial benefit than later investors. When a Ponzi scheme unravels, a key question is how to fairly distribute any recoveries to the victims. Should earlier investors be required to return the amounts they withdrew? Should the recovered funds be distributed in proportion to the amounts invested (net of any withdrawals) or in proportion to the amounts reported on the last account statements? 

Similar issues were argued before Judge Burton R.

Read more…

Posted on February - 02 - 2010

Are Unused Items Around Your Home Causing Strain on Your Relationship?

We all know that money is one issue that often leads to stress in relationships, but many people might not realize that unused items lying around the house can add to anxieties. A recent survey found that over 81% of Americans view unused items lying around the house as sources of tension in their relationships. To help couples cohabitate in peace, Kijiji has pulled together a few points to consider the next time you pick a fight over clutter.

Battle of the Sexes

Whether it’s a pair of designer shoes or a set of golf clubs, unused items can clutter up a home quickly – and can lead to a battle of the sexes. T

Read more…

Posted on February - 02 - 2010

How to Reduce Cost For Your Office Supplies

When there is fallout on the economy and businesses began to feel the effect of the crisis one of their best defenses is to check if they are overspending on operational costs and when there is the necessity for cutting some of the operational costs the most probable part that could be affected is the budget for office supplies. Operational costs enclose the budget for the office supplies because the supplies are the contemporary tools in conducting the business’s operation so each piece of supply is a valuable item necessary to make jobs done in an office setting. H

Read more…