Federal Reserve governor Elizabeth Duke is due to give a really nice piece of testimony tomorrow unpacking what’s going on with small-businesses lending. Judging by the advance text up on the Fed’s web site, it will be a joyously nuanced picture. Banks are hesitant to lend, yes, and are sometimes hamstrung by their own imprudent lending …
federal reserve
Oddities of the Blackrock-AIG report
So far it appears the most noteworthy document of the 250,000 pages obtained by the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, which is holding a hearing on Wednesday on AIG’s government bailout, is a 44-page powerpoint presentation put together by bond firm Blackrock analyzing the insurer’s ability to negotiate haircuts on its …
Store Credit Cards on the Spot? Not So Fast
The days of getting a store-affiliated credit card in seconds at the checkout line of a Macy’s, Talbots, or any other store may be over.
Fed’s Next Target: Gift Card Fees
After stepping into the debit card overdraft fray, the Federal Reserve is now taking on gift cards.
Debit Card Overdraft Reform Gets the OK. Now What?
When Congress introduced credit card reform, the banks and credit card issuers reacted by jacking up rates and adding new fees. Likewise, with the Federal Reserve ruling that banks must reform the way debit card overdraft fees are assessed, there will certainly be unintended consequences: Banks are sure to react with new strategies that …
Doing the Math to Wipe Out Credit Card Debt
How much does credit card debt really cost you? Most people don’t even want to think about it, let alone do the math themselves. But with the federal reserve’s free and simple credit card repayment calculator, you don’t have much of an excuse.