interest rate – News Stories About interest rate - Page 5

MARKETS

Dec 16, 2008 3:23 PM CST

Dow Jumps 359 on Rate Cut

Hopes that financials may soon be clear of bad debt also buoys sentiment

(Newser) - Stocks rallied today as investors cheered the Federal Reserve’s sharp federal funds rate cut and other policy measures designed to combat the economic crisis, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow rose 359.61 to close at 8,924.14. The Nasdaq climbed 81.55, closing at 1,589....

Fed Cuts Rate to 0%-0.25%

Dec 16, 2008 1:40 PM CST

Fed Cuts Rate to 0%-0.25%

Target is record low as Reserve battles recession

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve today cut its target for a key interest rate to the lowest level on record and pledged to use "all available tools" to combat a severe financial crisis and prolonged recession. The central bank says it reduced the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge...

Record Low Rates Leave Investors Cold

Dec 15, 2008 9:14 AM CST

Record Low Rates Leave Investors Cold

Cut is likely tomorrow, but Wall Street wants more varied approach

(Newser) - Tomorrow the Federal Reserve will probably cut its target interest rate to 0.5%, the lowest in decades. But, the Wall Street Journal reports, investors are unlikely to be cheered by a further slash, instead waiting to hear what further measures Fed chief Ben Bernanke is preparing now that interest...

Dow Falls 427 to Below 8,000

MARKETS

Nov 19, 2008 3:21 PM CST

Dow Falls 427 to Below 8,000

Bad news in housing and predictions of recession sour stocks

(Newser) - Stocks plunged today on a spread of bad economic news, including signs that the housing market is not improving and dire predictions by the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate committee, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow fell 427.47 to close at 7,997.28. The Nasdaq lost 96.85,...

Crisis Looms for Credit Cards

ANALYSIS

Nov 14, 2008 3:10 PM CST

Crisis Looms for Credit Cards

Soaring defaults could fell normally resilient industry

(Newser) - Credit cards may be the next industry to be pummeled by the financial crisis, Time reports. The charge-off rate—money that lenders don't think they'll collect—is set to hit 10% in 2009. That's double the rate of the last decade and amounts to $96 billion in unpaid debt. Typically...

Banks Boost Interest Rates to Lure Deposits

Nov 14, 2008 11:03 AM CST

Banks Boost Interest Rates to Lure Deposits

'Price war' increases pressure on profit margins, loan funds

(Newser) - Banks are boosting interest rates on deposits in an effort to increase the supply of cash available for lending, resulting in what one consultant calls a "national price war," the Wall Street Journal reports. Many banks are pinched between the desire to build up deposits and the shrinking...

Think 1% Is Low?
He Could Go to Zero

Oct 30, 2008 9:45 AM CDT

Think 1% Is Low? He Could Go to Zero

Analysts predict Japan-style cuts in interest rates

(Newser) - Yesterday Ben Bernanke cut the federal funds rate to an ectomorphic 1%—but the Fed might not be done yet. More and more analysts are predicting that the central bank will have to cut rates all the way to zero if it wants to get the economy moving again. But...

Time Is
Ripe to Pass
Cash to Heirs

Your money

Oct 18, 2008 12:05 PM CDT

Time Is Ripe to Pass Cash to Heirs

Struggling market can help you avoid paying estate tax

(Newser) - Sinking stocks offer a window of opportunity when it comes to passing your money on to heirs without incurring huge taxes, Anne Tergesen writes in the Wall Street Journal. Transferring struggling assets to the next generation can mean a big payoff for the heirs when conditions improve—without the estate...

Dow Off 500;
Fed Can't Calm
Investors

MARKETS

Oct 15, 2008 12:59 PM CDT

Dow Off 500; Fed Can't Calm Investors

Recession fears weigh more heavily amid ugly data

(Newser) - Poor data and continued pessimism over the state of the US economy had the Dow down around 500 points as today’s session entered the final hours, MarketWatch reports, with hints of further interest-rate cuts from Fed chief Ben Bernanke doing nothing to boost confidence. The Dow dipped below the...

Stocks Sink as Bernanke Hints at Rate Cut

MARKETS

Oct 7, 2008 1:28 PM CDT

Stocks Sink as Bernanke Hints at Rate Cut

After early optimistic surge, Dow falls 300 points

(Newser) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned today that the financial crisis has not only darkened the country's current economic performance but also could prolong the pain. The Fed chief's gloomy assessment appeared to hint of an interest rate cut on or before the Fed’s next meeting later this month....

Small Businesses Feel Credit Crunch Trickle Down

Oct 2, 2008 8:42 AM CDT

Small Businesses Feel Credit Crunch Trickle Down

High rates, worry about economy keep many from expanding

(Newser) - Small businesses, which employ 40% of the workforce and account for half the nation’s output, are starting to be squeezed by the credit crisis, reports the New York Times. Many find themselves denied credit, offered loans at exorbitant rates, or too worried about the economy to borrow. “Small...

What Killed Bear, Lehman Is What the World Needs

OPINION

Sep 21, 2008 12:44 PM CDT

What Killed Bear, Lehman Is What the World Needs

Subprime loans bring relief to millions worldwide

(Newser) - Sure, subprime loans toppled two pillars of American investment banking, gutted the world’s largest insurer, and plunged the entire US financial system into a tailspin. But they are exactly what the world needs today, Daniel Gross argues in Slate. “Far from the madding, depressed crowds of Wall Street,...

Fed Holds Line on Interest
Rates; Markets Bounce

UPDATED

Sep 16, 2008 1:38 PM CDT

Fed Holds Line on Interest Rates; Markets Bounce

Committee leaves rate at 2%, confounding investors' expectations

(Newser) - In its first unanimous interest rate decision in a year, the Federal Reserve voted today to leave its key interest rate unchanged at 2%. The decision reflects regulators' unwillingness to get even more involved in the developments roiling the financial markets, the Wall Street Journal reports. Stocks fell triple-digits on...

Speculation on New Fed
Rate Cut Tempers Losses

MARKETS

Sep 16, 2008 10:44 AM CDT

Speculation on New Fed Rate Cut Tempers Losses

Stocks dip early, then tick closer to even ahead of mid-afternoon announcement

(Newser) - Stocks swung upward after big opening losses today, the Wall Street Journal reports, helped by speculation that the Federal Reserve might step in to help AIG and cut interest rates. The Dow, down 155 early, was just barely negative before noon, with a similar pattern from other indices. “We're...

Wait on Rate Hikes Until
Crisis Eases

OPINION

Sep 3, 2008 5:55 PM CDT

Wait on Rate Hikes Until Crisis Eases

Fed should ignore critics, hold its ground until markets rebound

(Newser) - Critics claim the Federal Reserve has been too eager to cut interest rates, and that lax policy has exacerbated inflation. But the Fed should hold its ground, Desmond Lachman argues in the American, until the housing and credit markets are clearly on the rebound. The credit crunch has prompted banks...

Banks Bracing as Their Own Debts Come Due

Aug 27, 2008 9:24 AM CDT

Banks Bracing as Their Own Debts Come Due

Billions in shorter-term, floating rate notes likely to prolong credit woes

(Newser) - Billions of dollars worth of floating rate notes—vehicles used by banks to borrow money—taken out in 2006 are coming due in the next few months, and the industry is bracing for a wave of bank failures and asset sales as institutions struggle to pay off obligations, the Wall ...

Feel Good Again About
Your Pricey House

OPINION

Aug 17, 2008 7:59 PM CDT

Feel Good Again About Your Pricey House

In 10 years, you'll be back in the black

(Newser) - Bought an expensive house right before the subprime crash? Fret not, writes Chris Ayres in the Los Angeles Times. With 5% inflation, lower interest rates, and a mortgage tax deduction, buyers of pricey houses will be smiling in 10 years. "If you're a boom-time buyer who can still pay...

Dow Skyrockets as Oil Retreats

MARKETS

Aug 5, 2008 3:23 PM CDT

Dow Skyrockets as Oil Retreats

Deep-seated concerns about economy remain

(Newser) - Stocks rallied today after the Fed said it would keep money cheap for the time being and crude prices fell to below $120 a barrel, a 3-month low. The Dow gained 330.80 to close at 11,614.95, the Nasdaq rose 64.27 to 2,349.83, and the...

Europe Hikes Interest Rates
to Curb Inflation

Jul 3, 2008 8:29 AM CDT

Europe Hikes Interest Rates to Curb Inflation

Central bank's quarter- point increase to 4.25% is first move in a year

(Newser) - The European Central Bank today adjusted interest rates for the first time in more than a year, reports MarketWatch, raising the main rate by a quarter-point to 4.25%. The increase comes just after a report that inflation in the eurozone has reached 4%, the highest rate since the introduction...

Oil Gushes Past $145

Jul 3, 2008 7:07 AM CDT

Oil Gushes Past $145

Experts say a further weakening of the dollar will push prices higher still

(Newser) - The specter of conflict in Iran and a surprisingly large decline in US stockpiles pushed European oil prices above $145 today for the first time, reports the AP. A further weakening of the dollar, if the European Central Bank raises interest rates as expected later today, could push prices even...