interest rates

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Fed Holds Rates Steady, Says Economy 'Picked Up'

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve today decided as expected to hold a key bank lending rate at a record low near zero and pledged to keep rates there "for an extended period." The Fed also declared that "economic activity has picked up following its severe downturn" and said it...

Bernanke's Next Challenge: Undoing His Own Work

Rate cuts, other moves must eventually be reversed

(Newser) - In his first term as Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke played the role of savior, lending hundreds of billions to banks and businesses, backing the mortgage market, and cutting interest rates. In his second, Bernanke will have to turn “strict disciplinarian,” reversing earlier moves to respond to a massive...

Dow Off 77 on Consumer Data
 Dow Off 77 on Consumer Data 
MARKETS
Aug 14, 2009 3:19 PM CDT

Dow Off 77 on Consumer Data

(Newser) - Stocks dipped today on worse-than-expected information about consumer sentiment, the Wall Street Journal reports. A Reuters index dropped 3 points instead of the anticipated 2-point rise. A downward spiral has been evident since the Fed announced it would not raise interest rates Wednesday. “A day like today has been...

Fed Holds Rates, Sees Economy 'Leveling Out'

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve has slowed its recovery-minded plan to purchase Treasury securities but said that "economic activity is leveling out," the Wall Street Journal reports. The Fed’s policy committee hopes to complete its $300 billion purchase of Treasury securities by October—originally slated for September—and also...

Dow Off 23 on Fed Rate News
 Dow Off 23 on Fed Rate News 
MARKETS
Jun 24, 2009 3:09 PM CDT

Dow Off 23 on Fed Rate News

(Newser) - Markets were mixed today as positive economic indicators and surging tech stocks battled with a Fed announcement that interest rates would be held near zero, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow lost early momentum, but the Nasdaq flourished. “We’ve basically come through a panic phase,” an...

Economists See High Unemployment Through 2010

(Newser) - Economists think the US unemployment rate will stay above 9% through 2010, the Wall Street Journal survey finds. Accordingly, those in the know believe the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates down at least through spring. “For real people, there is no recovery until the unemployment rate stabilizes,”...

Credit Card Companies Cut Perks for Good Customers

(Newser) - With revenues from high-risk cardholders dwindling, credit card companies are moving to impose stiffer fees on customers who've been accustomed to preferential treatment, the New York Times reports. Expect banks to bring back annual fees and slash reward programs, say industry insiders. And card holders who pay off their entire...

Edgy Banks Crack Down on Revolving Credit Lines
Edgy Banks Crack Down on Revolving Credit Lines
ANALYSIS
May 4, 2009 9:04 AM CDT

Edgy Banks Crack Down on Revolving Credit Lines

Shorter loan maturities, higher interest rates make 'safety nets' less safe for businesses

(Newser) - Banks, lashed by the credit crunch and wary of defaults, have shortened the terms on revolving credit lines—typically running for 3 or 5 years—to less than a year, the Wall Street Journal reports. Often a little-used safety net before the recession, so-called revolvers had low interest rates; now,...

Fee Hikes at Bailed-Out Banks Spur Investigation

Interest rates as high as 30% raise questions about program's effectiveness

(Newser) - Congressional overseers of the TARP program are investigating the lending practices of several of the banks they bailed out in response to complaints that the banks are raising interest rates and fees, the Wall Street Journal reports. Despite receiving billions in taxpayer dollars, Bank of America last week nearly doubled...

Turnaround? Don't Get Too Giddy Just Yet

Further decline still possible, they warn

(Newser) - Signs of an economic recovery seem to be sprouting all around, but plenty of skeptics warn against starting the celebration too early, reports the New York Times. Wall Street has been on the upswing the last two months as the credit market begins to thaw and low interest rates aid...

Euro Bank Chief Slams US on Stimulus

Central bank chief says nations must get the last effort right

(Newser) - The head of the European Central Bank says the continent does not need to spend more to combat recession, heightening the standoff between Washington and European governments over response to the financial crisis. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Jean-Claude Trichet said governments should concentrate on executing measures...

Plummeting Mortgage Rates Near Record Low

Rate for 30-year mortgage again below 5%

(Newser) - Interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages decreased this week, with the rate for a 30-year mortgage falling 0.05% to an average 4.98%, near January’s record low of 4.96%, MarketWatch reports. Thirty- and 15-year mortgage rates are down nearly a full percentage point from a year ago. The...

Watch Out for These Economic Recovery Signs
Watch Out for These Economic Recovery Signs
analysis
Feb 9, 2009 4:52 PM CST

Watch Out for These Economic Recovery Signs

Keep an eye out for slowing pasta sales

(Newser) - We knew the economy was toast when the GDP dropped 3.8% in the last quarter. But such data lags behind the real economy, writes Dan Kadlec in Time, so watch out for these indicators of a turnaround:
  • Home sales. They started the downturn, so any upswing is a good
...

Renegade Trader Leaves Deutsche Bank Reeling

(Newser) - How does one lose almost $2 billion in a matter of months? Look no further than the story of Deutsche Bank’s Boaz Weinstein, the chess master and gambling extraordinaire who made more than $1.5 billion for the firm in just 2 years before losing it all and more,...

Stories 81 - 94 | << Prev