| Loan rates on the up
One month after financial comparison site Moneyfacts warned of the imminent demise of the sub six per cent loan, there is only one such loan left on the market, says Moneyfacts analyst Michelle Slade. It seems that lenders are becoming more cautious, with growing numbers of individual voluntary arrangements, bad debts and defaults. The Moneyfacts analysis reveals differing trends for credit cards and loans, says Ms Slade: 'As the 0 per cent credit card market continues to flourish, with deals in excess of 12 months easily found (although lending criteria has been tightened), it is the more structured lending which seems to be bearing the brunt. Eight personal loan providers increased interest rates by around one to two full percentage points, and in one instance by seven per cent.' There are many reasons why this may be happening, speculates the analyst.
Focus on Initial Interest Rate May Be Adversely Affecting Small ...
SCARSDALE, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/20/07 -- According to the results of an early 2007 survey of small business owners, 61 percent entered this year with increased optimism regarding the health of the economy and their 2007 business outlook. Survey respondents anticipate increased business expenditures and plan to use credit cards to make these purchases. The survey results also indicate that half of small business owners are unaware of the potential costs of financing their businesses with credit cards. As a result, they are not using other products that could be more beneficial for their business. This research report is the second in a series titled "Capital Access Network Small Business Barometer" and was commissioned by New York-based Capital Access Network, Inc. (CAN).
Economists: Finance skills hit peak during middle age
Baseball players are said to peak in their late 20s. Chess players in their mid-30s. Theoretical economists in their mid-40s. But in ordinary life, there's an obvious tension between sheer smarts, often seen in the supple minds of the young, and experience, which comes only with age. Which one is more valuable in making personal-finance decisions? .
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