General Finance News

Markets were slightly down today, as the Greek debt negotiations dragged on without an end in sight. The Commerce Department also released a batch of economic data; including the fact that consumer spending were basically unchanged in December from November. Income, however, increased 0.5 percent, meaning that the savings rate of the nation went up. In corporate news, Wendy’s saw a 29.5 percent decline in net income last quarter, despite the fact that revenue rose 5.6 percent. Pep Boys announced that it had agreed to be acquired by Gores Group for $15 a share, almost 25 percent higher than the price the stock opened at this morning.

Word on the Street

• Rumor that the Greek debt deal will be delayed has investors nervous.
• Consumer spending stalled in December while income grew.
• Wendy’s revenue is up, but profits fell by almost one third.
• Pep Boys will be purchased by Gores Group.

Interesting Tidbits

• Blogging Declines Across the Inc. 500

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Barack Obama will deliver his third State of the Union address tonight, with the Republican presidential primaries steadily gaining speed in the background.

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Car insurance premiums could be radically reduced if the government took action to reduce spurious whiplash claims and personal injury referral fees, according to an influential panel of MPs.

The Transport Select Committee said insurers should be forced to demand more proof that claimants has suffered a whiplash injury in a car accident and not be allowed to sell on customer details to solicitors and claims management firms.

Whiplash claims currently cost the insurance industry some £2 billion a year, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). This equates to an extra £90 being added to every driver’s annual insurance premium. The number of car passengers claiming for whiplash injuries has risen by 32% over the last three years to 570,000 annually.

There has been a 70% rise in car insurance claims in the past six years, despite a 23% fall in the number of casualties in road accidents. A g

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Nothing catches the attention of inquiring minds better than stories of doom and gloom. And for those who have been keeping a watchful eye on the ever increasing hype over how real estate social marketing will completely overtake SEO may relate to what I’m about to say

Shenanigans! That’s right, I’m totally calling their bluff. In fact, this whole movement has an eerie resemblance to the hoards of doomsday posts that I see on a continual basis whenever a new Google algorithm is launched.

So now the new theme focused around social media is that traditional keyword based search queries will at some point be obsolete. Yet when you consider the immense impact that websites like Google continue to have on our overall business, doesn’t this sound somewhat ludicrous?

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After positive economic news and a drop in Spanish borrowing costs, major indices were up by almost 3 percent each today. The Labor Department’s jobless data came out today, and the jobless rate fell in nearly every American state. In North Carolina, it is at a 6-month-low. In corporate news, General Mills saw its earnings fall 28 percent in Q2, while ConAgra’s fell by 14.5 percent.

Word on the Street

• A 10-year note auction went much better than expected today.
• November housing starts went up by a dramatic 9.3 percent.
• The jobless rate fell to 5.7 percent in Iowa and 10 percent in North Carolina.
• Both General Mills and ConAgra saw double-digit drops in earnings in Q2.

Interesting Tidbits

• The 10 biggest losers on Wall Street in 2011.
• 11 things to never put on a resume.

The Federal Reserve is reportedly developing a plan for 2012 that will increase their transparency with regard to target interest rates. Their hope is that they will provide some stability to financial markets by easing concerns about borrowing costs. If people know that the cost of borrowing will remain low for years to come, it helps ease underwriting concerns that lenders have and convinces more people to take out loans to build businesses.

The Fed is an organization that, by merely hinting at things during press conferences, can send markets rallying or tumbling, depending on the hint.

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Millions of Britons are being forced to take out expensive payday loans to make ends meet, according to a study from R3.

The insolvencies experts warned the number of people turning to payday lenders – who charge interest rates of several hundred percent – is unlikely to wane in the current economic climate as increasing numbers of people need extra cash to see them through until payday.

Some 60% of those questioned said they were worried about their levels of debt, while 45% said they struggled to make their money last until their next payday.

Sixty-two percent of people aged between 22 and 24 years old said they often could not make their wages last a month.

R3 said the survey revealed money worries at the highest level it has ever seen and said its figures suggest as many as 3.5 million people will apply for a payday loan over the next six months.

The payday loan sector has expended rapidly since mainstream lenders restricted their loan books in the wake of the financial crisis.

Frances Coulson, R3 President, said: Its worrying to see that the 16-24s are developing bad money management skills so early on. Few

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The city of Dallas, Texas offers several wealthy neighborhoods to the mix of many different and unique neighborhoods that populate the city. The wealthier neighborhoods are so affluent, they are known for becoming home or having a reputation of a past home to some very high profile famous personalities from sports players to even presidents and other politicians of high affluence.

North Oak Cliff is found in the southwest area of the Downtown Dallas. The neighborhood is very established with homes that are compared to mini-mansions, ranchers, and estate homes. Characteristic of the neighborhood are very lush yards with very large and vibrant gardens that typically meander around the home.

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