Four Lenders Come to Agreement with Isis Companies
Isis, the mobile payment processing network put together by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, recently reached an accord with Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover to foster adoption of the program, according to a report from Forbes. The participation of these companies was seen as a major hurdle to getting the system, which will be tested in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Austin, Texas, in the first half of 2012, off the ground.
“This is a major milestone,” said Isis chief executive officer Michael Abbott. “We’re bringing together incredibly fierce competitors for the common good of helping consumers make mobile payments.”
Using the system, consumers will be able to load their payment information on smartphones with near-field communications technology, and will be able to wave the devices in front of a sensor to make a mobile purchase rather than swipe their cards the traditional way, the report said. New estim
Junior ISAs to miss out children born between 2002 and 2010 The government is set to unveil new plans for the Junior ISA which could leave some children ineligible to qualify. 
YBS offers fixed-rate mortgages below three percent Yorkshire Building Society has unveiled a new range of fixed-rate mortgages – with both falling below a 3.5% rate. < 
Elizabeth Warren, the consumer advocate credited with creating the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is hinting that she might consider a run for senator in Massachusetts. And Richard Cordray, the man tapped by President Obama to lead the agency, is getting rediscovered for his trivia mastery and game show prowess.
Many major lenders are now testing plans that will charge consumers a monthly fee for maintaining an account with an associated debit card, and customers say that this will make them reconsider their payment methods, according to a report based on a poll by the Associated Press and GfK Custom Research. Currently, nearly 67 percent of consumers use debit more often than credit, but if they were to be charged a $3 monthly fee, 61 percent would switch. That number rises to 66 percent for a $5 fee, and 81 percent for a $7 monthly charge.
For many college-bound students that are too young to qualify for a traditional credit card, the need to manage money often boils down to either using a prepaid or debit card. Both have similar characteristics, but depending on your financial habits, one may be a better fit. Let’s take a closer look:
Hands-free ‘as dangerous as mobile phone handsets’ Hands-free mobile phone devices are no more safe than a handset when it comes to distracting drivers, a report has suggested.