Posts by Ari Page
MARKET TRENDS: US Economy Riding Strong On Consumer Spending & Construction
The third quarter of the fiscal year could be exciting as signaled by a strong rebound in the US economy – with the final GDP growth rate reading of 3.9% in the second quarter. Economists expect the third quarter GDP to grow by 2.3% per annum. Eyes will be on consumer spending as well as…
See Full Article Here ->What You Need to Know about “Card Flipping”
In an attempt to inspire customer loyalty, many credit card companies offer rewards in the form of travel points or cash back on purchases. However, some cardholders discard any notion of loyalty and instead pursue the benefits offered by opening and closing multiple accounts to maximize benefits. This practice, called “flipping,” may sound quite tempting…
See Full Article Here ->Friendliest U.S. States For Small Businesses
Owning your own business can be tough no matter where you live, but location can make a big difference in becoming a success. Thumbtack, a service firm, performs an annual survey that ranks 95 U.S. cities across all 50 states based on ease of entrepreneurship. Approximately 18,000 small businesses ranked their city in 36 different…
See Full Article Here ->The Top Five Credit Card Myths … Busted!
If I were to ask you what is the most common form of consumer debt today, what would you say? OK, our title gives it away. But admit it if it’s true, wouldn’t you have thought either mortgages or car loans? In fact, the most common form of consumer debt today is the credit card.…
See Full Article Here ->New Credit Options for Those with Poor or No Credit History
Many unbanked and underbanked consumers don’t have credit cards and other traditional loans. Others operate on a cash-basis only and don’t carry debt at all. This happens despite there being plenty of financially responsible consumers who pay their bills on time. They just don’t have a traditional credit history, and they should be given the…
See Full Article Here ->A Rebounding U.S. Economy Means Greater Opportunities for Borrowing with Credit Cards
The U.S. credit card market has made a comeback alongside the momentum of the U.S. economy. Last quarter, credit card loans touched their highest level in over five years on strong job growth and improving income levels. After mortgage and student loans, credit card debt is the third largest source of consumer borrowings. Overall, the…
See Full Article Here ->MARKET TRENDS: Higher Consumer Spending Boosts GDP in 2Q15, Although Lower Than Expected
U.S. economic growth strengthened in the second quarter of 2015, although slower than anticipated, after a soft first quarter. The Gross Domestic Product, the value of total production, grew at a 2.3% annual rate from April to June, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. The gain in GDP growth was, however, lower than the market…
See Full Article Here ->MARKET TRENDS: Pending Home Sales Lowest Since March as Prices Surge
Pending home sales faltered in June after gaining for the last five consecutive months. Signed contracts to buy existing homes that hit a 9-year high in May, fell to their lowest since March. The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator of the housing market which measures housing contract activity, unexpectedly slipped 1.8% to 110.3…
See Full Article Here ->Credit Card Use at Four Year Low in 2015
Consumers were more careful about using their credit cards in the first quarter than any time in the past four years, according to new data from the Federal Reserve. Credit card use was down 0.3% in the first quarter, the lowest since the first quarter of 2011. Given the tepid rise in wages and a…
See Full Article Here ->Harbortouch Latest in Line to Be Affected by Payment Data Breach
Recently, Sally Beauty Holdings reported that it is investigating a possible payment card breach. The retail chain, which runs nearly 2,800 stores in the U.S, started an inquiry after it received reports of “unusual activity” involving payment cards that were used at some of its stores during the last week of April. I don’t know…
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