| BNZ out to woo personal business
The cut-throat consumer banking sector moves into a new phase tonight, with the BNZ's launch of a new personal banking system it claims as a world first. Seeking to move away from an image as more of a bank for businesses, the BNZ hopes its new TotalMoney creation will help push its share of the home loan market from 16.1 per cent to 20 per cent. TotalMoney allows family groups and couples to pool accounts, so all can earn a higher interest rate. All will be able to see each other's balances, but will not have access to the funds or be able to see transaction details. It will also, for the first time, allow savings in one account to be "offset" against another person's floating home loan, forgoing interest, but making it quicker to repay the mortgage.
Housing Bubble and Real Estate Market Tracker
Judy Weil submits: Here's our summary of articles and data points on the housing market. It's part of Seeking Alpha's coverage of the real estate market and homebuilder stocks. Like all other topics and stock coverage from Seeking Alpha, you can get this sent to your Blackberry or desktop email by signing up for our no-spam free email subscription service. Quote of the Day- "From the House's Mouth" "The unsolicited tender offer by entities controlled by Carl Icahn to purchase any and all outstanding shares of WCI's common stock is highly conditional, opportunistic and inadequate from a financial point of view to the Company's shareholders." - Luxury Homebuilder WCI Communities Inc. board rejecting billionaire investor activist Carl Icahn's $22-per-share, or $920.8 million takeover offer Thursday.
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).
Uh-owe: Options to consider if money is due IRS
By this time, many taxpayers have reached Line 76 on their 1040 forms and found those three little words nobody wants to read: "Amount you owe." If that number is larger than the sum of your liquid assets you are likely fighting the urge to shred the forms and curl up under the bed for a year or two. Don't bother. The cat already owns that spot -- and the Internal Revenue Service will find you anyway. So what's a taxpayer who can't pay his taxes supposed to do? The first step might be to free up some cash by diverting funds from a discretionary purchases, such as a posh vacation or a plasma TV. Paying taxes is a priority; watching the Phillies in hi-def is not. If there's no wiggle room, try to borrow the money, either privately from a friend or relative or from a bank.
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