Breaking News Today

Overdraft Fees Require Customer Consent, Says The Federal Reserve

2009-11-12T13:36:00.001-05:00

Interview with the President: Jail Time for Those without Health Care Insurance?

2009-11-10T11:16:00.000-05:00

Sweeping Health Care Reform Bill Passes House After Months Of Debate

2009-11-08T09:42:00.000-05:00

Tests Find Wide Range of Bisphenol A in Canned Soups, Juice, and More

2009-11-03T15:36:00.001-05:00

AND THESE ARE THE LAW MAKERS????????

2009-10-28T11:18:00.000-04:00

2009-10-28T09:01:00.001-04:00

THE HULKSTER SPILLS HIS GUTS

2009-10-27T15:30:00.002-04:00

2009-10-23T09:19:00.000-04:00

By DAVID SHARP, Associated Press Writer – Thu Oct 22, 5:32 pm ET

BATH, Maine – The Navy's need for speed is being answered by a pair of warships that have reached freeway speeds during testing at sea.

Independence, a 418-foot warship built in Alabama, boasts a top speed in excess of 45 knots, or about 52 mph, and sustained 44 knots for four hours during builder trials that wrapped up this month off the Gulf Coast. The 378-foot Freedom, a ship built in Wisconsin by a competing defense contractor, has put up similar numbers.

GREED PERFECTED

2009-10-21T08:46:00.004-04:00

How disgusting is it when every day so many things become unstable in this country. For example the gas prices, one day it's $2.40 and the next day it's $2.49 than one week later it's $2.55! The same with the grocery store and the utilities so on and so forth. We are getting economically raped over and over again and no one seems to care or maybe they do but can't do a damn thing about it.The war between the consumer and mainstream business is on and the consumer is losing and losing big time.It becomes more and more difficult for families to survive. Mother and father have to work just to maintain a basic life style. The current thrust for big business is to make billions of dollars not millions anymore and they don't care how they do it. Why oh why would a mortgage co. rather kick someone out of their home instead of trying to work with those folks and keep them in that home? The end result ,thousands of home empty falling apart with 0 money coming form those properties. Why does the electric co. ask for rate increases time after time knowing times are tough? Oh and don't forget the banks, who continually find ways to ripoff their patrons, so what do we do about it? We keep putting our hard earned money right back into the hands of those who take it from us. Well I think you know the answer to this conundrum,greed plain ole greed.That's what makes the corporate world go round. Take it from the little guy so the big guy can have more and more and more. I love Capitalism, but unrestrained Capitalism is open season on consumers.

2009-10-21T00:27:00.002-04:00

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DID HE OR DIDN'T HE?

2009-10-20T21:10:00.002-04:00

California appears poised to be first to ban power-guzzling big-screen TVs

2009-10-16T16:44:00.002-04:00

How in the heck do these States get away with this unconstitutional crap? The crazy part is we continue to let them! What will be next? Your guess is as good as mine. Click the title above for more.

2009-10-16T10:07:00.000-04:00

JUST MY OPINION

2009-10-05T12:34:00.003-04:00

In my opinion, anyone in any political office who wants America to fail, or expresses glee over any failure for the United States and outwardly expreses it in any way shape or form, should be removerd from office and not allowed to run for any office what so ever.

2009-10-01T12:46:00.000-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

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Democratic Super Majority

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Ron Paul Interview

OBAMA'S OLYMPIC TRIP,READ THE ENTIRE STORY HERE

2009-10-01T08:39:00.005-04:00

It continues to blow my mind how the GOP is against anything our President is for . Example ,Obama's trip to Copenhagan, to make his pitch for Chicago to host the 2016 Olympics. The GOP is against the trip, so who does the GOP want to get the Olympic bid,someone other than the U.S? I guess the Republicans are against anything that is good for America. Why wouldn't the GOP want to bring such a prestigious and prosperous event to our country? So far all the Right has to offer for our Nation is no, no, no,no!

MAJORITY RULES?

2009-09-28T06:55:00.003-04:00

What health care boils down to is this, 65 to 70% of the American people want health care with the public option and 30% to 35% don't. So if you are a legislator what would you do? Or should I say what should you do? It's A fairly obvious vote. So the disenfranchisement of the majority continues by those in opposition to health care. The detractors of heath care promote the idea that what ever the people want, the people should get . Well in this case, the majority wants it and the minority don't. So you would think our legislators would get the hint and they do, but that is not the way things go on Capital Hill. Unfortunately,power,greed,and corruption are all the rage and who the heck tells the truth anymore? So just hold on and hope for the best and believe that the good for all will win in the end.

2009-09-23T10:35:00.001-04:00

Dems plan to curtail bank overdraft fees

2009-09-22T00:48:00.001-04:00

Banks that received federal bailout funds are more likely to lean on customers, charging higher fees for over-drafted accounts, The Washington Post revealed Monday.

But that trend may soon come to an end, if congressional Democrats have their way.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is planning to introduce new legislation in the coming months that would regulate how banks charge overdraft fees, which are mostly accrued through the use of debit cards.

"People out there are getting whacked," he told the Post. "They should have the right to say 'deny me the transaction,'" instead of being surprised later with weighty fees.

The national average over draft fee, according to United Press International, is just over $35 per transaction.

"Moebs Services projected banks will collect $38.5 billion in fees in 2009, up from $18 billion a decade ago, when the average fee was $10," the wire service noted.

"Most banks automatically offer the loans to all account holders, according to a study by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. released last year," reported The Washington Post. "They also do not notify customers when an overdraft is about to occur, nor do they offer them a chance to cancel the transaction. Furthermore, many banks process transactions in ways that increase the number of overdraft charges, for example by debiting large transactions before small ones, exhausting available funds more quickly."

Dodd's office said the "bill would require that bank customers 'opt-in' to overdraft protection programs and prohibit banks from charging consumers overdraft fees without their consent," according to Reuters.

That banks would be allowed to make what is essentially a short-term loan at exorbitant interest is "just flatly outrageous," opined Kevin Drum with Mother Jones. "It's outrageous that banks should be allowed to charge fees that amount to 1000% interest rates on a short-term loan; it's outrageous that they should be allowed to reorder your debits to make you pay more of these fees than you should; it's outrageous that they should be allowed to charge multiple fees per day in the first place, since they're essentially just making a single loan; and it's outrageous that they should be able to do this whether you want them to or not."

A bill similar to Dodd's, posed by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), would also require banks to ask permission before charging an overdraft fee.

-- Stephen C. Webster

AMERICA WHERE ARE YOU?

2009-09-20T11:49:00.002-04:00

Let me start off by saying I love to see the free exercise of our Constitutional rights, that’s what America is all about. I only have one question concerning some recent protests I have observed. The protesters were chanting give us America back and my question is, who took it and where did it go? So what is it they want back? What actually was taken from them?Was it there right to protest? No that can't be it. Was it there right to free speech? nope that don't seem to be it either.Oh I got it! There right to bear arms? No, no, no, I thought I saw some folks wearing side arms in public, so that's not it.Hmmmm I wonder what it could be? Oh I know the right to pursue the American dream, Gee I don't know maybe not, after all, everyone has the right to work hard, make the right decisions for themselves, and spend their money any way they choose. Bingo I got it! Religious persecution that must be it,oh heck no, now that I think about it. I remember just last Sunday I saw church parking lots full and people of all faiths, worshiping at the church of their choice so that's out. Man, evidently I am out of touch with reality. According to the protesters my life is more suppressed than I thought. I guess my life today and my liberty to go and do and think as I please and to pursue happiness is not quite as good as in the America that was supposedly stolen from us.

2009-09-19T11:31:00.002-04:00

WHAT'S SO FUNNY???

2009-09-18T10:06:00.001-04:00

2009-09-17T19:13:00.001-04:00

You decide.

2009-09-17T12:59:00.001-04:00

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The RUSH to madness

2009-09-17T10:57:00.000-04:00