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Popularity of Pet Health Insurance Grows, More Options Now Available

Richard Tyler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:50:25 +0000

To most of the nation’s 70 million pet owners, pets are family too. And when pets have health care problems, many owners are willing to spend almost whatever from their budgeting to get them back on all four feet. But the price of increasingly sophisticated veterinary care does not come cheap. According to the American [...]

Credit Card Security Rules Evolving Faster Than Businesses Can Keep Up

Richard Tyler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:46:05 +0000

Experts from Protiviti and Retailer 99 Cents Only Stores to Present PCI Compliance Strategy in Webinar for Organizations that Accept Credit Card Payments A flurry of new regulations, guidelines and clarifications designed to improve credit card security at the point of purchase has retailers and other organizations that accept credit card payments - especially their internal [...]

How to Choose Payment Processors

Richard Tyler — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:26:15 +0000

Merchants looking to accept credit cards and other forms of online payments can choose from thousands of payment processors, each differing in subtle ways. The process of selecting a vendor is often time-consuming, frequently resulting in frustration or a poor choice. For the first time, a group of payments industry experts is trying to educate merchants [...]

Greater Access to Efficient and Flexible Donor-Advised Fund Capabilities

Richard Tyler — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:22:56 +0000

Several enhancements to the Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund, one of the nation’s leading donor-advised funds are now available to help the state of personal finance of many people. These enhancements include the ability for donors to create a customized donor-advised fund that aligns to their personal giving strategies through an innovative online portal. [...]

Surviving the Job Market in a Perilous Economy

Richard Tyler — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:33:09 +0000

In an economy where unemployment rates are at an all-time high, personal finance advice on how to survive in the working world can be extremely valuable. In their new book, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s Employment Survival Guide” (published by AuthorHouse), co-authors Odie and Daval Smith offer readers both practical and spiritual insight into how to [...]

3 New Fees From Credit Card Companies Punishing Their Best Customers

Richard Tyler — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:15:21 +0000

There are three of the new credit card fees that some credit card companies are implementing. Due to the new regulations coming into effect in early 2010, the credit card companies are looking for new ways to replace some revenue that will likely be lost. If you pay all your bills on time or never [...]

Mortgage Rates Post Mixed Results

Richard Tyler — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:42:30 +0000

The average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate inched higher to 5.35 percent, according to Bankrate.com’s weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.37 discount and origination points. The average 15-year fixed mortgage was also up slightly to 4.74 percent while the larger jumbo 30-year fixed rate sank to 6.40 percent. Adjustable [...]

Cutting Back on the Holidays? Take a Traditional Approach

Richard Tyler — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:41:36 +0000

If you’re among the 65 percent of Americans planning to cut back on holiday shopping as reported in a new Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll, the Illinois CPA Society suggests taking a traditional approach to the season. Retailers are putting an old-fashioned spin on the holidays with comforting traditions like red and green decorations and resurrecting [...]

Legal Reform Summit Calls for Jobs, Not Lawsuits

Richard Tyler — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:53:52 +0000

Calling the next few years a transformational time that could define the future of our civil justice system, speakers at the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s (ILR) 10th Annual Legal Reform Summit urged U.S. finance decision makers to consider the costs of expanding liability for job creators during the economic recovery. “When making any decision [...]

Houston Real Estate Market Recovered Despite Rising Unemployment

Richard Tyler — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:50:15 +0000

Movoto is reporting that housing prices in Houston real estate have risen significantly in 2009, despite the alarming nation-wide increase in the unemployment rate. The national rate of unemployment reached 9.8% in September 2009. Although the cities of both Houston and Dallas have a lower unemployment rate than the national average, each city has still seen [...]