Making Sure You Get Credit Card Reward Bonuses
January 13, 2012 by Charlie Stedman · Leave a Comment
It would be an understatement to say that the credit card industry is intensely competitive at the moment. Banks are trying absurdly hard to earn new business and are offering applicants some truly astounding sign up bonuses that range as high as $500. When advertising these bonuses, banks often specify that customers may earn “up to” a certain number of points or “as many as” a specific amount of miles. Nevertheless, these offers come with conditions that must be fulfilled in order to receive these bonuses. Therefore, cardholders must take several steps to ensure that they receive all of the bonus points and miles that they are entitled to.
First, customers should thoroughly read the terms and conditions of each offer. When doing so, it is important to explore all asterisks and footnotes in order to learn the complete set of conditions necessary to comply with the terms of the offer. In some instances, the entire sign up bonus is awarded upon the cardholder’s first purchase. In other
Dutch 3-year Bond Auction Raises EUR3.105 Bln
January 9, 2012 by Laura Reveley · Leave a Comment
– The Netherlands sold a new line of its 3-year bonds on Tuesday.
The Dutch State Treasury Agency placed EUR 3.105 billion of 0.75 percent bonds maturing in April 2015, at an average yield of 0.853 percent. The agency was planning to raise between EUR 2.5 billion and EUR 3.5 billion.
On November 11, the DSTA sold 3-year debt maturing in January 2014 at an average yield of 0.853 percent. The auction raised EUR 2.095 billion. Meanwhile, the agency placed 3.25 percent July 2015 bonds at a yield of 1.404 percent on October 25, raising EUR 1.02 billion from the sale.
The Dutch government on January 4 increased the country’s borrowing requirement for this year to EUR 101.5 billion from EUR 99.6 billion forecast in December. About EUR 60 billion of the borrowing requirement will be covered by debt issuance, the DSTA said. The country’s total capital market issuance in 2011 was EUR 52.9 billion.
The agency plans to raise the total outstanding amount of the new 3-year benchmark bond via reopenings to at least EUR 15 billion before the end of the year.
Hackers steal more than credit card data
January 8, 2012 by Charlie Stedman · Leave a Comment
Here’s a newsflash: Hackers can wreak havoc for credit card owners. As tales of identity theft and stolen credit cards become a seemingly almost everyday occurrence, you may be unclear what to do to protect yourself from high-tech thieves. And thieves thrive on your confusion.
I read about the Christmas Day attack on American think-tank Strategic Forecasting, a company that gives its clients political, economic and military analysis…all in the name of helping them reduce risk. The group that claimed responsibility was hacking group named Anonymous. The hack compromised the credit card numbers and personal information of more than 50,000 accounts of people who do business with Stratfor clients, such as Apple and the U.S. Air Force, according to CNET News.
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The reason for the attack depends on whom you ask; (a) to teach Stratfor a lesson for not encrypting the credit card information it held, or (b) to take funds from those cards and send as Christmas donations. Wh
Altria Group launches website to advocate for tobacco makers’ rights
January 3, 2012 by Laura Reveley · Leave a Comment
The owner of the largest U.S. cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA, is using the site to share information on tobacco-related public policy issues.
The website addresses state and federal tobacco issues such as taxes, smoking bans and other regulation.
The Virginia-based Altria says it is important for adult tobacco consumers to make their voices heard.
The website is in addition to Altria’s own lobbying. Altria Client Services Inc. spent US$3 million lobbying the federal government in the third quarter on issues including the budget, taxes and other issues.
Tennessee Second Fastest to Tax Freedom Day
December 29, 2011 by Hudson Watts · Leave a Comment
As April 15th draws near, a lot of us are thinking about income taxes. The Tax Foundation has concluded that the average American had to work from January 1st to April 12th to pay federal and state income taxes that will be owed in 2011.
The average Tennessean reached tax freedom day on March 27th, 2011. Only Mississippi reached tax freedom day before Tennessee. I am somewhat surprised that Mississippi beat us since Mississippi has a state income tax that applies to all types of income. Tennessee’s income tax only applies to dividends and interest. Our favorable income tax laws have been an important factor for a lot of high income individuals who have migrated to Tennessee.