Cash Back Credit Card Update – Citi Dividend Card $100 Offer
February 28, 2011 by Laura Reveley · Leave a Comment
Citibank is rolling out some major changes on its primary cash back credit card, the Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard. The first change is the introduction of a limited time offer that gives new applicants a $100 cash back bonus if they spend $500 within the first three months of becoming a cardmember. The second change is the extension of 0% introductory rates on purchases and balance transfers.
Offer 1: The Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard – Limited Time Offer provides a $100 cash back bonus to new cardmembers who spend $500 within three months of opening an account. In addition to this bonus, cardmembers earn 1% cash back on all eligible purchases and 5% cash back on purchases in categories that rotate four times a year. Until March 31st, cardmembers earn 5% cash back on drugstore, healthcare, and fitness purchases. Fr
Mortgage Delinquencies Decline Across the U.S.
February 25, 2011 by Hudson Watts · Leave a Comment
According to a recent survey released by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the “latest delinquency numbers represent significant, across-the-board decreases in mortgage delinquency rates in the U.S.,” according to MBA’s chief economist, Jay Brinkmann[1]. In fact, total delinquencies (not including homes already in foreclosure) are at the lowest levels since the end of 2008, and mortgages with one payment past due alone are at their lowest level since 2007, which MBA marks as the “very beginning of the recession.”
Perhaps even more more promising: at the beginning of 2010 90-day-or-more delinquencies were at an all time high at the beginning of 2010 but have now fallen 28 percent, and 48 of the 50 states experienced a drop in this area.
These numbers indicate, to Brinkmann, that “we have clearly turned a corner.” He went on to say that “absent a significant economic reversal, the delinquency picture should continue to improve during 2011.” Brinkmann cited high levels of unemployment for the still relatively slow recovery, but did point out that “the economy did add over 1.2 million private sector jobs during 2010.”
Many states are also adding homeowner-aid programs to the roster aimed specifically at out-of-work homeowners. For example, in South
A disappointing day
February 24, 2011 by Charlie Stedman · Leave a Comment
I AM attending a conference this morning, and so blogging will be light. But let me draw your attention to two stories before I go. First, America’s fourth quarter GDP growth has been revised down:
Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States — increased at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010, (that is, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter), according to the “second” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 2.6 percent…
The downward revision to the percent change in real GDP primarily reflected an upward revision to imports and downward revisions to state and local government spending and to personal consumption expenditures (PCE) that were partly offset by an upward revision to exports.
And Britain’s economy shrank by more than initially thought:
Britain’s economy shrank more than initially estimated in the fourth quarter, complicating the task of the Bank of England as a split deepens among policy makers on whether to withdraw stimulus.
Gross domestic product fell 0.6 percent from the previous three months, compared with an initial estimate for a 0.5 percent drop, the Office for National Statistics said today in London. T
This and That: Parking RRSP contributions, Market Risk and more…
February 23, 2011 by Laura Reveley · Leave a Comment
- If you planning on making a RRSP contribution, you probably know that you only have 5 more days to do so. With time running out, the best tip I have is to first come up with a plan before investing your hard-earned money. You can simply park your contribution until you complete your investment plan.
- Dave from GP has some wise counsel regarding RRSPs: build your safety net first before even thinking about RRSPs, TFSAs and whatnot.
- It was only last week that we noted that many stock market indices have doubled from the market bottom. This week, in the wake of turmoil in Libya, stock markets started falling sharply. Larry Swedroe points out that this is once again a reminder that markets are highly risky and risk is present all the time.
- You can’t make up a story like this if you tried. The Ottawa Citizen’s Randall Denley explains a recent Ontario Energy Board ruling: “some customers paid exorbitant late fees [on electricity bills], the power companies have to pay a penalty, charity gets the money and the current customers get the bill”.
- Million Dollar Journey warns that chasing high yields is a risky investment strategy.
- You probably have seen the blue ads that say “Risk-Free Investing. Yes, it d
Could demand for French property be set to rise?
February 22, 2011 by Charlie Stedman · Leave a Comment
Demand for property in France could be set to increase following the results of a recent survey by the Worldwide Property Group. A significant majority of respondents to the survey believe that now is a good time to buy real estate overseas, with France cited as one of the most popular destinations to do so. Brazil, Spain and the US were also named as favoured countries to invest in property in. According to the results of the survey, confidence in UK property is also being boosted by the current trend for low interest rates, with 72 per cent of respondents seeing the benefits of depressed base rates in the country. Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Overseas Property Professional, international mortgage broker Baydonhill has urged UK-based investors to consider the openings in the French market at present. The firm explained that opportunities are being missed as a result of “common misconceptions” surrounding prices and currency.