This New Year sets the stage for a financial world that’s very different in some ways than any we’ve seen before. From the decline of the dollar to the rise of the Bitcoin and other digital currencies and the state of the stimulus, the trends of 2013 paved the way for...
Lending Industry Cleanup Means New Rules
The New Year brings big changes to the US loan business, as lawsuits and legislation continue to force a cleanup of the institutions that were in large part responsible for the housing collapse of a few years ago. And as those changes, aimed at protecting the...
AMA 72 – "Contrarian" with Mary Mazzio
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New 2014 Lending Standards May Chill Borrowing
symptoms of diabetes p>What a difference two percentage points can make. A new provision of the sweeping Dodd Frank act that’s scheduled to take effect this January drops the allowable debt to income ratio for mortgages and other kinds of consumer loans from 45...
Magnetic Strips Put US Cardholders At Risk
As the fallout continues from the massive data breach affecting millions of Target customers nationwide, consumer advocates and cybersecurity experts point out that the Black Friday incident is only part of a larger problem: outdated card security features that make...
Target’s Account Hack highlights Weak Card Security Systems
Even if you aren’t one of the 40 million debit and credit card holders burned by the recent hack into the databanks of giant retailer Target, you may still be at risk for having your account information hijacked, thanks to weaknesses in the way credit card data is...
The Ven: A New Challenge to Mainstream Money?
While the Bitcoin keeps on making headlines with its inroads into traditional money markets, other kinds of digital monies are quietly following in the Bitcoin’s cyberfootsteps, proving that virtually any culture in the world can create its own functional currency...
“Modest” Tapering Starts in January – But Will Anyone Notice?
Does $10 billion a month make a difference? After months of mixed message, the Federal Reserve has announced in January 2014 it plans to start scaling back its massive stimulus program. For now it’s a “modest” tapering, that reduces monthly bond buying from $85...
AMA 71 – Derivatives with Scott Shellady
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The Bitcoinvention Opens Doors to Asia
Amid controversy and criticism, the Bitcoin marches on. Though the digital currency is gaining ground around the world as a legitimate means of exchange, it’s being given an especially warm reception in the emerging economies of Asia. And the upcoming Bitcoinvention...