New gift cards rules add valueThe last of the federal rules overhauling terms on gift cards kick in next month, finally giving consumers added protections from hidden fees and terms that could wipe out their cards' value.
Banks Increase Small Business LendingThe four largest banks in the U.S. are making good on their promises to increase lending to small businesses. Bank of America pledged to increase lending to small business by $5 billion this year, and this week reached the halfway point, with $45.4 billion loaned in the first half of 2010. That is nearly $9 billion more than during the same period last year. Wells Fargo, which owns Wachovia ...
Do Credit Cards Siphon Money From the Poor to Rich?A recent study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston paints a revealing portrait of "reverse wealth distribution" perpetrated by credit card companies. Together, rewards programs (which encourage cardholders to buy frequently to rack up points to get cash back) and merchant fees (a 1-2 percent transaction fee imposed on credit card purchases) combine to create a consumer environment ...
Vistaprint sees 1Q, full-year income below StreetVistaprint NV, which sells business cards, calendars, stickers and other items, on Wednesday guided for fiscal first-quarter and full-year profit below analyst estimates, sending shares tumbling in aftermarket activity.