Below the breadline on Liverpool’s workless estates

Thomas Bebb cranes his head out of his living room window to assess how many of his neighbours are unemployed. He counts the number of flats in this three-storey, brown-and-grey pebbledash block (12) and pauses to calculate how many contain people in work. There are two: a scaffolder and a nurse. Looking across the courtyard at two other blocks opposite and to the left, he can’t think of anyone with a job there either.

The high numbers of workless households on this estate help explain startling figures produced by the GMB last week revealing that nearly one in three households in Liverpool have no one in work. It is the legacy of historic industrial decline in this area, suddenly worsened by the recent round of public sector redundancies and a new, downturn-related disappearance of retail and manufacturing jobs.

For Bebb, who lost his short-term job as a parks gardener and grounds maintenance worker in November (because of cost-cutting by Liverpool city council, which is in the process of shaving 28% from its budget), the result is that he is living substantially below the poverty line.

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Credit card payment networks face stiff competition on many fronts

Most stock investors make one common mistake, which is buying yesterday’s winners. If a company is facing an unfavorable change due to the competitive dynamics, then paying a full price for such a company would be a money-losing proposition. So, it is important to always stay ahead of these changes in the dynamics of the industry. There seems to be one such change, which could have a negative impact and affect some of the major networks such as American Express, MasterCard, and Visa.

Payments are facilitated by card networks either by connecting cardholders as well as merchants directly or via financial institutions. The entire open-loop structure normally consists of the card issuing authority such as a bank, networks, and the merchants. The issuer will issue cards to their customers with the particular network visible on the card. M

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Want to reduce use of payday loans? Look to the banks

Tagged Under : Loans, Payday Loans

Up to 2 million people could be using payday loans, according to a report last week by the Association of Recovery Professionals (R3). On the back of this news, Labour MP Stella Creasy has called for more regulation of payday lenders and interest rate caps before Christmas.

The R3 report surveyed 2,005 people. Of these, 67 had experience of payday loans – just 3%. The report suggested that over the next six months, up to double that number could seek short-term finance, such as payday lending, to help them meet cash shortfalls. Much of the report, in fact, highlights the difficulties that ordinary households are facing in meeting the costs of paying off bank loans, credit cards and mortgages and coping with tax rises and benefit cuts.

A much more detailed report on the payday lending industry, users and regulation experience was produced last year by Consumer Focus. The report revealed that many people find payday loans convenient, with fund transfer almost instantaneous. U

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Credit Cards Aren’t Safe, will they be in 2012?

Tagged Under : Cards, Credit Cards

People from all over the globe are using their credit cards not just during important occasions but also whenever they don’t have enough cash to buy things that they need. Stealing credit card numbers is getting rampant these days. Some people are using this manner to make a living. Have heard about thieves who are actually stealing credit card in various places such as shopping malls, restaurants and others, stealing can also be done in hotels. Most of these individuals are sent to jail but they don’t last this type of case can be bailed. Credit card frauds can highly affect anyone and the sad thing is there is no one to be convicted permanently for this type of fraudulent act.

According to Senator Daniel Inouye, he once experienced fraud act when a woman from Georgia used his card to buy gifts at Wal-Mart that cost him $12,000 without his knowledge. He

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Credit Card Mistakes You Have to Stop Making

Tagged Under : Card, Credit Card

As consumer credit is becoming a much more complex subject, it is very important for consumers of today to realize that there is little margin for error when it comes to applying for a new credit card. The mistakes you may have made in the past should have taught you a lesson now that credit is much harder to get.

Unfortunately there are still those who continue to make the same costly mistakes when it comes to acquiring a new credit card. Here is a reminder list of what not to do when applying for or using a credit card:

Check Your Credit Score First

Before you even submit an application for a new credit card, you need to know where you stand credit score-wise. Without having a good credit background, it can prove difficult for you to get approval for a credit card. If you have to keep applying with different providers for new credit cards, you are further harming your credit score with too many inquiries.

Find the Right Card

With so many credit cards on the market, it can be difficult to narrow down your choices.

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