Tag:
interest rates
Latest Headlines
Latest Headlines
WJB Capital shuts down
Sales and trading units have been hard hit recently, despite a brief volume surge linked to the European debt crisis.
For some, survival has become an issue. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that WJB Capital Group, a small broker dealer, has fallen victim to the harsh conditions. The company
Banks explore fee options
We've been wondering how exactly banks will respond to the quick demise of the debit card fee.
In the case of Bank of America, the fee was nixed before it was ever charged. The analytical folks at the banks are no doubt scratching their heads, trying to figure out where the next big gravy trai
Other banks aim to gain on struggling Bank of America
Once the on-going bank industry turmoil ends, who will be in the driver's seat in the consumer mortgage market?
The hope among many banks is that Bank of America will be so weakened that a massive opportunity will emerge for the many other banks that weren't hit nearly as hard. Wells Fargo, fo
The ultimate irony: Treasuries soar!
Standard & Poor's decision--whether foolish or smart--led to a lot of angst in the markets, as big institutions sold out of stocks and sought safe haven of ... Treasury securities.
Now hold on a second. Didn't S&P just declare to the world that the creditworthiness of the U.S. governme
Fed issues mortgage rules for comment
A big issue in the rush to set mortgage standards has been the idea of so-called qualified mortgages. As regulators pondered some steps that would protect the financial system and make a repeat of the mortgage meltdown less likely, one concern was that not all of these protective new rules ought t
Wells Fargo lays off mortgage employees
A slowdown in the residential mortgage market has prompted Wells Fargo ( NYSE: WFC ) to slash 1,900 jobs, which amounts to less than 1 percent of its overall workforce, reports Bloomberg . This will be disappointing news for some, who had hoped that the housing market would be picking up with
Tepid loan growth to restrain bank earnings?
A lot of consumers are frustrated that interest rates are incredibly low. But it's harder than ever to qualify for a loan or a refinancing.
So what good are low rates? This is a problem for the economy of course. But it's a problem for banks specifically. The lack of loan growth will crimp the
PIMCO vs. BlackRock on bonds
A very high profile bulls vs. bears battle when it comes to Treasuries is brewing: PIMCO ( PIMCO news) vs. BlackRock ( BlackRock news). We've noted that Bill Gross ( Bill Gross news), of PIMCO, is putting his money where his mouth is. He has predicted the end of the epic bond rally, and i
PIMCO dumping Treasuries
Bill Gross ( Bill Gross news) is putting his money where his mouth is. He has predicted the end of the epic bond rally, and is now said to be furiously selling Treasury bonds. His chief worries apparently are a kick-up in inflation and a strong increase in interest rates. Article
(Bill
View from the mortgage modification trenches
More banks do seem to be stepping up their HAMP and their non-HAMP ( HAMP news) modification efforts. But it remains a slow, paperwork-driven process that generates anxiety all around.
For Bank of America ( BAC ), the problem is compounded in part by the sheer volume of troubled mortgages
