Asian banks to shift to consumer lending.
SINGAPORE, Feb. 26 (XFNAsia) Lower capital charges on consumer loans under a new capital framework dubbed, Basel II, may result in more lending by Asian banks in the home mortgage and credit card sectors, Fitch Ratings Asia Financial Institutions managing director David Marshall said. "Retail lending becomes...

Philam Group buys Ford credit firm here.
AIG Philam Savings Bank and its sister-firm, Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company (Philamlife) will be acquiring lock, stock and barrel the shares of Ford Credit International, Inc. (FCI) in Primus Finance & Leasing, Inc. (PFLI) and PFL Holdings, Inc. (PFLH) to widen its consumer lending activities. ...

Different paths to mass consumption: consumer credit in the United States and West Germany during the 1950s and '60s.
A 1971 comparative study surveyed differences and similarities in consumer behavior and aspirations in Europe and the United States. Among the first and most glaring discrepancies the authors found was the use of consumer credit: "About one-half of all Americans both approve of and use installment credit. At the...

Monaco loses big in 1st quarter.
Byline: Tim Christie The Register-Guard COBURG - Monaco Coach Corp. lost $8.5 million in the first quarter of 2008, or 28 cents per share, executives reported Wednesday. That compares to a $1.5 million profit for the same period a year ago, when the company reported...

Finance mag cites BDO-EPCIB merger.
One of Asia's leading regional finance publications, The Asset, recently recognized Banco de Oro- EPCI, Inc. (BDO) with its Triple A Country Awards for 2007. The Asset cited the bank's US$ 1.67-billion merger with Equitable PCI Bank (EPCI) as the Best Deal in the Philippines. BDO's wholly-owned...

Merged thrift banks named BDO Elite Savings Bank.
Byline: FIL C. SIONIL American Express Bank Philippines Inc. no longer exists in the country and will be erased from the list of thrift banks operating in the country following the approval by the regulators, renaming the lender to BDO Elite Savings Bank, Inc. (Elite Savings). ...

Are American Consumers' Views of the Credit Markets Shaken? New early August poll shows credit crunch spreading even before events of late last week.
Byline: Dennis Jacobe Synopsis: A new Experian/Gallup poll, conducted Aug. 1-7, takes the temperature of the American consumer concerning the U.S. credit markets. Has the subprime credit crunch been contained or is it spreading across all consumer lending and borrowing? PRINCETON, NJ -- Last week,...

BUSINESS PEOPLE.
COLUMN: BUSINESS PEOPLE Savers Bank of Southbridge has named Stephen E. Day a residential lending officer. Mr. Day, who lives in Dudley, will have responsibility for the origination of mortgages and home equity loans. Mr. Day has 25 years' experience in mortgage and consumer lending and is...

Can states tax national banks to educate consumers about predatory lending practices?
INTRODUCTION I. NATIONALIZATION OF BANKING MARKETS AND FEDERAL PREEMPTION OF STATE LAWS A. State Usury Statutes B. Preemption Rulings of the Comptroller of the Currency C. The Dilemma for States and the Appeal of Consumer Education D. A Model Act II. THE TAXING POWER OF STATES A. History of...

Oriental Rugs: The Secrets Revealed.
Oriental Rugs: The Secrets Revealed Mark Blackburn Schiffer Publishing 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310 9780764326417, $39.95 www.schifferbooks.com Buying an Oriental rug is often a complicated process, so it's refreshing to find a guide which not only answers typical consumer questions on value and make, but...