Banks-24

Chase has a $100 Checking bonus available. Here are some details from the bank promo site.

Offer not available to existing Chase checking customers. Offer valid through 2/4/11. To qualify for the bonus you must open a new Chase CheckingSM Account with a $100 minimum deposit of new money (money not currently held by Chase or its affiliates). Also, within 60 calendar days of account opening, we must receive from your employer or the government a monthly electronic direct deposit of your payroll, pension or government benefits, such as Social Security. The bonus will be deposited into your new account within 10 business days after your initial direct deposit is posted to your account. Bonus is not considered part of minimum opening deposit. Limit one checking account-related reward/premium per customer, per calendar year.

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The UK economy suffered a surprise contraction in the final quarter of 2010, shrinking by 0.5%. If the Q1 2011 data follows suit, then the UK will have entered recession and the “double-dip” doomsayers will be proven correct. However, a couple of figures that have emerged for last month (January) which bode well for the economy and have lifted the value of Sterling against other majors.

The UK construction sector is vital to the economy as it contributes some 8% to the nation’s GDP figure. A slowdown in the sector was blamed for the surprisingly poor Q4 data. The UK endured one of the coldest, snowiest Decembers for a very long time in 2010 and this was seized upon by proponents of the coalition as one reason to explain the economic contraction. The January Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Manager’s index rose to 53.7 from a value of 49.1 in December. Any val

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- Growth

UK gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 1.5pc, compared with 1.4pc in 2010. Growth of 1.8pc is forecast for 2012.

- Jobs

Unemployment is expected to rise by another 260,000 this year, and peak at 8.8pc in the third quarter of 2011.

- House prices

Real house prices are expected to fall by an average 2pc a year over the next five years.

- Interest rates

NIESR forecasts the Bank of England will raise interest rates three times during 2011, to above 1pc.

- Disposable income

The average disposable income is expected to decline by 0.8pc in 2011, after declining by 1pc in 2010, but return to growth of around 2pc in 2012.

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Moody’s is one of the biggest credit ratings agencies in the world. In essence, the function of a ratings agency is to provide impartial advice on the risk associated with investing in a specific bond issue, in terms of an investment grade status with AAA being the best possible. The issuing body pays a fee to the rating agency for this service which is designed to give investors a clear idea of the risks (or otherwise) associated with a vehicle. The yield that the issuer has to pay to investors is directly proportional to the perceived risk of a default on the bond.

Japan has the greatest level of public indebtedness of any industrial country as a proportion of its GDP. Japanese debt currently stands at almost twice the nation’s GDP. Some months ago, PM Naoto Kan remarked that if the financial markets lost confidence in Japan’s ability to service its debts that the country would risk a financial collapse.

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Without federal recognition of their rights, couples in domestic partnerships face unique challenges in planning for the future. In response, some of the nation’s banks are incorporating into their businesses tools that can address the issues facing LGBT customers.

Northern Trust Bank announced earlier this month that it would be launching a family practice geared exclusively towards LGBT and non-traditional families.

The new practice will not offer anything substantially different than what Northern Trust already provides other customers, a representative for the bank told MyBankTracker.com, adding that the program had been piloted out of Chicago and would launch in Florida, Southern California and Colorado.

Same-Sex Unions: Separate and Unequal

Because the federal government doesn’t recognize same sex unions, those in them don’t enjoy many of the same benefits as traditional, opposite-sex unions. For e

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HSBC Advance is offering a $25 Amazon gift card bonus for referring people to open HSBC Advance Online Saving Accounts. Each person you refer who qualifies will also receive a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card when they open an Online Savings Account by 4/8/11 with a minimum deposit of $500 Here is some of the small print about the deal.

Referral Bonus Details

To receive a referral reward: you must have an Online Savings Account (OSA) at the time of the referral, provide an email address that matches what appears on our system for your OSA, and keep your OSA open until the reward is issued; the individual you refer must not currently hold, nor have held in the past 60 days, an HSBC personal or business account and must open a new OSA by 4/8/2011 using the link provided in the Referral Program invitation, initiated by you.

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Just because savings rates across the nation are down, it doesn’t mean you have to accept them. If you’re a customer of Woodhouse & Bartley Bank, for example, you can earn an excellent rate of 1.00% APY on your savings.

The Passbook account is a variable interest rate savings account and can be opened with a minimum of $5.00. There’s no service charge and interest is accrued daily and paid on a quarterly basis. Statements are sent once a year unless you have an ATM card, in which case they’re sent monthly in combination with your checking account statement. You also get access to free internet banking.

Woodhouse & Bartley Bank has been operating for well over a century! It was established in 1883 as a locally-owned bank committed to serving the community with personal attention and superior banking products. Woodhou

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