| Big U.S. banks vary widely on protecting consumers from fraud
Bank of America Corp. took top honors for the second year in a row in a report ranking the largest U.S. banks on how well they protect their customers from fraud and identity theft.J.P. Morgan Chase, Washington Mutual Inc. and Wells Fargo Co. tied for second place, and Citibank came in third in the study published by Javelin Strategy & Research.The study looked at 25 banks that together hold 50 percent of U.S. checking account deposits and counted only banks that have a brick-and-mortar presence. The study measured banks’ policies for preventing, detecting and resolving fraud, focusing on measures that consumers experience, not internal bank security policies. .
BofA launches football-related sweepstakes
Bank of America Corp. has launched a six-week sweepstakes to encourage saving through its Keep the Change program. Through the promotion, dubbed Monday Morning Quarterback, customers can win prizes that include a trip for two to Super Bowl XLII in Arizona. Participants also will vie for weekly prizes such as a refund equal to one-quarter of their weekend spending. Customers can go to www.bankofamerica.com/quarterback for information and to enroll. Keep the Change customers have each check-card purchase rounded up to the next whole dollar amount. The difference is transferred from their checking account to their savings account. "Through the Monday Morning Quarterback promotion, we hope to highlight the importance of saving and remind customers that they can join the more than 6.5 million customers who have already saved more than $620 million just by enrolling in Keep the Change and using their debit cards for everyday purchases," says Susan Faulkner, deposits and student-lending executive.
Rob Carrick on how to spend your soaring loonies
"That's the United States we're talking about here. "The land of the free isn't exactly gratis to Canadians now, but it is a big, screaming bargain now that our dollar is on the rampage." In his column, Mr. Carrick offers these suggestions, among others, for how to take advantage of loonie's rise against the greenback: * Book a family trip to Disneyworld or make other U.S. travel plans. * Buy blue-chip U.S. stocks for your investment portfolio. * Buy from U.S. online retailers. Are you taking advantage of the soaring loonie? Do you want more suggestions for how to do that? Mr. Carrick was online earlier today to take your questions. Your questions and Mr. Carrick's answers appear at the bottom of this page.
Israeli Cabinet discusses release of Palestinian prisoners ahead of US peace conference
JERUSALEM -- Israel's Cabinet convened Monday morning to debate the release of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli and Palestinian leaders were due to meet later in the day, as preparations for next week's high-profile Mideast conference called by U.S. President George W. Bush moved into high gear. On the agenda at the weekly Cabinet session was a proposal to release 450 Palestinian prisoners of about 9,000 Israel is holding. Hard-liners in the Cabinet were opposed, while Palestinians demanded freedom for at least 2,000. Cabinet hawk Avigdor Lieberman said that although the candidates for release had not directly participated in attacks on Israelis their intentions were not peaceful. "They intended to kill, to murder," he told Israel Radio. "They did not succeed because of the security services, because of the army." Although Lieberman said he would argue against freeing the latest batch of prisoners, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was expected to win a comfortable Cabinet majority.
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BCP President, GIL SALESHANDO points out deficiencies in Mogae's State of the Nation address. He also puts forward the BCP's suggestions and challenges facing the nation.
1. Introduction
On the 5th of November 2007, President Festus Mogae delivered his last State of the Nation address. As is constitutionally required, President Mogae is expected to step down as President of the Republic of Botswana, having served the maximum 10 years as Head of State. In bidding President Mogae farewell, we as the BCP believe that the Nation should reflect on his 10 years of service in an objective manner. Vacation of office by a President is a momentous occasion in the life of any nation. We need to avoid the risk of an emotional evaluation that normally accompanies the parting of humans and emphasizes jubilation and unmeasured tribute. Shortcomings, particularly where they may have been monumental, should be pointed out for the sake of those who will remain to provide leadership for the coming generations. However, accomplishments must also be acknowledged, as they are the basis for our hope of a better future.
How to avoid fees
Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to checking accounts. You must be aware of fees if you want to avoid them. For most consumers, a free checking account is the best place to start. You won't have to worry about maintaining a balance or sticking with a preset number of checks that you're allowed to write each month. Some banks give you free checking if you set up direct deposit for a check that you receive on a routine basis -- a payroll or government check. Some institutions might require a certain minimum balance for free checking. If you can live with those stipulations then there's nothing wrong with signing up. One of the best ways to avoid fees is by finding the account that's right for you. But there are plenty of fees that can be charged in conjunction with a free account.
Lynnwood deputy police chief pleads guilty to theft of evidence
LYNNWOOD � A Lynnwood Police Department deputy chief pleaded guilty this morning to stealing thousands of dollars seized in criminal investigations over several years.
Paul C. Watkins, 50, was charged with one count of theft from a federal funded local agency. He made his plea in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 22.
According to the plea agreement Watkins admitted that while serving as the commander of investigations from 2001 to 2004 he stole money that had been seized during criminal investigation. Watkins �abused his authority by falsely representing that he was returning money to the owner, when in fact in many cases he was keeping the seized money for himself,� prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors allege that Watkins stole between $70,000 and $120,000.
ID victim thanks police
I am a victim of identity theft. I was out of the country for a few months and unable to check my bank account. When I finally did come back, to my amazement there were charges that were not mine on my account. The bank asked me to go to the Princeton Borough Police Department. They assigned a detective, Christopher Tash, to my case. The thief took numbers from the bottom of my checks and used them to pay his Verizon, PSE&G, insurance and charge accounts, from my bank account. Because of the splendid work done by Detective Tash, the thief was located and arrested. This man was an illegal immigrant who worked on jobs for me and was able to use checks that I had paid him with. .
(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-16 01:16 GMT: Bank of Japan still aims to lift interest rates gradually, mid-Oct minutes say
TOKYO (Thomson Financial) - The Bank of Japan's policy board reaffirmed at its Oct 10-11 meeting that it should raise interest rates gradually, in line with economic growth and the outlook for consumer prices, to prevent misallocation of resources, according to the minutes released Friday. The policy board also warned of the risk arising from financial market instability due to the credit crisis and problems in the US housing market. The board agreed that the central bank should "adjust the level of interest rates gradually, in accordance with improvements in the economic and price situation," the minutes show. Members voted 8-1 in favor of governor Toshihiko Fukui's proposal to leave the overnight call rate target at 0.5 percent. Atsushi Mizuno cast the only dissenting vote.
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