• The sorry story of the credit rating agencies

    Updated: 2010-12-31 16:36:02
    We all know how atrocious a job the credit rating agencies did in the run-up to the financial crisis. And yet far from sinking into obscurity and irrelevance, as one might have assumed, they have if anything become more influential. Now, as 2011 arrives and the sovereign debt crisis intensifies, the economic fate of many [...]

  • USPS blaming cheap envelopes for a spate of damaged Christmas cards

    Updated: 2010-12-31 14:26:02
    The U.S. Postal Service is blaming cheap envelopes for a spate of damaged Christmas cards this holiday season. Inexpensive envelopes made by a Scranton, Pa.-based paper company jammed letter-processing machinery, said Rich Watkins, spokesman for the Kansas City-based U.S. Postal Service Mid-America District. Requests for comment from the Paper Magic Group Inc. were not returned [...]

  • Opinion: USPS In Top Five Of Business Blunders For 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-31 14:26:01
    Is this an opinion on the “Top 5 Business Blunders of 2010″ or a way to promote a newly released book? Although 2010 won’t be remembered for colossal corporate bankruptcies or bailouts, the year still saw its fair share of business failures, many due to self-inflicted wounds. My Top 5 Business Blunders includes businesses that, [...]

  • APWU: USPS Announces Changes To ‘Mystery Shopper Program’

    Updated: 2010-12-31 06:23:15
    APWU Web News After years of APWU complaints, the Postal Service has notified the union that the Mystery Shopper Program will be altered beginning in January 2011. Retail Associates (RAs) will no longer be required to follow a precise script when waiting on customers; instead they will be permitted to “customize their questions to best [...]

  • NAPUS: Suspension of Postmaster Convention Leave to Continue

    Updated: 2010-12-31 06:23:14
    NAPUS President Bob Rapoza has received a response from Postal Service Vice President of Labor Relations, Doug Tulino, concerning our discussions on Postmasters’ convention leave for 2011. Mr Tulino said that Postmasters’ convention leave, as outlined in Section 519.62 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual) (ELM) will continue to be suspended through FY2011. Mr [...]

  • Cheap money has fuelled an asset price bonanza

    Updated: 2010-12-31 00:52:44
    The past year has been good for virtually all asset classes. Equities, bonds and commodities were all winners in 2010, and even UK house prices ended marginally higher. But what will the next twelve months bring? To answer this question we must first ask why, despite all the doom and gloom, asset prices have managed to [...]

  • USPS Seeking Suppliers For Next Generation Retail Software System

    Updated: 2010-12-30 22:20:24
    From Federal Business Opportunities This Notice is for small, minority and woman-owned business sub-contracting opportunities The Postal Service has issued a solicitation for the Next Generation Retail System Software (Next Gen RSS). This software will be utilized across all of the retail Point of Sale platforms. USPS is seeking Software, Software Maintenance, Software Support, and [...]

  • Alabama Postal Employee Indicted For Stealing Mail

    Updated: 2010-12-30 22:20:23
    Press Release from the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District Of Alabama December 29, 2010 BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Madison man for stealing mail while he worked for the U.S. Postal Service, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Postal Inspection Service Inspector/Domicile Coordinator Frank Dyer. The one-count indictment filed [...]

  • 2011 Prices For USPS Shipping Services Begin Jan. 2

    Updated: 2010-12-30 22:20:22
    New flat-rate products debut Jan. 2 along with new prices for Priority Mail, Express Mail and other Shipping Services changes. The overall price change for all Shipping Services products, which are adjusted each January, is 3.6 percent. Extending the popularity of Priority Mail Flat Rate products, a new legal-size flat-rate envelope measuring 15-by-9.5 inches and [...]

  • Minnesota Postal Employee indicted for stealing cash, gift cards from mail

    Updated: 2010-12-30 00:38:14
    A recent federal indictment alleges that a former employee of the United States Postal Service (“USPS”) stole cash and gift cards from the mail over a ten-month period. The indictment, filed on December 7, 2010, charges Christina M. Steiner, age 35, of Forest Lake, with one count of theft of mail by a postal employee. [...]

  • Another day, another Falklands oil duster

    Updated: 2010-12-29 13:00:52
    Another day, another duster for Desire Petroleum. The company has been searching for oil in the Falklands Islands for 12 years now – and so far come up with nothing. The shares are down 25pc today on the drilling failure at the Jacinta prospect, and have already fallen 50pc this month on the unsuccessful results at its [...]

  • Age of mortgage equity withdrawal is well and truly over

    Updated: 2010-12-29 11:13:01
    It’s kind of what you would expect, but it is one of those statistics that is none the less remarkable for it. Households are paying down their mortgages at near record levels. Lastest figures from the Bank of England show that in the third quarter, just over £6bn, or 2.4 per cent of post tax income, [...]

  • Carpenters trimmed pension as market headed south

    Updated: 2010-12-24 16:16:17
    Can union funds afford aggressive investments?

  • As families gather for Christmas: 10 tips to avoid inheritance tax

    Updated: 2010-12-24 07:45:50
    Half of all Britons die without making a will because nobody wants to think about death but accountants claim that, counter-intuitive though it may sound, Christmas can be a good time to discuss the ticklish topic of avoiding inheritance tax (IHT). This is the time of year when many families come together and – as the [...]

  • Merry Christmas

    Updated: 2010-12-23 09:40:00
    : The Financial Services Club's Blog The Financial Services Club is a unique service designed for Senior Executives and Decision Makers from any firm interested in understanding and planning strategies for the future of banking and finance . Things worth reading : 23rd December 2010 Main December 23, 2010 Merry Christmas Well the holiday season is finally here and the blog is shutting down until 4th . January In the spirit of the season , I thought it would be nice to leave you with something Christmassey , so I got my friend MC Skinner to produce a little video . Happy Holidays Christmas Chris from Chris Skinner on Vimeo It that wasn't weird enough for you , then why not click here to play with my snowglobe or go and play Smack the Penguin Posted at 09:40 AM in Humour Permalink Reblog 0

  • Things worth reading: 23rd December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-23 09:38:59

  • Homebuyers should lock into fixed mortgages before rates rise

    Updated: 2010-12-23 07:49:02
    Homebuyers should lock into long term fixed rate mortgages before costs rise next year, financial advisers claim. They point out that by the time we know whether forecasts of rising rates from the Bank of England and the Confederation of British Industry are correct, it will be too late for homebuyers on variable rates to [...]

  • Is the Piggybank broken? — Dial down the rhetoric on pensions

    Updated: 2010-12-23 01:36:28
    Pooled Registered Pension Plans are a very promising development By Greg Hurst One of the biggest missing pieces in the national pension dialogue is a framework for the defined-contribution (DC) pension option that Canada’s finance ministers first began to examine a year ago at their December 2009 meeting. This option was also derailed at their ...

  • Employers Must Act Quickly to Elect Pension Relief for 2009 or 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-22 22:36:25
    On December 17, the IRS issued Notice 2011-3.  This Notice provides guidance on single-employer defined benefit plan elections under the Pension Relief Act of 2010.  The Notice provides that the deadline for electing to extend the amortization period is the latest of: (1) the last day of the plan year, (2) 30 days after the [...]

  • 2010 Financial Report of the U.S. Government

    Updated: 2010-12-22 14:47:55
    . CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts 2010 Financial Report of the U.S . Government The Government is Funded . until March 4th Chambliss and Warner : The New Debt Reduction Dream Team Updated : CRFB's Table Comparing Deficit Reduction Plans Line’ Items : Happy Holidays Edition CRFB Launches Fiscal Gold Star Awards First Winner Goes to Senator Coburn MARKETWATCH : December 13– December 16, 2010 Taxing Time for Fiscal Sanity By month December 2010 44 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91

  • Inspiration for #Wikileaks DDoS hive

    Updated: 2010-12-22 10:10:09

  • Record £10bn drop in UK exports blamed on 'banker bashing'

    Updated: 2010-12-22 08:07:19
    Official figures show the biggest ever drop in UK exports of financial services – down by £10bn or one fifth in a year – according to a leading economist who blames banker bashing critics in Government and the media. Cynics may well ask if the economist is worried about his own end of year bonus. But [...]

  • Things worth reading: 22nd December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-22 07:42:00

  • The Government is Funded...until March 4th

    Updated: 2010-12-21 19:45:59
    . CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts The Government is Funded . until March 4th Chambliss and Warner : The New Debt Reduction Dream Team Updated : CRFB's Table Comparing Deficit Reduction Plans Line’ Items : Happy Holidays Edition CRFB Launches Fiscal Gold Star Awards First Winner Goes to Senator Coburn MARKETWATCH : December 13– December 16, 2010 Taxing Time for Fiscal Sanity Omnibus or CR : Sausage Making at its Wurst By month December 2010 43 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91

  • Things worth reading: 21st December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-21 08:06:04

  • Bankers' bonuses: don't get mad – get even

    Updated: 2010-12-21 07:28:55
    Savers and borrowers appalled at the prospect of contributing to bankers’ bonuses again this Christmas do not need to rely on politicians’ feeble attempts to intervene. Instead, they can join rising numbers of savers and borrowers who are doing it for themselves online. So-called ‘peer to peer’ or P2P banking cuts out the middlemen by using [...]

  • Is the Piggybank Broken? — We don’t really know

    Updated: 2010-12-21 01:22:40
    Canadians may well react ­rationally to lower returns By Brian Lee Crowley Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has just announced that the proposal to expand the current Canada Pension Plan, with higher premiums and higher benefit levels, has been shelved in favour of working with the private sector to improve Canadians’ retirement options. We should all ...

  • Updated: CRFB's Table Comparing Deficit Reduction Plans

    Updated: 2010-12-20 16:15:18
    : CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts Chambliss and Warner : The New Debt Reduction Team Updated : CRFB's Table Comparing Deficit Reduction Plans Line’ Items : Happy Holidays Edition CRFB Launches Fiscal Gold Star Awards First Winner Goes to Senator Coburn MARKETWATCH : December 13– December 16, 2010 Taxing Time for Fiscal Sanity Omnibus or CR : Sausage Making at its Wurst Senator Coburn Offers Amendment to Offset Some of the Tax Deal By month December 2010 42 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget

  • Things worth reading: 20th December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-20 08:29:18

  • Emerging market bond funds 'bubble about to burst'

    Updated: 2010-12-20 08:18:48
    Financial advisers fear a crash could come soon as income-seeking investors flood into emerging market bond funds, despite warnings from the Bank of England that this may be a bubble about burst. Unit trusts investing in Brazil, Russia, India and China, sometimes called the BRIC countries, and other high growth economies are attracting record inflows, [...]

  • The Finanser's Week: 13th December - 19th December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-19 08:55:19

  • Things worth reading: 17th December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-17 08:14:35

  • HMRC targets middle class tax evaders

    Updated: 2010-12-17 08:01:47
    Accountants claim HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) aims to extract even more tax from the squeezed middle  class with a drive to tackle evasion, such as failure to declare buy to let and other second incomes. A spokesman for HMRC said it is spending £900m on anti-evasion measures, including training an extra 200 criminal investigators, and [...]

  • MARKETWATCH: December 13– December 16, 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-16 21:55:38
    : CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts MARKETWATCH : December 13– December 16, 2010 Taxing Time for Fiscal Sanity Omnibus or CR : Sausage Making at its Wurst Senator Coburn Offers Amendment to Offset Some of the Tax Deal Amid Fiscal Frustration , Some Signs for Hope Moody's Warns U.S . over Tax Cut Deal Creating a Fiscal Turnaround in the United States Who Won from the Tax Deal By month December 2010 38 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91 Congress 179 Deficits and Debt 270 Economy 109

  • Why rising stocks didn't help pensions look better

    Updated: 2010-12-16 20:55:19
    And is this really a crisis, or an accounting trick?

  • Things worth reading: 16th December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-16 15:26:11

  • Dwight Evans: Why PA doesn't need more pension reform

    Updated: 2010-12-15 17:32:21
    "Pennsylvania isn't New Jersey," says the newly dethroned House finance chief

  • Things worth reading: 15th December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-15 08:31:01

  • Moody's Warns U.S. over Tax Cut Deal

    Updated: 2010-12-14 15:33:18
    . CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts Moody's Warns U.S . over Tax Cut Deal Creating a Fiscal Turnaround in the United States Who Won from the Tax Deal Line Items : Botched Snap Edition CNN Money Exclusive : Tax Plan : Get Ready for a Big Debt Hangover Quantifying the Cost of Waiting Tax Cut Compromise a Costly Deal MarketWatch : December 6 December 10, 2010 By month December 2010 33 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91 Congress 179 Deficits and Debt 270 Economy 109 Fiscal News 95 Health

  • Things worth reading: 14th December 2010

    Updated: 2010-12-14 07:12:33

  • Creating a Fiscal Turnaround in the United States

    Updated: 2010-12-13 22:28:00
    CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts Creating a Fiscal Turnaround in the United States Who Won from the Tax Deal Line Items : Botched Snap Edition CNN Money Exclusive : Tax Plan : Get Ready for a Big Debt Hangover Quantifying the Cost of Waiting Tax Cut Compromise a Costly Deal MarketWatch : December 6 December 10, 2010 So , How About That TARP By month December 2010 32 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91 Congress 179 Deficits and Debt 270 Economy 109 Fiscal News 95 Health Care 122

  • Who Won from the Tax Deal?

    Updated: 2010-12-13 21:02:18
    CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts Creating a Fiscal Turnaround in the United States Who Won from the Tax Deal Line Items : Botched Snap Edition CNN Money Exclusive : Tax Plan : Get Ready for a Big Debt Hangover Quantifying the Cost of Waiting Tax Cut Compromise a Costly Deal MarketWatch : December 6 December 10, 2010 So , How About That TARP By month December 2010 32 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91 Congress 179 Deficits and Debt 270 Economy 109 Fiscal News 95 Health Care 122

  • Cash Balance Interest Credits: Rates Near Record Lows

    Updated: 2010-12-13 20:47:19
    The Federal Reserve has posted the November Treasury interest rates.  The 10 year constant maturity yield is 2.76%, which is near a record low.  This rate is the basis for many cash balance plan interest crediting rates.  Perhaps this low growth rate will inspire plan sponsors to change the interest credit index.  This is allowed [...]

  • CNN Money Exclusive: Tax Plan: Get Ready for a Big Debt Hangover

    Updated: 2010-12-13 19:41:01
    : : CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts Creating a Fiscal Turnaround in the United States Who Won from the Tax Deal Line Items : Botched Snap Edition CNN Money Exclusive : Tax Plan : Get Ready for a Big Debt Hangover Quantifying the Cost of Waiting Tax Cut Compromise a Costly Deal MarketWatch : December 6 December 10, 2010 So , How About That TARP By month December 2010 32 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91 Congress 179 Deficits and Debt 270 Economy 109 Fiscal News 95 Health Care 122

  • Quantifying the Cost of Waiting

    Updated: 2010-12-10 20:36:54
    CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts Quantifying the Cost of Waiting Tax Cut Compromise a Costly Deal MarketWatch : December 6 December 10, 2010 So , How About That TARP Coburn's Call to Arms for Tackling the Deficit MY VIEW : Encouraging Savings and Reducing the Debt House Passes Hybrid Spending Bill Year-long Budget Disaster Nears Conclusion Not Enough Thirst in Congress for Ad Hoc COLA By month December 2010 28 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91 Congress 179 Deficits and Debt 270

  • PA, districts to pay $1.2 billion more for teacher pensions

    Updated: 2010-12-10 20:01:10
    PSERS needs an extra $400 million to pay retired principals, teachers, bus drivers

  • Tax Cut Compromise a Costly "Deal"

    Updated: 2010-12-10 19:07:09
    CRFB.org Stimulus.org US Budget Watch Peterson-Pew Commission E-mail list sign up : Subscribe Unsubscribe Search : Home Documents Blog News Events About Contact Recent Posts Tax Cut Compromise a Costly Deal MarketWatch : December 6 December 10, 2010 So , How About That TARP Coburn's Call to Arms for Tackling the Deficit MY VIEW : Encouraging Savings and Reducing the Debt House Passes Hybrid Spending Bill Year-long Budget Disaster Nears Conclusion Not Enough Thirst in Congress for Ad Hoc COLA CRFB Board Member James T . Lynn Dies By month December 2010 27 November 2010 60 October 2010 53 September 2010 41 August 2010 43 July 2010 60 June 2010 63 May 2010 45 April 2010 64 March 2010 65 February 2010 61 January 2010 60 All Archives By Keyword Budget 156 CBO 91 Congress 179 Deficits and Debt

  • Explanation of 436 and Hybrid Plan Amendment Extensions

    Updated: 2010-12-09 14:49:39
    As we speculated a few weeks ago, the IRS has extended the deadline for plan sponsors to amend their plan documents to comply with certain law changes under PPA and WRERA. Notice 2010-77 essentially just adds a year to the previously extended deadlines from Notice 2009-97. These extensions may be a moot point for many [...]

  • 2011 PBGC Reportable Event Waivers

    Updated: 2010-12-07 14:50:26
    As many plan sponsors and benefits practitioners were hoping for, the PBGC recently released Technical Update 10-4 which provides guidance on how to comply with the proposed amendments to the reportable events regulations for the 2011 plan year. The conclusions are very similar to Technical Updates 09-1,  09-3, and 09-4 which provided guidance for the [...]

Current Feed Items | Previous Months Items

Nov 2010 | Oct 2010 | Sep 2010 | Aug 2010 | Jul 2010 | Jun 2010