Finance Globe

If you're a small business owner and are having a tough time meeting business expenses during this difficult economy, you may consider looking into a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan program designed just for you.Under the America's Recovery Capital (ARC) loan program, small business owners may receive up to $35,000 in short-term relief. The ARC loan is intended for viable small businesses facing immediate financial hardship to help the business ride out the current economic situation...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that they are suing the world's leading computer chip maker Intel Corporation, saying that the company "has illegally used its dominant market position for a decade to stifle competition and strengthen its monopoly."In it's complaint, the FTC alleges that "Intel has waged a systematic campaign to shut out rivals’ competing microchips by cutting off their access to the marketplace. In the process, Intel deprived consumers of choice and innovation...

Writing a business plan is a crucial step to your business' development. A well thought-out business plan defines your business, outlines your strategy for the growth of your business, expenses and income expectations, marketing strategies. It helps you allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. And a realistic business plan is a basic requirement if you plan to obtain a loan to help start or grow your business. The Small Business Administration...

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning to consumers to be skeptical of anyone trying to sell test kits, inspections, or quick fixes for problems caused by imported drywall that has turned out to be contaminated. Earlier this year, it was determined that some U.S. homes built between 2003 and 2008 contain imported drywall, referred to in the press as Chinese drywall. Consumers largely report that their homes were built in 2006 to 2007, when...

New claims for jobless benefits rose by 17,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 474,000 for the week ending December 5, the Department of Labor reported today. The unexpected rise in initial jobless claims comes after five straight weeks of declines. The four-week moving average was 473,750, down 7,750 from the previous week's revised average of 481,500. The advance seasonally-adjusted insured unemployment rate for the week ending November 28 was 3.9%, a .2 percentage point decrease from the previous...

Bank of America announced last week that it would repay the entire $45 billion received from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).Paying back the funds would allow the North Carolina-based bank to break free of the federal government's restrictions and save approximately $3.6 billion annually in interest payments to the government. BofA has already paid $2.54 billion in dividends to the U.S. Treasury since the bank initially received TARP funding.And on Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury Department...

Getting your first credit card is a major stepping stone to financial independence. It's nice to be able to cover surprise expenses or emergencies without having to borrow money from relatives. You will have the freedom to make purchases based on an anticipated paycheck. Even if you're smart enough to only buy things when you have the cash, it's important to establish your credit history now. After showing a history of responsible credit card use, you...

I received an automated call a couple of months ago. After listening to the message from the other end, I thought it sounded strangely like my credit card company was calling me to give me a better interest rate - but when has that ever happened? The recording said that they were calling from "card services" so I pushed whatever number they told me to and was transferred to a real person.The salesperson sounded very excited...

Existing home sales in October surged 10.1% as the first-time home buyer credit continues to drive sales, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported today.Existing homes sales last month were at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.10 million units, which includes single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and co-ops. The October pace of sales activity was 23.5% higher than they were a year ago, and is the highest it's been since February 2007.Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, was...

Consumers have until December 7, 2009 to make a comment on the recently issued proposal to amend the "Free Credit Report Rule" (formally the Free Annual File Disclosures Rule), the The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today.The FTC posted the proposed rule on their website on October 7, 2009 and stated that public comments were to be submitted no later than November 30, 2009 - but decided to extend the deadline for another week after recent...