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Presents business news briefs. Widening of the trade surplus in Japan; Growing overseas investments by Japanese companies; Upgrade of credit ratings on Canon and Ricoh; Borrowing outlook for the British government; Fines which were levied against mortgage lender Abbey National in Britain; Decline in profits expected at Dutch telecommunication company, Royal KPN; Court ruling in a credit lawsuit against Deutsche Bank; Purchase of Scout24AG by T-Online International of Germany.

Reports that First Alliance Mortgage Corporation, a home equity lender, has agreed to compensate 18,000 borrowers for alleged predatory lending. Allegations that the lender deceived borrowers by concealing extremely high fees and interest rates that rose automatically over time; Precedent set by the settlement, which is the second-largest in the history of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission; Contribution which will be made to the compensation fund by Brian and Sarah Chisick, the founders of First Alliance. INSET: F.T.C. to Oversee Compensation Fund.

Focuses on mortgage rates in the United States, as of October 28, 2001. How low rates have sparked a continuing surge in mortgage refinancings; Suggestion that consumers could save up to $70 billion in interest payments during the next year because of mortgage refinancings; Increase in applicants to refinance existing mortgages; Disadvantages to refinance.

Reports finding that black automobile buyers pay more for car loans than whites. Study of Nissan car loans, which is considered the largest pool of data; Class action suit against the Nissan loan unit; Similar suits filed against other auto makers.

Addresses the prevalence of loan sharks, especially within Latino communities in the United States. Use of high interest rates in loan sharking; Example of Juan Luis of New York City who borrowed money from loan sharks to open a series of fried chicken stands; How loan sharking works, as opposed to traditional commercial banks; Changes that have occurred from loan sharks of the past, with links to the mob and brutality, to nearly becoming a mainstream institution.

Focuses on mortgage rates in the United States as of May 26, 2000. Average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages; Rate on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages.

Focuses on so-called payday lending in the United States, as of June 1999. Increase of payday lending companies in the US; Locations; Cost of the service; Identification of national chains, including Ace Cash Express and Check Into Cash; Revenues and profitability; Regulation; Reasons for their proliferation; Objections of consumer advocates.

Discusses several innovative loans offered by lenders in the United States. Increase in home prices; Low mortgages offered by lenders for homeowners and buyers; Strategy of City Line Mortgage; Practice of refinancing homes as interest rates decrease.

Reports the decline of fixed rate mortgages in the United States as of July 1999. Average percent of mortgage rates in the country.

Provides statistical information on borrowing through credit cards, auto loans and other personal loans in the United States (US) for the month of May, 1999. Comparison on the figures between April and May; Annual rate of consumer credit; Figures from the US Labor Department showing initial claims for state unemployment benefits.

Details the decline of bond prices in the United States in July 1999. Decrease in the price of the benchmark bond; Corporate borrowers that are preparing to sell their debts; Increase in the overnight lending rate between banks; Amount of inflation-indexed notes that would be sold by the government.

Focuses on the minutes of the July 1, 1998 United States Federal Reserve Board's meeting, which indicated that policy makers voted leave the overnight bank lending rate unchanged at 5.50 percent. Ratio of the votes; Concerns that were expressed by many of the board's members at the meeting; Other factors relating to the minutes of the meeting; When minutes of the board's August 18, 1998 meeting will be released.

Presents statistical information on consumer rates for the period September 9-13, 1996. Loan rates; Yields in savings.

Presents charts related to loan, mortgage, certificates of deposit and money market rates in the United States from July 29 to August 2, 1996.

Presents a chart of consumer rates for the week of July 8-12, 1996. Includes loan rates; Small saver rates; Jumbo yields.

Presents data on loan rates and yields on savings for July 1-5, 1996. Small saver rates; Jumbo yields.

Presents charts and graph showing consumer rates for the week of February 12, 1996. Loan rates; Yields on savings.

Provides tabular and graphical information on consumer interest rates. Details of loans, mortgages, bank loans and savings rates; Source of information from Bank Rate Monitor, N. Palm Beach, and Money Fund Report, Ashland, Mass.

Focuses on performance of the financial market as of February 19, 1995. Trends of loans during June 1994 to February 1995; Changes in mortgage, bank loans and savings rates during the week ending February 18, 1995.

Reports on the increase in the lending rates of various Parisian banks as on December 29, 1994.

Presents statistical information on loan rates and yields on savings, for the period February 17-21, 1997.

Presents statistical information on consumer rates for loan rates and yields on savings.

Presents statistical information on the consumer rates for November 4 to 8, 1996 in the United States. Small saver rates; Loan rates.

Presents statistics on loan rates in the United States for October 28, 1996 to November 1, 1996.

Focuses on the lending risks in the banking industry. Risky lending practices; Decline in credit ratings; Concerns with credit; Comments of the chairman of NBD Bancorp in Detroit on decline in the standards in 1994.

Focuses on the factors which enable credit unions to offer better interest rates than banks on savings and loans. Details; Advantages and disadvantages of the same.

Presents tabular information about yields on savings, and graphical information about loan rate movement in the 1994-95 period.

Presents the changes in yields of savings and loan rates during March 13-17, 1995.