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Presents a chart depicting foreign exchange rates as of September 24, 2004.

Provides a list of current cash exchange rates for various countries and its equivalent to the U.S. dollar.

Reports that AT&T Communications plans to raise its rates on local calling plans in 40 states to increase revenues from its residential business. Implications of rate increases for customers; Financial strategy; Background on the company's decision not to seek new residential customers or work to retain them; Comments of Bob Nersesian, an AT&T spokesman; How Standard & Poor cut the company's credit rating because of doubts about AT&T's ability to generate cash from its businesses.

Presents rates of foreign currency in the U.S. as of May 25, 2004. Commercial rate; Free market rate; Floating rate; Currency.

Presents foreign exchange rates in the United States as of May 11, 2004. Currencies included; Percentage of rate changes.

Presents foreign exchange rates in the United States as of April 28, 2004. Foreign currency in dollars; Percentage of changes from April 27.

Reports on the testimony filed by the New York State Consumer Protection Board with the state Public Service Commission opposing rate increases requested by Consolidated Edison for its natural gas and steam operations.

Delves into the issue of Saturday night stays in airports to avail of lower-priced airplane tickets. Possibility that the rule will be extinct before the summer season starts; Competition that ensues within the airline industry itself; Views of travelers regarding the situation.

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.

Highlights the rise on benchmark 30-year mortgage rates during the week of October 6-11, 2003.

Reports on the rise in rates of 30-year mortgages during the week of August 22, 2003 in the U.S.

Focuses on a study by Congress' General Accounting Office which found that U.S. energy regulators are unable to protect consumers and ensure that electricity is sold at reasonable rates. Findings of antiquated procedures and legislation; Quotes from the report; Conclusion that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will not be able to deter anticompetitive behavior or outright violations of market rules; Recommendation for tougher regulatory powers; Comments of commission chairman Patrick Wood III.

Reports that U.S. federal regulators threatened to strip four energy traders of their ability to charge unregulated rates for electricity because of their responses to inquiries about their strategies in California. Belief that El Paso Electric, Avista Corporation and Enron subsidiary Portland General Electric may have submitted false information regarding manipulative energy trading strategies to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Refusal of the Williams Companies to answer a crucial question; Company responses.

Examines how U.S. lenders, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have changed their approach towards people who fall behind on mortgage payments. Decision to reduce the rate at which they repossessed homes; Replacement of foreclosure with altered loan payment schedules; View that the risk is paying off as the economy recovers; Avoidance of large losses; Consequences of the policy shift for individuals.

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.

Discusses a trend of customization in mortgage lending in the United States. Multitude of mortgage options available to home buyers; Reasons for this trend, including a cash surplus among banks; Low home equity lines of credit offered by some banks; Risks and benefits of variable loans and lines of credit; Example of a mortgage-seeking couple. INSET: The Finer Points.

Reports on the factors that bolster the growth of consumer spending in the U.S. Effects of low mortgage rates on the economy; Impact of low energy rates on consumer spending; Details on the effect of tax rebates on the consumer.

Provides basic information related to travelling in Montreal, Quebec. Approximation on hotel rates; Rates of car rentals; List of restaurants.

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.

Focuses on the decision of the company American General to stop selling single-premium credit life insurance.

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.

Discusses the lowering of prime time advertising rates at broadcast networks for the 2001 fall season. Reasons for the reductions; Perception of doubt that the slowdown in the national economy will end soon; Why the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and the United Paramount Network (UPN) Network will not lower rates; Estimation of the amount of advertising revenue expected by the networks.

Reports on the rate increase of treasury bonds in the United States on May 7, 2001.

Discusses the impact of United States Federal Reserve interest rate cuts on mortgage rates, as of May, 2001. How short-term interest rate cuts has had little or no effect on reducing long-term mortgage rates; Suggestion that immediate moves by the Federal Reserve are far removed from mortgage rates; Reasons why home owners are upset over the slight changes in mortgage rates.

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.

Reports on the energy rate increase proposed by California Governor Gray Davis and the proposed solution to resolve the state's long-term energy problems.

Discusses the energy crisis in California. How the problem has gotten worse, despite government assistance; Resistance to raising electricity rates by Governor Gray Davis; Controversy over who has the first rights to money collected from ratepayers.

Deals with the conflict between electric power utilities and consumer groups in California over the issue of electricity rate increase. Reason for the energy crisis in California; Suggestions given by consumer groups on how to address the problem; Public hearing being made on the issue.

Deals with the increasing number of hotels under construction in Long Island, New York as of December 2000. Room occupancy rates in Long Island; Features of the hotels; Information on the construction of second Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn.

Discusses the renewed interest in nuclear reactors to keep up with the rising demand for electricity in the United States. How the need for electricity has led many utility companies to seek an extended lease for existing nuclear plants, which are now seen as relatively inexpensive and more reliable than they once were; Impact of the rising price of natural gas and electricity deregulation.

Presents charts and graphs focusing on the rate of currencies and the prices of traded commodities as of November 2000. Why the Japanese yen fell; Reason for the rise in prices of soybeans.

Presents advertising-related news briefs in the United States (U.S.) as of November 20, 2000. Advertising account awarded by Princess Cruises company to Suissa Miller company; Advertising project of the U.S. Office of National AIDS Policy; Increase of the average cost of television advertisements.

Deals with the status of the housing construction in the United States as of November 18, 2000. Increase in the annual rate of housing construction; Mortgage rate averages in housing; Increase in multifamily housing projects in the country.

Reports that Montenegro will stop using the Yugoslav dinar in November 2000. Conversion rate of the dinar to the German mark.

Reports on the profits forecasts and earnings of Walt Disney Company in the United States in 2000. Profit expectations of analysts in the quarter ending in December; Reason for the decline in advertising rates at ABC television; Net income and revenue for the fourth quarter which ended on September 30.

Focuses on the effect of the intervention of the European Central Bank to the trading of euro. Implications of the dollar rate increase to the euro currency; Overview of the European Bank's intervention; Assessment of market analysts.

Presents news briefs on personal finance in the United States as of October 29, 2000. Details on the voter-leave laws in several states; Increase in the maximum earned income subject to Social Security taxes; Result of a survey on paying more for electricity to mitigate global warming.

Reports on the increase in mortgage rates in the week ending October 6, 2000 according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.

Reports on the lawsuit filed against Fleet Bank for misleading consumers and violating a pledge to charge a fixed interest rate on credit card balances transferred to Fleet accounts. Information on the plaintiff; Value of the annual rate advertised by Fleet Credit Card Services.

Reports that the rate for 30-year mortgages has dipped to its lowest level in the week ending October 6, 2000, according to Freddie Mac. Rates for the 30- and 15-year mortgages; Information of 30- and 15-year mortgages in 1999.

Discusses the rates at which subway trains in New York City run. Effect of just one train running late on the rest of the day's schedule, when one arrives at a stop every three minutes; Thoughts of the New York City Transit Authority; Regulations in place for the Transit.

Presents an update on the trading of bonds in the United States as of October 5, 2000. Decline in the price of 10-year Treasury note; Remarks from Robert Pugliese of J.W. Genesis Financial; Factors that could affect the price of bonds.

Presents news on business in New York as of October 3, 2000. Proposal to reduce electricity rates headed by Con Edison with other consumer groups; Site expansion of Carousel Foods of America; Reason for the workforce reduction made by Space.com.

Comments on a strike staged by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to protest over how actors in the United States are paid for work in television commercials. Rate set by advertisers; Demands of the SAG; Requirements for joining the union.

Argues that the United States should support the European Union to stabilize the exchange of the euro. Decline of the value of the euro against the United States dollar; Justification for foreign exchange intervention; Discussion on the economic principles governing exchange rates.

Focuses on the state of stock markets in the United States as of September 10, 2000. Why analysts issued downgrades to technology companies; Earnings of Litton Industries for fiscal first quarter of 2000; Acquisition of Associates First Capital by Citigroup; Bank loan rates.

Discusses issues concerning the economy of the United States. Strength of the equity market and credit market; Effect that supply and demand is having on the economy; Willingness of banks to lend money; Discussion of the high yields from junk bonds.

Deals with the warning issued by Hertz Corporation regarding its third and fourth quarter earnings for 2000. Plans of Hertz in raising prices on car rentals in the third quarter of 2000; Factors that affected the car rental business in the United States (U.S.); Revenue growth expectations on the car rental business in the third and fourth quarter of 2000; Number of operation sites of Hertz in the U.S. and other countries.

Reports on the average growth of interest rate for 30-year mortgages as of August 2000 in the United States according to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Drop of fifteen-year mortgage rates; Home sales growth in July 2000.

Reports the increase in the electricity bills of Consolidated Edison's customers despite the cool weather in New York. How the State Public Service Commission's deregulation move affected the company; Criticisms against the commission; Information on the order of the commission to the New York Independent System operator.