Search

Reports that Hertz and other car rental companies has raise their car rental rates in 2000. Amount of increase in Hertz's rates; What prompted the increases; Weekly rates for cars.

Reports the slow economic growth of the United States (U.S.) as of August 9, 2000. Status of the nation's energy cost; Bank lending rate of the U.S. Federal Reserve; Outlook on the job market.

Editorial. Looks at the increase in electricity rates distributed by Consolidated Edison in New York. Reasons behind the sudden increase in electricity rates; Role of electric costs in the rate increase according to Consolidated Edison; Implications of electricity deregulation on states across the United States.

Reports on the performance of bonds in the United States (U.S.) on August 3, 2000. Factor that caused the increase of bond prices; Role of the U.S. Federal Reserve in the Treasury bond price trend; Expectations from the July unemployment report.

Reports on the hearing held by state legislators in New York on August 2, 2000 regarding the increasing electricity rates. Increase in electricity rates as of June 2000; Role of power producers in the increase according to Eugene R. McGrath, chairman and chief executive of Consolidated Edison; Implications of the increase on consumers in New York; Background information on the electric deregulation in New York.

Reports on the actions of utility companies in the United States, particularly their attempts to manage the supply and demand of electricity. How the time of day and availability of power will affect costs for consumers; Why companies and individuals need to re-examine their power usage; Example of a situation involving Wisconsin Electric Power and the Cleveland Cliffs iron ore mine.

Reports that the average interest rate charged on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the United States slipped in the second week of July 2000. Decline in rates according to Freddie Mac or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.; Status of fifteen-year mortgages; Rate for one-year adjustable mortgages.

Reports on the decrease in the average interest rates of fixed-rate mortgages in the United States. Demand of lenders on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages.

Reports on the plan of SBC Communications to announce the long-distance telephone rates it will charge in Texas. Background of the Telecommunications Act of 1996; Comments from David Cole, president for consumer markets at the South-western Bell unit of SBC.

Focuses on the effect that the proposed rate increase of the United States Postal Service will have on the magazine industry. The Magazine Publishers of America and its efforts to lobby Congress on the issue; The Postal Reform Act of 1970 which mandates that every class of mail cover its own mailing costs; Opinion that this increase will have the largest effect on small magazines.

Reports that AT&T submitted a proposal that would give telephone users more flexibility in seeking to save money on some long-distance calls. Reaction to the proposal by consumer groups and United States federal regulators; Tactics planned to be employed to lower cost, including eliminating a monthly fee for low-volume callers, and a wider variety of calling options; Statement by William E. Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, that he was encouraged by the plan.

Presents a list of the lowest restricted and unrestricted round-trip fares as of June 19, 2000, for commonly traveled domestic and international air routes in the United States.

Reports on the decline in the rates for 30-year mortgages in June 2000, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association. Percentage of decline in 15-year mortgage rates; Rates on one-year adjustable rate mortgages.

Reports on the fall of Treasury note prices in the United States trading market on June 20, 2000.

Reports that the average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the United States has slipped for the week ended June 9, 2000. Decline in mortgage rate according to a survey by Freddie Mac, a mortgage company; Status of 15-year mortgages; Rate on one-year adjustable rate mortgages.

Reports the decision of AT&T to put off a planned rate increase. Pressure from the United States government and consumer groups to stop the increase; Claim by the Federal Communications Commission chairman William E. Kennard, that the company had broken a promise to reduce overall phone charges; Comments from officials at the commission that they knew about the AT&T plans for a rate increase.

Discusses the spring 2000 announcement of AT&T that rates of most long-distance accounts will be raised. Complaints of consumer groups that feel misled by previous announcements of rate cuts by AT&T and the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Lack of concern by the FCC about AT&T plans to raise rates; How the action benefits other long-distance companies.

Deals with the rate and status of the United States trade deficit as of June 2000. Notions on trade deficit; Drawbacks of an unusually high dollar rate; How to manage trade deficits.

Focuses on the decision of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and leading telephone companies to lower long-distance telephone rates. Rate cuts which will be most beneficial to those who use make few long-distance calls; Questions about consumers actually receiving the promised savings; Reasons for the agreement.

Details the decline in new-home sales in the United States in April 2000. Rise in mortgage rates since the Federal Reserve started raising borrowing costs in June 1999; Decline in the manufacturing index of the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago.

Editorial. Deals with the ruling issued by the United States Federal Communications Commission concerning rates of long-distance calls. Decrease in per-minute fees; Application of such ruling to access charges of telephone calls; Problems with the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

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.

Reports the increase in the average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the United States. Survey conducted by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association.

Reports on the decline in the average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the United States in April 2000. Average initial rate being asked by lenders on one-year adjustable rate mortgages.

Reports on the average interest rate on fixed-rate mortgages as of April 15, 2000 in the United States. Percentage of increase in interest rate.

Reports on the decline of the average interest rate for fixed-rate mortgages in the United States as of April 15, 2000. Details on the decline.

Reports on the declaration of state of emergency in Cochabamba, Bolivia due to the violence arising from the proposal to increase the rates of drinking water. Casualties; Escalation of government action; Economic situation in the area.

Looks at the performance of domestic and foreign stocks on April 7, 2000. Percent decline of the Nasdaq composite index; Analysts' forecast on growth of companies in Standard & Poor's 500; Bank loan rates; Bond yield and prices.

Presents data on the performance of stock markets in the United States for the week of March 6-10, 2000. Stock performance of companies such as Procter & Gamble, Euro Tech Holdings, Williams-Sonoma and Mirage Resorts; Stock mutual funds with the most assets under management; Bank loan rates.

Reports on the decline in mortgage rates in the United States as of March 2, 2000. Percent decline in the average interest rate on 30-year mortgages; Percent decline in the average rate on 15-year mortgages; Initial rate on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages.

Focuses on Amazon.com's plan for a February 2000 convertible bond offering. Euro pricing of the offering; Yield and maturation; Explanation of convertible bonds; Protections for buyers of Amazon.com bonds; Implications of the inclusion of a reset; Analysis.

Reports that rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages were unchanged for the week of February 4, 2000 in the United States. Survey of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. on the rates; Average initial rate on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages.

Reports on the increase in the yields on short-term Treasury notes in the United States on January 26, 2000. What contributed to the increase; Implications of the fall in long-term yields; Factors that affect Treasury yields.

Deals with the high levels of mortgage rates for the third week of January 2000. Average interest rate increase on 30-year fixed-rate mortgage; Rate of fifteen-year mortgages.

Reports on Treasury bond prices in the United States as of January 20, 2000. Reason for the prices; Comments from Tom Seay of Gradison-McDonald Asset Management.

Reports that mortgage rates hit their highest level since April 1997 to January 2000 amid fears that the United States Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in February 2000.

Discusses inflation-indexed United States Treasury bonds. Economic conditions in the United States as of 2000; Capital flowing into the Nasdaq market system; Interest paid on inflation-indexed bonds; Suggestions that the bonds represent a safe and good investment; Lack of fear about inflation affecting bond prices.

Reports that Bell Atlantic will begin offering long-distance service on January 5, 2000 in New York State for five cents per minute without the monthly fees charged by rival companies. Benefits for consumers who signed up for Bell Atlantic's `e-Values' plan over the Internet; Remarks from Kirk Boodry, an analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson Securities.

Focuses on the issue about the practice of charging different insurance premiums for different people in the United States. Comments from Steven Goldstein, a spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute; Overview on rental car companies' practice of charging young men; Implication of the charging practices of both the insurance and rental car companies.

Discusses the trend in the United States of customers frequently switching their telephone service companies. Reasons for frequent switches, including many choices and special offers; Comments from several customers and phone companies commenting on the trend.

Discusses the November 1998 sale of Japanese Government bills with negative yields. Indication of investors' distrust of Japanese banks and negative attitude toward the Japanese economy; Reasons for purchasing the bonds; Impact of the negative yields on consumer and corporate rates.

Focuses on summer 1998 United States returns from bonds. Prices of US Treasury bonds; Long-term prospects for bonds according to Merrill Lynch investment strategist Charles I. Clough Jr.; Yield predictions.

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.

Focuses on the United States housing market as of late May, 1999. Comparison of January to April 1999 home construction and sales to the same period in 1998; Home prices; Home ownership demographics; Impact of mortgage rates; Economic risks associated with the boom.

Reports a May 11, 1999 increase in long-term United States interest rates. Investor concerns; Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's comments about the possibility of inflation; Scheduled meeting of Federal Reserve policy makers; Yield on the 30-year US Treasury bond; Stock market activity.

Comments on the increase in the price of admission to motion pictures in New York City. Increase in ticket prices without a significant increase in inflation; High percentage of theaters owned by Loews Cineplex Entertainment.

Reports on the rise in rates for cable television for the remaining days before its scheduled deregulation. Cable television, which is one of the last United States industries to have its prices controlled by the government; Possible reasons for the rise of rates, including the prospect of competition; Unusual aspects to the price increases; Statistics.

Reports that the Euro, the European currency unit, has steadily slipped against the dollar in the two months since its introduction. Details of the decline over the weeks from its initial exchange rate; Surprise of experts and overseers of the continent's economic integration; Economic and political developments in which the Euro's troubles are reflected; Disagreement of political leaders in the European Unit over monetary policy; Forecasting.

Discusses the sale of credit card accounts by regional United States banks, as of early 1999. Comparison of the number of accounts sold in 1998 and 1997; Impact of lack of interest rate regulation on card holders; US banks which are buying accounts, including Chase Manhattan, Citibank and others; Overview of the practice and the laws.

Reports on the rise of mortgage rates in the United States as of December 31, 1999. Percentage of increase; Average rate of 30-year fixed-rate mortgages.