Mortgage rates edged up week-over-week but will be ending 2011 close to historical lows, Freddie Mac said. Freddie Mac released the results of its last Primary Mortgage Market Survey yesterday, which revealed weekly increases in average mortgage rates for the week ending December 29, 2011. Despite the week-over-week rise in average rates, though, 30-year fixed mortgages have now averaged 4.00 percent or lower for nine straight weeks. In this latest survey, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.95 percent, which is up from the all-time record low average of 3.91 percent established last week. One year ago at this time, 30-year fixed mortgages averaged nearly a full percentage point higher – 4.86 percent. Only twice in 2011 did average rates for 30-year fixed mortgages rise above 5.00 percent, Freddie Mac said. “Mortgage rates ended the year hovering near historic lows in an already affordable housing market,” Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac, said in a statement.
Most Americans commute to work and most commuters travel by car. The morning commute and evening drive home are often seen as an inevitable part of modern life – and many people find things to enjoy about their commute, whether it’s stopping for coffee or listening to music or their favorite drive-time radio programs.
But have you ever thought about how much your commute is really costing you?
I recently saw a great infographic posted on the Elance blog about “The True Cost of a Commute.” This eye-catching chart will show you why commuting by car, for many Americans, is an expensive, time-wasting, budget-busting activity that too many of us take for granted as “just part of life.”
Here are some of my favorite facts on the True Cost of Commuting:
1. Every mile
Tags: Commute, Commute MakingAt this time of year the FSU Member Rights Centre receives many calls from members querying their public holiday entitlement. Below are the frequently asked questions (and the answers!) which we hope will be a useful guide for you. If your specific circumstances aren’t covered here, or you would like some clarification about your entitlement please contact the Member Rights Centre on 1300 366 378 to speak to one of our trained advisers.
What public holidays am I entitled to?
Can I be forced to work a public holiday?
How am I compensated when working on a public holiday?
I am a part-time employee who is not rostered to work on the public holiday. Am I entitled to be paid for that public holiday?
What happens when a public holiday occurs during annual leave?
What happens when a public holiday occurs whilst on Long Service Leave?
What public holidays am I entitled to?
New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Queens Birthday (according to State or Territory or a region of a State or Territory), Christmas Day, Boxing Day and any other day as declared by a State or Territory e.g. Melb
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China’s fiscal revenue growth comes in at 10.6% in November
China’s fiscal revenues rose 10.6% Y-Y in November, a slower growth from October as the economy downshifted, according to official data released Sunday.
The slowdown was caused by a moderation of the economic growth, higher exemption threshold for personal income taxes, declining car and property purchases and increasing export tax rebates, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
The pace of growth in November decelerated from 16.9% in October, 17.3% in September and 34.3% in August.
The revenues in November reached 645.73-B Yuan (US$101.85-B), with 558.21-B Yuan collected from taxes, + 2.7% Y-Y, said the ministry.
Value-added tax revenue climbed 2.9% Y-Y, a weaker growth than 7.6% in October and 17.5% in September.
Corporate income tax revenue fell 20.6% Y-Y while personal income tax revenue dipped 8.2%, after the Country raised the monthly exemption threshold for personal income taxes from 2,000 Yuan to 3,500 Yuan starting in September.
Revenue from property sales taxes dropped 6.5% Y-Y in November.
China’s fiscal expenditure increased 7.5% Y-Y to 1.14-T Yuan in November, said the ministry.
In the 1st 11 months of the year, China’s fiscal revenues rose 26.8% Y-Y to Top 9.73-T Yan while its fiscal expenditure went up 24.3% to 8.9-T Yuan, it said.
China will maintain its proactive fiscal policy next year, according to a statement released after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Friday.
Xia Bin, a member of the monetary policy committee of the People’s Bank of China, or the central bank. said Chin
Tags: China, China Outperforms
Money and love are complicated, as you might well know. On the money side, add to that 29% APR on one or more credit cards to a level of complication that includes another word: Expensive.
This is what happens when either individuals or couples get credit cards that they cannot pay down to a zero balance every month. The things just have this habit of building (thanks to your purchases) and as has happened to millions throughout the country, running higher and higher interest charges at the will of the companies issuing the cards.
As with all relationships, you have to ask yourself: “Am I better or worse off if I were to let this card go?”
What a moment it can be when you say, “I’m better off without a credit card.” In many respects, you gain your freedom. But in others, it means facing the world single, alone and naked without plastic. Are you up for it? To find o
Global X Funds, the New York-based ETF provider known for its commodities and emerging markets funds, launched today the market’s first ETF to focus solely on Greece, serving up direct access to a country most investors have worked hard to avoid as it sits in the heart of the European sovereign debt crisis.
The Global X FTSE Greece 20 ETF (NYSEArca: GREK) tracks the FTSE/ATHEX 20 Capped Index, which consists of the top 20 companies by market capitalization listed on the Athens Exchange. The fund costs a net expense ratio of 0.69 percent.
Up to now, investors looking to tap into Greek equities could only do so via broader European-focused ETFs such as the $932 million iShares S&P Europe 350 (NYSEArca: IEV) or the $702 million iShares MSCI EMU (NYSEArca: EZU), or even the $6.8 billion Vanguard MSCI European ETF (NYSEArca: VGK). But these funds’ allocation to Greece is minimal if not negligible.
Greece has seen its economy succumb to the weight of a massive sovereign debt burden. The
Tags: Etf, Global X