Here is a common situation. A small importer gets a large purchase order from a prized client, such as a big box retailer. To fulfill the transaction, they will have to buy the goods from their foreign supplier, who will ask for a pre-payment. The supplier will then manufacture and deliver the goods to the end customer. And once received, the customer will take anywhere between 30 to 60 days to pay for them. As you can see, these types of transactions have very demanding cash flows, leaving the importer with a serious financial dilemma: if the order is too big/expensive they will risk losing the order and the client.
What can they do?
Financing this type of transaction is very difficult because most financial institutions will not consider purchase orders as valuable collateral. However, there is one financing solution that has been gaining traction in recent years. Its pu
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This is a Stonebridge Bank CD rates March Review, 2012 in our efforts to help keep you informed on this small Pennsylvania community bank. This makes it easier to make an informed decision when investing your money with them.
Since our last visit just a few months ago, the CD rates being offered by Stonebridge Bank have seen a reduction. The amount of reduction is from 0.15% to 0.25%. In addition, the 14 month CD is no longer being offered.
The current bank CD rates include the 6 month CD that is earning an APY of 0.70%. The 1 year CD is earning an APY of 0.80%.
The 18 month CD is earning an APY of 0.90%. The 21 month CD is earning an APY of 0.95%. The 2 year CD is earning an APY of 1.00%.
The 30 month CD is earning an APY of 1.10%. The 3 year CD is earning an APY of 1.20%.
The best CD rate is from the 5 year CD that is earning an APY of 1.65%.
The minimum deposit amount required to open an account and obtain the stated APY’s is $500. All of the terms are fixed rates for the life of the account. Each one will be rolled over into a like CD at maturity, if no action by the owner is taken. The exception to this is the 21 month CD which renews as an 18 month CD upon maturity.
You can open a new CD account online or at one of your local Stonebridge Bank branch offices. T
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Interest rates in Britain could stay at their emergency level of 0.5% for a further three years, one of the UK’s leading economic consultancies said on Wednesday.
On the eve of the third anniversary of the Bank of England’s decision to cut the cost of borrowing to the lowest level since it was founded in 1694, Capital Economics said the days of ultra-cheap money were here to stay.
“We think they (official interest rates) could stay at this level for another three years,” said Vicky Redwood, the consultancy’s chief UK economist.
The Bank’s nine-strong monetary policy committee began a two-day meeting on Wednesday and is forecast to leave policy unchanged when it announces its decision on noon on Thursday.
Financial markets currently do not expect Threadneedle Street to raise bank rate until the end of 2013, but Redwood said even this could be premature given the slow pace of the UK’s economic recovery.
When the Bank cut interest rates to 0.5% in March 2009 the expectation in the City was that the move would be short-lived, with borrowing costs back on the rise by early 2010 and reaching 3% by 2012. Redwood said: “In contrast, we never predicted a rate rise over this period and said that rates could conceivably stay at their rock-bottom levels for five years.
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During these hard times, what would be the best investment you could do with your money to make it grow bigger: money market account, CDs, or a high-yeild savings account?
That was the question I recently received from a reader. Lets discuss the question and the surrounding issues.
In some ways, saving is investing. But for the most part, and definitely in the sense its being used in the question above, saving and investment are two different things. If you are expecting savings to grow bigger, especially in our current banking scene, then you are going to be waiting a while. Or worse, youll lose money.
Savings rates are by default lower than investing rates. Classic risk-reward. But since the Fed is keeping interest rates down at really low levels until late 2014, savings rates are going to remain significantly lower (between 0% and 1%) than weve seen in the past.
In the past, you could expect savings rates to remain at, or slightly above, inflation rates. Have you looked at inflation rates recently?
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Merrimack Valley Federal Credit Union invites its members to take advantage of their certificate of deposit which has a very competitive interest rate. The following are the list of the credit union’s current CD rates:
- 3 months 0.25% APY
- 6 months 0.50% APY
- 12 months 1.00% APY
- 15 months 1.00% APY
- 18 months 1.25% APY
- 24 months 1.50% APY
- 30 months 1.50% APY
- 36 months 2.00% APY
- 48 months 2.00% APY
- 60 months 2.50% APY
You can start earning these top certificate of deposit rates when you deposit a minimum of $500 to open an account. Please remember that once you have established your account, you will no longer be allowed to make changes or make a deposit. In case you need to make a withdrawal, you will have to shoulder an early withdrawal fee that will be charged on your account. The amount of penalty will vary on the term of your certificate of deposit.
This best certificate of deposit account will automatically renew once it matures. A written notification from the c
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— Phoebe Santo @ 7:14 pm — 
March 8, 2012