| Navigating the deluge of credit cards
In a country from which there are hundreds of credit cards to choose, picking one that best suits your financial needs and lifestyle is no easy task. There are cards that offer rewards, cards that tout low interest rates and cards that have no annual fees. Many of these credit card offers have been dropping into mailboxes recently. January is a busy month when it comes to applications sent out by credit card issuers. That's not surprising, given that many people who used their credit cards heavily in December for holiday shopping may be in the market for a new one. "We've heard that from card issuers, and we've seen that in our business," said Bill Hardekopf, chief executive officer of Lowcards.com, a Web site that helps consumers compare credit cards.
Banks engaging in anti-competitive behaviour: Choice
Australian banks and financial institutions are engaging in anti-competitive behaviour in the home loan industry, according to the consumer group Choice. Research from Choice shows extremely high mortgage exit and entry fees are often preventing borrowers from switching to a better deal on their home loan. Choice's director of policy and campaigns Gordon Renouf says these high fees are undermining the competitive interest rates being offered by independent lenders. "The problem is that if you see someone else with a quarter or a half a per cent better mortgage rate, you're going to be reluctant to change if you're going to be paying $1,000 or $2,000 to get out of your mortgage contract," he said. "It's going to take a while before you reap that money back from a lower rate." But the Australian Bankers Association chief executive David Bell says Australian mortgage fees exist to ensure proper background checks on borrowers take place.
January 2003
America's soldiers may soon be off to war and that takes a terrible toll on their families. Joyce Mucci reviews Heroes at Home: Help and Hope for America's Military Families, a book which helps them cope those long absences
Making the case for regime change in Iraq: Carol Devine-Molin believes that there isn't much of an argument for continuing to allow Saddam Hussein to remain in power
Drill in ANWR, don't help terrorists: If leftists are equating the driving of SUVs with terrorism then importing oil from Saudi Arabia can't be that much better. Paul Walfield says that's a good reason to drill for oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The dangers of letting police into our genes: Rachel Marsden isn't thrilled by the prospect that one day soon police will be collecting DNA evidence from you even if you're innocent
Congressman Trent Franks: A freshman worth watching: Paul Weyrich says the 108th Congress may be missing a few old faces but some of the new ones, like Trent Franks, promise to be interesting
When is it rape?: The answer is no one knows.
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