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Billy Manders

Don't be surprised if you hear some news regarding Citigroup today...

It will be difficult for the U.S. Government to allow another day of market turmoil for this financial behemoth. Paulson and Bernanke are, no doubt, trying to broker a private deal for them, but it wouldn't surprise me to see some sort of bridge loan or backstop similar to AIG or Fannie/Freddie. Look for this to occur before the Russian/Asian market open tonight, EST.

This will be another interesting week...

Don't be surprised if you hear some news regarding Citigroup today...

It will be difficult for the U.S. Government to allow another day of market turmoil for this financial behemoth. Paulson and Bernanke are, no doubt, trying to broker a private deal for them, but it wouldn't surprise me to see some sort of bridge loan or backstop similar to AIG or Fannie/Freddie. Look for this to occur before the Russian/Asian market open tonight, EST.

This will be another interesting week...

Don't be surprised if you hear some news regarding Citigroup today...

It will be difficult for the U.S. Government to allow another day of market turmoil for this financial behemoth. Paulson and Bernanke are, no doubt, trying to broker a private deal for them, but it wouldn't surprise me to see some sort of bridge loan or backstop similar to AIG or Fannie/Freddie. Look for this to occur before the Russian/Asian market open tonight, EST.

This will be another interesting week...

Credit scores and why they matter...

What's a credit score and why should I care about it?

Your credit score is the result of a mathematical formula that's applied to all the information in your credit report (both positive and negative) and then compared to millions of other credit reports. The most common credit score is a FICO score, developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation. A variation of the basic FICO model is used by each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Your FICO score is based on five categories, each of which accounts for a percentage of your total score:

  • Your payment history: 35%
  • An analysis of your debt: 30%
  • The length of your credit history: 15%
  • Recent inquiries/new credit activity: 10%
  • Types of credit in use: 10%

The result is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 that estimates your level of credit risk. The higher the number, the lower the risk.

This number significantly affects your ability to get credit and the terms you're offered. Generally, lenders consider people with scores above 700 to be in good financial health, and worthy of the best interest rates and credit terms. Those with scores below 600 are considered to be financially risky, and may be turned down for credit or offered stricter terms (higher interest rates, lower credit limits, and/or requirements for collateral or a cosigner or both).

To keep your score high:

  • Pay your bills on time
  • Repair any damage (i.e., overdue payments) as quickly as possible
  • Keep your balances on your credit cards low (especially in relation to your credit limits)
  • Pay off your debt
  • Don't open new accounts you don't need

 

 

  

 

Here we go again...again...

It had been a few days without a day new Fed funding facility ... From the Fed: Federal Reserve announces the creation of the Money Market Investor Funding Facility (MMIFF) The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced the creation of the Money Market Investor Funding Facility (MMIFF), which will support a private-sector initiative designed to provide liquidity to U.S. money market investors.

From the Fed...

Press Release

Federal Reserve Press Release

Release Date: October 21, 2008

For release at 9:00 a.m. EDT

The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced the creation of the Money Market Investor Funding Facility (MMIFF), which will support a private-sector initiative designed to provide liquidity to U.S. money market investors.

Under the MMIFF, authorized by the Board under Section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) will provide senior secured funding to a series of special purpose vehicles to facilitate an industry-supported private-sector initiative to finance the purchase of eligible assets from eligible investors. Eligible assets will include U.S. dollar-denominated certificates of deposit and commercial paper issued by highly rated financial institutions and having remaining maturities of 90 days or less. Eligible investors will include U.S. money market mutual funds and over time may include other U.S. money market investors.

The short-term debt markets have been under considerable strain in recent weeks as money market mutual funds and other investors have had difficulty selling assets to satisfy redemption requests and meet portfolio rebalancing needs. By facilitating the sales of money market instruments in the secondary market, the MMIFF should improve the liquidity position of money market investors, thus increasing their ability to meet any further redemption requests and their willingness to invest in money market instruments. Improved money market conditions will enhance the ability of banks and other financial intermediaries to accommodate the credit needs of businesses and households.

The attached term sheet describes the basic terms and operational details of the facility.

The MMIFF complements the previously announced Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF), which on October 27, 2008 will begin funding purchases of highly rated, U.S.-dollar denominated, three-month, unsecured and asset-backed commercial paper issued by U.S. issuers, as well as the Asset Backed Commercial Paper Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (AMLF), announced on September 19, 2008, which extends loans to banking organizations to purchase asset backed commercial paper from money market mutual funds. The AMLF, CPFF, and MMIFF are all intended to improve liquidity in short-term debt markets and thereby increase the availability of credit.

MMIFF Terms and Conditions (56 KB PDF)

2008 Monetary Policy Releases