Smart Borrower Blog

Archive for January, 2012

Fed Keeps Rate At Rock Bottom, No Changes Likely Until 2014

After its two day meeting, the Federal Reserve decided to leave its target interest rate unchanged, and also forecasted that it will not raise rates until the end of 2014. The federal funds rate, the Fed’s main method of affecting inflation and the economy, will remain in the range of zero to 0.25 percent for […]

Small Business Loans Increase But Obstacles Remain

Total lending to U.S. small businesses grew again in November, according to the latest Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index, adding to a positive trend. The Index, a measure of overall small business loan volume, posted an 18 percent increase in November 2011 from November 2010, reaching the highest level since February 2008. This yearly […]

Consumer Borrowing Makes Biggest Jump since 2001

Consumers borrowed money at a higher rate in November than they have in a decade, according to the latest report from the Federal Reserve. Total consumer borrowing grew $20.4 billion in November to $2.48 trillion, posting the largest monthly gain since November 2001 when loans increased by $28 billion. The new total is almost back […]

Middle Age Students Taking Out More Loans

Students in the middle-age bracket are accumulating college loan debt at a faster pace than any other age, according to analysis from Reuters, standing as another visible effect of the sluggish economy. The Reuters data found that while borrowing is up among all student age groups, it has really skyrocketed in the past three year […]