| Standard Chartered PLC and First Data Launch Merchant Solutions
Standard Chartered PLC (Standard Chartered) and First Data Corp., a global leader in electronic commerce and payment services, today announced they have completed their transaction to jointly establish Merchant Solutions, which will provide acquiring services to merchants, initially across Asia, with plans to further expand around the world. Headquartered in Singapore with subsidiaries throughout Asia, Merchant Solutions will support Standard Chartered Bank's merchant clients with an expanded range of First Data products and services for debit and credit cards, as well as additional forms of electronic payments such as e-commerce and contactless and prepaid card acceptance. Merchant Solutions will initially deliver payments solutions to Standard Chartered merchant clients throughout Asia in India, Bangladesh, Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, Singapore and Sri Lanka and sales related services for internationally issued card acceptance in China, with plans to expand to additional markets within Asia and the Middle East.
ALL BUSINESS: Credit "contagion" spreads
NEW YORKâThe malaise in the mortgage market is starting to spread to credit-card and auto loans in what one analyst has dubbed consumer credit "contagion." It's an ominous warning signal for the economy. Many of the nation's big banks and credit-card companies have begun acknowledging that they are seeing a shift in consumer behavior, including more people unable pay off their debts. Things are unraveling faster than expected for some like Capital One Financial Corp., which on Tuesday boosted its estimates for credit losses next year to potentially above $5 billion in part because of elevated delinquencies on its cards. No one is calling this problem the next debt-related land mine yet, but it is still important to watch what happens, especially as the holiday shopping season gets under way.
Vouchers to beat fraud on internet
PEOPLE who are nervous about online shopping can now buy virtual vouchers to pay for internet purchases without the need for plastic cards or even a bank account. The move should assuage the fears of thousands of Australians who avoid shopping over the internet or telephone for fear of credit card fraud. Customers can buy VCard credit from retailers in the same way they buy prepaid mobile phones. The credit - up to $1000 per VCard - can then be used in place of a credit card anywhere that accepts Visa. A one-off fee of $5.50 applies for each voucher and the customer cannot spend more than the amount on it. The market research firm Forrester, in a report released in April, found that 7.2 million Australians were online shoppers. It forecast that that figure would grow by an average of 22 per cent a year until 2010.
Thwart thieves by freezing credit
When it comes to keeping a thief from obtaining credit in your name, consumers have a tough weapon in the form of a so-called security freeze. When you freeze your credit report, you thwart would-be thieves by preventing creditors from checking your credit history. Few lenders will lend you – or a thief – money without first checking your credit report. Texans got added muscle in September, when a new law took effect that allows consumers to freeze their credit report without first having to have a police report. Previously, Texans couldn't freeze their credit reports unless they were victims of identity theft. .
EMERGING MARKETS REPORT: Opportunities Still Abound In Thriving Turkish Banks
ISTANBUL (Dow Jones) -- The headquarters of Garanti Bank, a skyscraper in the Maslak business district, offer a breathtaking view. From the floor-to-ceiling windows of a plush office on the 15th floor, visitors can see the geography of the city -- from the Bosphorus which divides the European and Asian sides to the Golden Horn harbor. The panoramic vista and the stature of the building fit well with Garanti's position as one of the leading players in the fast-growing Turkish banking sector, which has staged an impressive comeback after hitting rock bottom six years ago. "Until the 2001 crisis, Turkey was struggling with inflation and a lot of volatility that originated as a result of loose fiscal policies," said Zekeriya Ozturk, executive vice president at Garanti.
Fargo Announces HDPii Instant Issuance Financial Card Printer: High Definition Printing now available for instant ...
Fargo Electronics, Inc., a global leader in secure technologies for card identity systems, today announced the introduction of the HDPii Financial Card Printer. Utilizing Fargo's patented High Definition Printing (HDP) technology, the HDPii is targeted toward banks, credit unions and retailers for on-site instant issuance of debit, credit and prepaid cards. .
Every school every Thursday -- Urbandale/Johnston
The first vocal concert of the year is on Dec. 6 in the gym. The fourth-grade students will perform at 6:30 p.m., followed by fifth-grade students at 7:30 p.m. Cindy Rash is our vocal music teacher directing the students. Families are encouraged to car pool due to limited parking at Beaver Creek.
Horizon
Parent-teacher conferences are from 1:30 to 8:30 p.m. today and from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday. We are looking forward to seeing all parents at the conferences.
Lawson
First-graders celebrated the fall season with a trip to Black's Center Grove Orchard and a half-day fall harvest celebration at school. In their visit to the orchard, students sampled home-grown apples and learned how to sort and cool them. They picked pumpkins and gourds, experienced a one-room schoolhouse, re-created the story of "The Three Little Pigs," and saw farm animals, including elk and turkeys.
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