The Treasury Department has decided to move a significant amount of funds from the Federal Reserve to other locations throughout the duration of the financial crisis. This move allows the Federal Reserve to freely loan funds to the market without having to impact the federal funds rate, which has important significance to banks and other lenders.
 
Right now, Treasury holds $200 billion in a Supplementary Financing Account with the Fed, but it plans to cut that amount to $15 billion over time. Analysts think that this move comes as part of the Treasury’s attempt to avoid hitting the federal debt ceiling, …read more

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act has already begun to change the way that credit card companies are allowed to do business, but many customers have yet to experience firsthand the changes that have been made. The following are some of the ways that credit card companies will have to adapt:
Cardholders will enjoy longer periods of time for billing and notification of interest rate changes, adjustments in the way finance charges are made, an adjustment in the impact of late payments, and limits in the way that credit cars are issued to teens and young adults. Credit card …read more

Out of work? Need government help? You’re going to have to consider rehab first in some states, if new proposed legislation is passed.
At least eight states have lawmakers who are in favor of random drug testing for people who receive food states, unemployment, or other forms of welfare. Critics are worried that such policies would discourage people from seeking help, but those n favor say that welfare recipients should be working towards a future without government aid, which is difficult to do if money is going towards drugs.
West Virginia lawmaker Craig Blair, who started the website notwithmytaxdollars.com says that many …read more

If House Bill 601 passes, restaurant chains across the country will face new nutritional requirements.
Currently, most fast food restaurants must display a board that shows the calories, trans fat, carbs, and sodium in each menu item. The new legislation would require sit-down chains with 15+ outlets to do something similar, probably in the form of menu changes instead of huge food boards.
Restaurants like Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Applebee’s, Red Robin, and Friday’s would be affected. It would mean that they’d have to print new menus, in most cases, which could be a huge expense for a restaurant with hundreds or …read more

With global warming firmly pointed at the US wealth generating industrial machine, federal schemes for regulating carbon producing industries and an emerging carbon trading system impact all companies. CFO magazine lays out the pros and cons of all of this in it’s article on “Carbon Trading“. The message is clearly to be aware and start understanding this area or be left behind having to purchase expensive carbon offsets combined with costly carbon-reducing improvements.
The mind-numbing uncertainty of this area, combined with a need for action, is leaving many confused. On one hand CFO says:
“When federal legislation hits, the clutch of credits …read more