Financial Schools Reviews

Gail Kelly, chief executive of Australian banking major Westpac wants the lenders subsidiary St. George,  to continue a strategy of maintaining its position as Australia’s fifth largest bank.

Mrs. Kelly, who assumed the role of chief executive of Westpac after first heading up St. George prior to its acquisition, said that St. George was in better shape after the merger and had not suffered as a result of its acquisition.

St George’s operating income has grown 11 per cent over the last year, to $3.28 billion from $2.94 billion, whilst its earnings increased by 16 per cent to $2.08 billion.

“St George is actually stronger and healthier now than it has been. It occ

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We’ve gotten a few questions from readers asking about credit unions and how they compare to traditional banks. I personally don’t have any accounts with a credit union, probably because I’ve been so marketed to by major banks that I never thought to approach one. I’ve heard some credit union customers say the interest rates they get from their credit unions are lower than other places, and some say they are comparable or even higher. Nonetheless, it seems like credit unions deserve a closer look. I asked Paul Brucker from Alliant Credit Union to share his expertise on the subject. Here’s what Paul had to say:

“A bank is a for-profit business owned by shareholder investors.

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Credit card policies have changed with new rules. Changing credit card practices among employers have affected the income of many waiters and waitresses, an investigation has revealed.

Staff have seen an increase in their incomes due to new legislation but many employers are also now charging them extra administration fees, the BBC reported.

Laws were introduced earlier this year in order to stop restaurant owners from keeping customer tips for themselves.

The rules state that employers are no longer allowed to top up staff salaries to minimum wage levels through the gratuities.

However, the investigation revealed that many restaurant chains have now started to charge workers an administration fee on any credit card tips they receive.

The employers contacted by the broadcaster defended the practice by saying that they needed to use the charges to pay for payments processing and other bank costs.

Meanwhile, Dave Turnbull at trade union Unite advised customers to ask staff whether they would get to keep gratuities.

“While it is more or less guaranteed now that tips won’t be used to pay the minimum wage, the employers could be keeping some of that money,” he added. Full Article…

It is often overlooked item when starting a new business. Many people don’t take into account the reason behind needing business insurance or the cost of this type of insurance when they figure out their business planning or financing.

Why Insurance Is Needed Business insurance is not required for every business by law,it should be required out of common sense. What this insurance does? Is this cover the business?, the business owner and any monetary losses in case of liability or loss of business which would otherwise put the owner out of business. When a business suffers substantial loss due to a major event the insurance acts as a safety net to ensure that the business is not crippled or completely fails if possible. Full Article…

Politicians favor big cities and big employers. That’s where the voters are. While I understand the philosophy and reasoning (because politicians live to get re-elected), it is a shame because those who live in big cities and the politicians they elect have zero clue about life in a small town and why it reflects the greatness that was America.

I spent many years of my youth in a small midwest town of about 2,000 people. Everyone knows everyone – and that may be the biggest drawback. There can tend to be some gossiping in small towns. But overlooking that one flaw, small towns still hold the truth that big cities no longer possess.

Big cities are more me, me me. What’s Full Article…