Financial Schools Reviews

Online retailing is big business these days, with the top 500 Internet retailers growing by an average of 18% in 2011. E-commerce currently makes up about 8% of all retail sales, and that number is growing. As retailers see their online storefronts grow from profitable little offshoots to major revenue generators, many are realizing the value of free shipping. A survey of merchants by E-tailing.com shows that free shipping is among the top promotional tactics to meet customer expectations 69% of the time, and that’s up from just 55% a year ago. Plenty of retailers that offer free shipping today actually weren’t doing so just a year or two ago. L.L. Full Article…

– South Africa’s central bank maintained the key interest rate unchanged for a fourth straight session on slowing economic recovery and high inflation.

The South African Reserve Bank Governor Gill Marcus announced that the Monetary Policy Committee decided to leave the repurchase rate unchanged at 5.5 percent. The decision was in line with economists’ expectations.

“The domestic economic recovery has continued, but in a hesitant manner,” Marcus said. “The strong performance of the economy in the first quarter of the year is unlikely to have been repeated in the second quarter, and growth prospects will also be dependent on global developments.”

Inflation accelerated to 5 percent in June from 4.6 percent in the previous month.

Full Article…

McDonald’s (MCD) may seem like the fast-food restaurant of yesteryear, but appearances can be deceiving. The company’s latest news suggests that the Golden Arches are headed onward and upward into the future.

The company recently revealed plans for its largest store ever at the 2012 London Olympics. The outlet in Olympic Park will seat 1,500 guests, eclipsing the chain’s largest existing restaurant. During the games, this mega-Mickey D’s brisk business will likely beat the 20-year reign of the company’s current best-selling location in Moscow’s Pushkin Square.

McDonald’s followed that announcement with even better one: its second-quarter earnings. Full Article…

Every Sunday, The Simple Dollar reviews a personal finance or other book of interest. Also available is a complete list of the hundreds of book reviews that have appeared on The Simple Dollar over the years.

One common request I get is more discussion on the specifics of retirement plans. For me, whenever someone mentions a topic that they want to hear more about, that means a trip to the library. I try to find books that cover the topic well, particularly from a fact-oriented point of view.

This is exactly the angle of A Commonsense Guide to Your 401(k) by Mary Rowland. Full Article…

Most bank stocks fell Monday on fears about the effect of a potential U.S. government debt default. Banks hold large amounts of U.S. Treasurys as liquid assets to use almost like cash on hand. Citigroup Inc.’s shares are down 3.5 percent to US$37, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’ stock was down 1.3 percent to US$39.50, and Wells Fargo & Co.’s shares fell 2.4 percent to US$26.52.