Posted By emmabalay

The banking industry is a very competitive and modern one. Over the years, banks have invested in technology to improve their products and services. They also have their own ways of courting clients.
In the United States, many banks use the so-called high-touch service to strengthen clients’ loyalty and even lure clients from other banks. In fact, Bankrate.com reports that banks such as Washington Mutual (WaMu) are treating their branches as “stores” by providing customer-centric banking. “While other banks were directing customers out to the ATMs and debating ‘clicks versus bricks,’ we stuck with bricks and developed a retail concept that meets customers’ needs in a friendly, less intimidating, more personal way,” stressed WaMu retail banking vice president Diana McSweeney.
This innovation in most banks in the United States is a testament to their commitment to provide quality banking products and services to their clients. If this continues, more clients will be satisfied and the vibrancy of the banking industry will be sustained. I think this is all possible amid the political noise and the slowing U.S. economy.
For the link to the article, click here.
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Posted By emmabalay

Everyone has dreamed of acquiring a house at one point in his life. Having a house you can call your own is like the fulfillment of one’s goal of being independent, literally and figuratively speaking. That is why every family works hard to afford to buy a house.
Houses are bought using cash or through housing loans. Housing loans are more popular since it gives the buyer the opportunity to pay the house in installment. It also gives one the freedom to use his regular income in paying the bills, allotting only a part of it in paying the mortgage.
Mortgage payment is something that needs close attention and efficiency. If you ever decide to buy a house for yourself or for your family, you must know how to compute your mortgage payment. Here’s a mortgage payment calculator from Bankrate.com to help you do all the math regarding your mortgage.
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Posted By Administrator

In the United States, many Americans are not yet comfortable with banking using their mobile phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs). The idea of mobile banking has yet to get instilled in their heads. However, this is not the case with the younger Americans as they seem to get the hang of mobile banking.
WashingtonPost.com reports that young Americans are increasingly coming around to the idea of mobile banking as compared to their older fellows. The findings were based on a telephone survey conducted by Opinion Research Corp. to 1,424 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, all of whom have cellular phones and bank accounts.
Obviously, efficiency and convenience are the names of the game and young people know it. I believe on-the-go banking services such as mobile and online banking are the way to go given our fast-paced and technology-driven world.
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The banking industry is one of the biggest and widest-ranging ventures in the world. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. banking industry provided employment to around 1.8 billion wage and salary workers in 2006.
The employment in the banking industry is divided into different categories of financial and customer service occupations. Based on the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, teller jobs get the largest number of workers while office and administrative support get the largest portion of jobs. On the other hand, management, business and financial occupations make up 25 percent of employment in the industry.
A high school education is needed for most office and administrative support jobs while a college degree is required for management, business and financial jobs.
For a complete profile of the banking industry, click here.
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US Bancorp, parent company of US Bank, has joined those that are being affected by the weakening U.S. economy in terms of performance. Yesterday, it announced that its first quarter earnings has gone down by 4 percent.
Topix.net reports that the Minneapolis-based bank earned $1.09 billion (62 cents per share) this first quarter compared to its $1.13 billion (63 percent per share) for the same period last year. US Bancorp said the drop in earnings was due to mortgage crunch and that their credit problems is still manageable.
Despite the drop in earnings of most banks today, I still believe that they can rise above the challenge. Sub-prime crisis may still be active and it affects most banks, but it’s just one aspect of banking. The fact remains that banks exist for many other reasons such as providing banking services to the public and growing assets.
For the link to the article, click here.
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Today, the Internet serves as a one-stop shop for people. If you want to know the contact information of a person or a place, you just need to type a keyword on a search engine like Google, MSN or Yahoo and within seconds, you are flooded with searches on the subject you provided. With just a click of the mouse, you can get the delivery hotline of your favorite fast food outlet.
The same approach goes with banks. People use banks for financial purposes and knowing where you can find them online is essential in making your financial transactions a lot easier. While most banks have websites that are accessible and user-friendly, it can be tiring to look for them every time you access the web.
To solve this problem , let me share with you this online directory of banks in the U.S.A. organized by state for your easy access and reference…
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