Seven To Ten

Oil hit another record high but has since pulled back. The dollar showed some strength and corporate earnings were pretty good.

Boeing blew away earnings estimates. Ford posted a surprise profit. And even though investors were disappointed by Microsoft’s quarterly forecast, they issued a healthy outlook for its next fiscal year. The worst of the credit crunch may finally be behind us. No more major bombshells from financial institutions, a sign that the Fed’s six rate cuts since last September and massive injections of liquidity into the banking system may be working.

In fact, Merrill Lynch indicated yesterday that it would pay its dividend this quarter, relieving investors who were anticipating a cut. There seems to be cause for optimism about the markets. The Dow is active again and the bond market is not acting as if it is in recession anymore.

Bonds have fallen in recent weeks, raising the yields. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions and lower yields are usually associated as a sign of economic weakness. And for consumers, even though it’s still a painful time because of rising food and gas prices, the first of the government’s tax rebate has hit mailboxes.

Of course, it still is a rough economic environment. The surging price of food threatens to disrupt U.S. consumer spending patterns and the global economy. That’s where the Federal Reserve will hopefully step in. Many fear that more rate cuts could lead to a further weakening of the dollar, which in turn, could fuel more speculation in the commodities markets and drive food and gas prices even higher.

So higher interest rates, not more cuts, might be exactly what this market and economy needs. Hopefully, the Fed will send a strong signal to investors Wednesday that it is getting ready to sit tight.

If you have a bad credit record, there are not many places where you can get cash loans or credit. Banks are definitely out of the picture if your credit record is considered high risk. You can turn to your spouse, friends and relatives and they may entertain your requests for the first time but subsequently, you will realize that relationships and money don’t go together.

Indeed, if you value the relationships, don’t request for money unless the payment terms are stated out clearly and you honor the payment. The next avenue for you is the payday loan or cash advance companies. Or try out this site, ThinkCash. It is a short term, personal loan company which lends amounts from $250 to $2,500 for times of emergencies or shopping craze.

Their rates are 25 – 75% lower than payday loans and they have flexible payment options. You can opt for installment loans or pay off completely at any time (if you have the money) - with no penalties. No prepayment penalty is charged, in fact, paying down the loan early is encouraged for you to lower your cost. However, if you make a late payment or skip a payment, there are additional fees.

Application of loan is simple, just file the application online and the money, once approved, will be wired into your bank account the next business day. The loan cost is based on the loan amount approved. It ranges from $1.00 per day per $100 borrowed (365% APR) for small, short term loans to as low as $0.24 per day per $100 borrowed (87% APR) for larger, longer-term loans. These large loans are usually reserved for “good” customers.

Don’t worry if they restrict their loan amount for the first application. The amount you are offered, finance charges and interest rate will depend on your application information, your credit scores, and your payment history with ThinkCash.

To qualify for a loan you don’t need to be employed, but you must have a regular source of income, that is you can be a self-employed businessman, free-lancer or independent contractor. At ThinkCash, there are no hidden charges or fees – you only pay interest for the time you keep the loan.

They have structured their loans so that customers pay less than $100 per payment (based on biweekly payments). Of course, the actual repayment is determined by pay frequency and loan amount. Your loan payment schedule ties in with your pay dates to prevent defaults. For example, if you are paid monthly, you will make monthly loan payments and if weekly, it will also follow likewise.

All payments can be made automatically, so you don’t have to mail a check or remember payment dates. While ThinkCash’s rates are lower than most short term lenders, they are still an expensive source of credit, the debt should be treated with respect and eliminated at the first chance, rather than accumulating beyond your means.

There are two key factors of a weak dollar. A surge in exports and expectations that the economy will begin to show signs of the growth during the second half of the year.

The dollar has helped lift sales at U.S. manufacturers that export their goods, including large multinational companies like Boeing, General Motors and Apple. Trade numbers published by the Commerce Department showed that exports jumped 1.6% percent in January.

And with hopes that the economy will bounce back in late 2008, that should also be good news for the dollar. That’s because the Federal Reserve would stop lowering interest rates if the economy shows signs of recovering.

Rate cuts are partly to blame for the weak dollar because lower short-term rates have helped fuel the rise in oil and other commodities and undermine confidence in the dollar.

Most Americans think times are tough because they are feeling the pinch from rising prices. A survey showed that 65% are “very concerned” about inflation, while 26% are “somewhat concerned.”

Unemployment is also a major concern. The Department of Labor reveals that America has has already lost 85,000 jobs so far this year, with February’s net job report showing the worst loss in nearly five years.

To balance the threat of recession against rising inflation, the Federal Reserve announced a 3/4 percentage point cut of its key interest rate. The purpose for the central bank rate cuts is to boost the economy and stave off a recession. But lower interest rates can also weaken the dollar, sending inflation higher.

The Fed acknowledged that “uncertainty about the inflation outlook has increased.” Inflation hurts consumers and many people will be cutting back on their spending habits. Are you feeling the pinch already?