Alamy More U.S. banks may soon give free FICO credit scores to millions of card customers along with their monthly bills as Discover Financial Services (DFS) extends the offering to all of its cardholders. FICO (FICO), formerly known as Fair Isaac Corp., is negotiating with some of the largest credit-card issuers, Anthony Sprauve, the San Jose, California-based firm's senior consumer-credit specialist, said in a phone interview, declining to identify the banks. Discover, which began providing the scores to some clients in November, will now furnish them to all consumer cardholders, the lender said in an e-mailed statement. 'Jammed Space' on Statements "It really does come down to the technology-implementation challenges," Sprauve said. "You're talking about millions of customers, a tremendous amount of data, and how do you squeeze more data in an already jammed space" on monthly statements, he said. FICO scores are used in lending decisions, such as for issuing credit cards or setting interest rates on home loans, and are the most widely used credit-scoring formula in the U.S. They previously were available at a cost or through online trial subscriptions.
Top Clean Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: Allstate Corp (ALS)
The Allstate Corporation (Allstate), November 5, 1992, is a holding company for Allstate Insurance Company. The Company�� business is conducted principally through Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Life Insurance Company and their affiliates. It is engaged, principally in the United States, in the property-liability insurance, life insurance, retirement and investment product business. Allstate's primary business is the sale of private passenger auto and homeowners insurance. The Company also sells several other personal property and casualty insurance products, select commercial property and casualty coverages, life insurance, annuities, voluntary accident and health insurance and funding agreements. Allstate primarily distributes its products through exclusive agencies, financial specialists, independent agencies, call centers and the Internet. It conducts its business primarily in the United States. Allstate has four business segments: Allstate Protection, Allstate Financial, Discontinued Lines and Coverages and Corporate and Other. The Company is a personal lines insurer in the United States. Customers can access Allstate products and services, such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through nearly 12,000 exclusive Allstate agencies and financial representatives in the United States and Canada. In October 2011, the Company acquired Esurance and Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group.
ALLSTATE PROTECTION SEGMENT
In this segment, the Company principally sells private passenger auto and homeowners insurance through agencies and directly through call centers and the Internet. These products are marketed under the Allstate, Encompass and Esurance brand names. The Allstate Protection segment also includes a separate organization called Emerging Businesses, which comprises Business Insurance (commercial products for small business owners), Consumer Household (specialty products including motorcycle, boat, renters and condominium insurance policies), A! llstate Dealer Services (insurance and non-insurance products sold primarily to auto dealers), Allstate Roadside Services (retail and wholesale roadside assistance products) and Ivantage (insurance agency). The Company also participates in the involuntary or shared private passenger auto insurance business in order to maintain its licenses to do business in many states. In some states, Allstate exclusive agencies offer non-proprietary property insurance products. Allstate brand auto and homeowners insurance products are sold primarily through Allstate exclusive agencies and serve customers who prefer local personal advice and service and are brand-sensitive. In most states, customers can also purchase certain Allstate brand personal insurance products, and obtain service, directly through call centers and the Internet.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, total Allstate Protection premiums written were $25.98 billion. Its broad-based network of approximately 10,000 Allstate exclusive agencies in approximately 9,700 locations in the United States produced approximately 86% of the Allstate Protection segment's written premiums in 2011. It provides personal property and casualty insurance products through independent agencies in the United States. Additionally, Allstate distribution, through brokering arrangements, offers non-proprietary products to consumers when an Allstate product is not available.
ALLSTATE FINANCIAL SEGMENT
Allstate Financial segment provides life insurance, retirement and investment products, and voluntary accident and health insurance products. Its principal products are interest-sensitive, traditional and variable life insurance; fixed annuities, including deferred and immediate; and voluntary accident and health insurance. Its institutional products consist of funding agreements sold to unaffiliated trusts that use them to back medium-term notes issued to institutional and individual investors. Banking products and services were offered to! customer! s through the Allstate Bank through September 2011. In 2011, after receiving regulatory approval to voluntarily dissolve, Allstate Bank ceased operations.
The Company sells Allstate Financial products to individuals through multiple intermediary distribution channels, including Allstate exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists, independent agents, specialized structured settlement brokers and directly through call centers and the Internet. The Company sells products through independent agents affiliated with approximately 125 master brokerage agencies. Independent workplace enrolling agents and Allstate exclusive agencies also sell its voluntary accident and health insurance products primarily to employees of unaffiliated businesses. Its mortgage loan portfolio, which is primarily held in the Allstate Financial portfolio, totaled $7.14 billion as of December 31, 2011
Allstate Financial, through several companies, is authorized to sell life insurance and retirement products in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States, Virgin Islands and Guam. Allstate Financial distributes its products to individuals through multiple distribution channels, including Allstate exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists, independent agents (including master brokerage agencies and workplace enrolling agents), specialized structured settlement brokers and directly through call centers and the Internet.
OTHER BUSINESS SEGMENTS
The Company�� Corporate and Other segment consistsof holding company activities and certain non-insurance operations. It�� Discontinued Lines and Coverages segment includes results from insurance coverage that it no longer writes and results for certain commercial and other businesses in run-off. Its exposure to asbestos, environmental and other discontinued lines claims is presented in the segment. The segment also includes the historical results of the commercial and reinsurance businesses ! sold in 1! 996.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Adrian Day]
Adrian Day: Yes, yes, I like the concept of looking up the secondary plays. I mean, you know we own Altius (ALS) for example, rather than Alderon (ADV). Altius owns 30% of Alderon, that is more diversified, has a better balance sheet. If Alderon succeeds, Atius will succeed.
Top Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: T. Rowe Price Group Inc.(TROW)
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. The firm primarily provides its services to individual and institutional investors, retirement plans, and financial intermediaries. Through its subsidiaries it manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios along with mutual funds. It also provides advisory services. The firm invests in the public equity, venture capital, and fixed income markets across the globe. T. Rowe Price Group was founded in 1937 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland with additional offices in London, United Kingdom; Central Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Tokyo, Japan; and Singapore.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
After five days of losses, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.6% to 15,928.56, while the S&P 500�rose 0.6% t0 1,792.50, ending its three-day losing streak. The Dow got a boost from Pfizer (PFE), Visa (V) and General Electric (GE), while the S&P 500′s biggest winners included homebuilder DR Horton (DHI) and T. Rowe Price (TROW).
- [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
In the non-tech part of the portfolio, we're talking about such firms as coffee giant Starbucks Corp. (Nasdaq: SBUX), Baltimore-based mutual fund player T. Rowe Price Group Inc. (Nasdaq: TROW), and Peterbilt truck maker PACCAR Inc (Nasdaq: PCAR).
- [By Chris Hill]
Which investors are worth following? In this installment of MarketFoolery, our analysts talk about why they're following Cook and Bynum's Richard Cook and Dowe Bynum, Martin Capital's Frank Martin, Alleghany's (NYSE: Y ) CEO Weston Hicks, and T. Rowe Price's (NASDAQ: TROW ) �Preston Athey.�
Top Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Genworth Financial Inc (GNW)
Genworth Financial, Inc., a financial security company, provides insurance, wealth management, investment, and financial solutions in the United States and internationally. The company offers various insurance and fixed annuity products, including life and long-term care insurance products; payment protection insurance products for consumers primarily to meet specified payment obligations; and wealth management products, such as managed account programs with advisor support and financial planning services. It also provides mortgage insurance products and related services to insure prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans or flow mortgage insurance; and mortgage insurance on a structured or bulk basis, as well as offers services, analytical tools, and technology that enable lenders to operate and manage risk. In addition, the company provides institutional products consisting of funding agreements, funding agreements backing notes, and guaranteed in vestment contracts. Genworth Financial, Inc. distributes its products and services through financial intermediaries, advisors, independent distributors, affinity groups, and sales specialists. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Brian Pacampara]
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, financial services company Genworth Financial (NYSE: GNW ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.
- [By Henry Lee] Recent Posts: There�� Plenty to Like In Value Stocks Like Genworth (GNW) Apple�� Next Big Thing? Forget About It View All Posts
If the recent volatility in the market has you feeling uneasy, you��e not alone. That feeling in your gut means something. Listen to it.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Genworth Financial (GNW) has plunged 23% to $10.86 after the insurance company suffered a massive loss due to the rising costs of its long-term care insurance business.
Top Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: AmBase Corp (ABCP)
AmBase Corporation (AmBase), incorporated in 1975, is a holding company. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, owns one commercial office building in Greenwich, Connecticut, which is managed and operated by the Company.
The building is approximately 14,500 square feet, with approximately 3,500 square feet utilized by the Company for its executive offices, and the remaining space was unoccupied and available for lease as of December 31, 2011. The Company has also purchased convertible preferred and common stock in AMDG, Inc. (AMDG).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Property Management: This industry jumped 6.35% by 11:30 am. The top performer in this industry was AmBase (OTC: ABCP), which rose 2.4%. AmBase shares have gained 2.52% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has surged 14.46% in the same period.
Top Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Cash Store Financial Services Inc (CSFS)
The Cash Store Financial Services Inc., incorporated on January 17, 2002, under its Cash Store Financial, Instaloans and The Title Store banners, provides consumers with alternative financial products and services, serving everyday people for whom traditional banking may be inconvenient or unavailable. The Company acts as both a broker and lender of short term advances and offers a range of other products and services to help customers meet their day to day financial service needs. The Company employs a combination of payday loans and lines of credit as its primary consumer lending product offerings and earns fees and interest income on these consumer lending products. The Company also offers a range of financial products and services including bank accounts, prepaid MasterCard and private label credit and debit cards, cheque cashing, money transfers, payment insurance and prepaid phone cards. The Company has agency arrangements with a variety of companies to provide these products.
The Company typically arranges for advances to customers that range from $100 to $1,500. As of September 30, 2013, the Company�� total branch count was 537, addition of two new branches in the United Kingdom as well as 10 new Title Store branches and a new Cash Store Financial branch offset by the closure of 12 branches in Canada. The Company owns The Cash Store Australia Holdings Inc. The Company also has an investment in RTF Financial Holdings Inc., which is in the business of short-term lending, by utilizing automated mobile technology.
The Company competes with Dollar Financial Corp.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Despite�a slow global economy and continued high unemployment in many countries, small cap payday or pawn stocks Cash Store Financial Services Inc (NYSE: CSFS), DFC Global Corp (NASDAQ: DLLR) and Cash America International, Inc (NYSE: CSH) have not exactly been performing well since the start of the year. In fact, these three stocks are the worst performers in the payday or pawn loan sector, down 38.5%, down 14.4% and up 4.6%, respectively, since the start of the year.
Top Financial Stocks To Watch For 2014: Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC)
Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited is financing by way of loans for the purchase or construction of residential houses, commercial real estate and certain other purposes in India. The Company has a network of approximately 330 offices (which includes 83 offices of its wholly owned distribution company HDFC Sales Private Limited) catering to over 2,400 towns & cities spread across the country. It also has offices in Dubai, London and Singapore and service associates in the Middle East region, to provide housing loans and property advisory services to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). Its product range includes loans for purchase and construction of a residential unit, purchase of plot, home improvement loans, home extension loans, non-residential premises loans for professionals and loan against property, while its flexible repayment options include Step Up Repayment Facility (SURF) and Flexible Loan Installment Plan (FLIP). Advisors' Opinion:- [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
Vanguard favors India with investments in Infosys Ltd. (NSE: INFY), Reliance Industries Ltd. (NSE: RELIANCE), and Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd. (NSE: HDFC) ranking among its top 20.
No comments:
Post a Comment