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When youre in the market for a loan or line of credit, one of the key factors used to determine whether youll be approved and at what interest rate is your FICO credit score. That three-digit number holds a lot of power when it comes to the major financial purchases in your life. For this reason, a lot of people want to know what is a good credit score. That depends on the type of credit youre seeking, but generally a score of 720 or higher is considered ideal to get the best rates. And if you dont know your score, there are several easy options to get your free FICO score.

If you dont have good credit, there still are some things you can do to improve your chances at getting a good interest rate. The key is to remember that creditors will be evaluating the likelihood that you will repay in full the loan or line of credit. While your FICO score matters, there are other factors about your financial life that matter, too. So if you find yourself teetering on the line of a good interest rate, make sure you have these six things in order.

(1)Steady Employment Simple enough right? Read full post…

The Memphis Zoo is the state’s fourth largest tourism attraction.

While it’s no secret that the Memphis Zoo is a main attraction for locals and tourists alike, a new survey reveals that the facility’s popularity creates a financial ripple effect that continues to expand.

According to a study conducted by the nonprofit Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the zoo “generates significant economic benefits locally, regionally and nationally.”

“The Memphis Zoo supports themunity in more ways than one,” said Jim Maddy, president and CEO of AZA. “Not only does Memphis Zoo have a deepmitment to science, education and wildlife conservation, but it also generates valuable economic benefits to the region.”

Among the statistics featured in the report are the zoo’s number of employees (250); the amount it spends annually on goods and services ($14 million); and the number of visitors it attracts each year (950,000). Of those visits, 90,000 are school children.

“We’re the fourth-most popular tourist attraction in the state and the most popular in West Tennessee,” said zoo president and CEO Chuck Brady.

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Retailer WH Smith today maintained an upbeat outlook despite tough high street conditions denting sales in both arms of its business.

The company said total group sales fell by 1 per cent in the 18 weeks to July 2, and fell 4 per cent on a like-for-like basis in the same period.

The high street division saw total sales drop by 3 per cent and like-for-like sales by 4 per cent, though the firm said gross margins continue to grow in both arms helped by costs savings.

Elsewhere, the travel business, which operates from more than 530 outlets at airports, train stations and motorway service areas, increased sales by 2 per cent, but once new openings are stripped out, like-for like sales fell by 2 per cent.

WH Smith’s strategy recently has been to cut out out products with low margins, such as CDs and DVDs, to focus on core areas of news, magazines, books and stationery, a move that has impacted sales but boosted profits.

Despite posting declining sales, the figures for the first 18 weeks of the second half, were an improvement on the whole of the first half, when travel like-for-like sales were down 3 per cent and high street sales were down 6 per cent.

The company said it opened seven international units for its travel business, which brings the total number of units to 47.

WH Smith said its financial position was in line with expectations and its balance sheet remained strong.

The group said: “The economic environment remains uncertain and while we continue to be cautious about consumer spending, we remain confident in the outcome for the full year.”

Shares dipped slightly on the FTSE 250 Index after today’s update.

Kate Calvert, retail analyst at Seymour Pierce, said WH Smith was an attractive investment because of its “strong management, defensive qualities, good cashflow and the fact that the management is turning the business into a sustainable growth strategy through Travel”.

WH Smith shares were down 15.5p, or 2.97 per cent, at 506.5p on the news.

WASHINGTON – THE US private sector served up a burst of hiring in June but new claims for unemployment insurance remained high at the end of the month, according to new data released on Thursday.

The tentatively positive data sent US markets higher as economists raised their forecasts for Friday’s much-awaited release of more comprehensive national data on job creation and the unemployment rate for all of June.

Payrolls firm ADP said on Thursday that private businesses, excluding the farm sector, added 157,000 jobs in June, a solid jump after the tepid 36,000 increase in May over April. Meanwhile the Labor Department said unemployment claims fell to 418,000 in the week to July 2, down from 432,000 a week earlier.

Both figures were better than economists had expected, but neither was stellar: the ADP figures were still off the 200,000 monthly pace of job creation in the first quarter.

And the jobless claims were still well above the 400,000 mark, after several weeks in February and March when the weekly figures held below that threshold, giving hopes at the time of a strong economic recovery.

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If you’re thinking about getting a retail credit card, maybe to save 15% or 20% during this holiday shopping season, pull the emergency brake and read this first.

While a discount like that could help you save a big chunk of money on a major purchase, retail credit cards could also have detrimental effects on your credit score that lasts long after the benefit of the 20% discount. If you open a credit card for the discount and decide to close it after you pay off your purchase, youll still be hit by a hard inquiry. If you decide you want to get rid of your card later, it could damage your credit score and the closed account will stay on your credit report for 7 years.

If you are hesitant at all about your discipline and restraint when it comes to spending, a retail card can be a catalyst for bad credit behavior. Read full post…

Real estate developer Michael Greenberg’s group, Makowsky Ringel Greenberg, has been able to maintain successful operations during the economic downturn by drastically lowering prices for housing.

The Memphis developmentpany Makowsky Ringel Greenberg made a strategic plan for creating The Laurels condominiums,mitted to it, secured financing and had it substantially built when the uh-oh moment struck CEO Michael Greenberg in October 2008.

Watching the stock market plummet and hearing the bailout talk, Greenberg recalled, “I remember saying to my wife, ‘This is bad.”’

The roof was already keeping dry the 40-home, four-story building at the northeast corner of Central and Highland. The first luxury units would be ready for sale in just nine months.

And all of a sudden, the real estate world as we knew it disappeared.

“Once you start, it’s a train leaving the station.

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