Economists expect no rise for now - 2003-10-19
Market economists are unanimous that Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard will put the official cash rate on ice at 5 per cent at Thursday's review.

In a Bloomberg poll of 14 economic forecasters the median expectation is that it will be the September quarter next year before he raises rates.

The money markets, on the other hand, are betting that the tightening will begin before the end of this year and that 90-day wholesale interest rates will be 5.5 per cent by the end of March.
Read the full story at The New Zealand Herald

Credit Card Debt Accumulates, as Consumers Live Lifestyles They Can't Afford - 2003-10-19
It began innocently enough: A young couple with a small child, wanting to build up credit, filled out credit card solicitations that came in the mail.

The average U.S. credit card debt carried over each month per household last year was nearly $9,000, according to Cardweb.com, triple the average of $3,000 in 1990. Another online site, Carddata.com, said Americans are on track to charge more than $2 trillion on their credit and debit cards this year. Mortgage figures are not included.
Read the full story at Miami Herald