The Week Ahead: Laughing all the way to our banks? - 2004-02-15
It has been accumulating for some weeks now but in the next few days the banks' earnings round will really soar.

At Bradford & Bingley, both profits and the dividend are expected to be up, boosted in the main by strong mortgage volume growth. With interest rates on the rise, however, investors will be interested to hear the bank's thoughts on how the housing market will perform in the current financial year.
Read the full story at at Independent

Income Tax Itemizers Need to Look Out For Easy-to-Miss Deductions - 2004-02-15
Income tax itemizers may not be getting the maximum benefit from deduction opportunities.

If you paid points on a mortgage to buy your primary home, you can deduct that entire cost. If you paid points associated with refinancing, you'll have to do some math to amortize the cost of the points over the life of the loan. For example, if you paid $1,500 in points to refinance to a 15-year loan, you can deduct $100 a year for the next 15 years.
Read the full story at Miami Herald