| Ont. appeal court clears way for lawsuit over credit card charges
The Ontario Court of Appeal has overturned a lower court decision and certified a class action against TD Bank over fees charged to credit card holders on foreign purchases. The $150-million suit alleges the bank charged undisclosed and unauthorized fees to its Visa cardholders on purchases made in foreign currencies from 1986 to 2003. "This decision is of fundamental importance to TD Visa cardholders as class members and to the public," plaintiff lawyer Harvey Strosberg said in a statement issued Friday. The allegations have yet to be proven in court. In 2004, CIBC settled a similar class action suit. The bank said it would pay $13.85 million to its cardholders, $1 million to the United Way and $1.65 million to the Ontario law society's class-action fund.
Commissioners unveil 2008 budget
Cumberland County commissioners formally unveiled a tentative 2008 budget Thursday that includes no tax increase.The news was no surprise, because the county finance director announced two weeks ago that next year's budget would not hold a tax increase. Commissioners produced a 201-page document detailing every expected expenditure.Republican Commissioner Bruce Barclay said the county is thriving."The county continues to enjoy strong economic and financial conditions in contrast to national trends, and we continue to project positive trends in the future," Barclay said.The county budget must be available for public inspection before the commissioners adopt it. They plan to do so Dec. 17. .
El Cajon Police Turn To Web To Eliminate Prostitution
The El Cajon Police Department, which last month started posting on its Web site images of women on "Geo-probation" due to prostitution arrests, has added a batch of johns to the page, a sergeant said Wednesday. "Geo-probation" means people convicted of certain place-related crimes are banned from those areas. In the case of prostitutes, it usually means cheap motels or streets known for prostitution. The 16 johns posted on the Web site range from 23 to 58 years old and have been convicted of soliciting prostitutes in the city, said El Cajon Police Sgt. Frank LaHaye. .
Less credit card, car debt helps consumer credit
Washington- Consumer borrowing increased in September at the smallest pace in five months as the growth in credit card debt and car loans slowed. The Federal Reserve reported Wednesday that consumer credit rose at an annual rate of 1.8 percent in September, the slowest since April's 1.6 percent mark. The September gain was about half what economists had expected. The sluggish growth reflected lower rates of increase for auto loans and credit card debt. That debt had risen sharply in recent months as consumers started borrowing more heavily on their credit cards once home refinancings slowed. The Fed said revolving credit, which includes credit cards, rose at a rate of 4.4 percent in September. That compares with an increase of 9.3 percent in August.
Secured card a good way to get started in the credit game
With the holiday shopping season upon us you can expect more people to turn to the Internet in search of bargains. But before you do, you really need to have a credit card. Unfortunately, some people can't get one either because they don't have any credit or because they have bad credit. But there's something you can do. Many local banks offer something called a secured credit card, which offers the same safety and security as a regular credit card. That's something you can't always get when you pay with a check or debit card. The amount you can charge on your credit card depends on how much you put into a savings account with the bank. "You would secure your limit with a balance which is tied to your savings account," said Kristel Johnson of Fifth Third Bank.
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