Visa Europe and MasterCard compete imagination to make their cards more attractive. Thus, Visa deploys a program of benefits for some 4.2 million Visa cardholders Prime. They now benefit from price reductions in a list of partner stores (Sephora, Lapeyre, Opinion …) by simply presenting a coupon to download on the Internet (visa.fr). April 1, this program will be expanded to Lenotre, ready-to-wear or Bensimon to Nature and Discovery. "Historically, the world of credit cards was rather that of the travel and leisure. Now the goal is to approach the everyday consumer, "says Catherine Soubirou, partnership manager at Visa Europe. MasterCard, meanwhile, has developed an online shopping mall which also offers discounts to holders of the Gold card.
But for the most prestigious cards, these benefits are not enough. The 150,000 holders of a Visa Infinite card will then be offered, to April 1, new services very chic. As Jet Taxi, which for 2200 euros an hour, take four people in Le Bourget to the destination of their choice. Or the opportunity to attend events are difficult to access (the Grand Prix of Monaco Formula 1, the Cannes Film Festival …).
Extensions guarantees
Open doors to places or events was the confidential trademark of the very VIP Centurion Card from American Express. The same idea will wow now the holders of other cards. MasterCard has already embarked on this path, imagining private parties for its Platinum card holders who dream of visiting a quiet art exhibitions or attend concerts circle. A taste for the Parisians, what awaits them when Paris will join the Priceless Cities program, launched by MasterCard in New York last summer and launched from London and Toronto. It offers cardholders Platinum – but for some offers, a Gold – privileges: previews or priority seating for events to, in the highest rated restaurants
.
"Exclusive offers, which consumers aspire today," says Francois Gandon, marketing manager of MasterCard France. Thus, the card interest is not limited to insurance they offer … even if they are perfected. Visa is for example to review his.
The foreign assistance was not playing in the event of natural disaster? This exclusion has been removed. Children of divorced or separated parents received guarantees only if the parent traveling with the cardholder? They are now protected even if they move without him. "The goal is to avoid maximum disappointment of our customers, guarantees on misunderstood or exclusions that surprise them," says Emmanuel Robert, head of product offers from Visa Europe France.
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The streets of Athens and Thessaloniki were ablaze in the night, when MPs voted in favor of a new austerity plan. After heated debates within the precincts of Parliament, the austerity measures imposed by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund was adopted by a majority of 199 votes out of 300 MPs, including 278 in attendance. The pressure weighed heavily on the members. In fact, the leaders of the Socialist Party and the rightist New Democracy, meeting within the ruling coalition, have warned that they radieraient members of their camps who would vote against the text. Of the 236 deputies concerned, a score of 21 members of socialist and right were therefore excluded from the ranks after the parliamentary vote.
Before the vote, the Greek prime minister, Lucas Papademos, had also hammered the Greek deputies "will take responsibility" and "define the most important choice" for Greece, "move to Europe and the single currency" . Government members have indeed hammered if the austerity plan was not passed, the country would be forced to declare themselves insolvent and out in the longer term the euro. Athens must indeed pay 14.5 billion euros in March, but its coffers are empty. Troika has called for new austerity measures in exchange for the release of its indispensable assistance of 130 billion. After the vote tonight, the Eurogroup could meet on Wednesday to give the green light to disburse it. Also requested consideration by private creditors, which should reduce the 100 billion euro debt.
Specifically, the measures include the reduction of health spending (1.06 billion), military (300 million) and reduced wages for young and pensions. A cocktail that does not pass to the people, who began hitting the streets in the afternoon yesterday. By late evening, scenes of chaos were observed in Athens on the sidelines of the anti-austerity, which gathered 80,000 people according to police, during which 54 participants were injured and buildings and shops burned. In Salonika, 20,000 demonstrators were reported damaged and six banks. Greek Prime Minister condemned these events, noting that "violence and destruction that have no place in democracy."
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Air France had played down the incident last week. Its CEO, Alexander Juniac, changed his tune on Thursday by announcing that the airline had suspended the maintenance of its aircraft by China Taeco. Mid-November, an Airbus A340 that had just been completely revised in China had to be immobilized in Boston after the discovery of thirty missing screws on a panel fairing. "We stopped sending our aircraft at the moment," said the boss of Air France on a visit to Beijing quick payday loan. An internal investigation into the incident of the A340 is in progress, and should last "a few days," he said.
Taeco, headquartered in Xiamen, southeast China, has also opened an investigation into the incident Tuesday. The Chinese maintenance company is a leader in the maintenance of large aircraft and works including Lufthansa, British Airways, American Airlines, JAL and Emirates.
December 1st,2011
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The French shun savings products they preferred. A booklet after earlier this week, it's life insurance to take stock bleak for the month of October. The French Federation of Insurance Companies (FFSA) has published figures from the Sunday collection. Last month it dropped from 16% to 9.1 billion euros. The amount of contributions collected in the first 10 months of 2011 amounted to 107 billion euros, down 12% over the same period of the year.
Worse, the agency confirmed that the withdrawals were higher than inflows. In October, the balance is negative to the tune of 1.4 billion euros. It is, indeed, a little less bad than a month earlier. In September, withdrawals have exceeded payments of more than 1.8 billion euros.But above all it confirms that life insurance through a bad patch with unprecedented for the first time two consecutive months of negative collection cash advance america.
Questioned by AFP, the FFSA wants to be reassuring. "Let us not forget that these are data points. If you look from the beginning of the vision is very different, "cautions Bernard Spitz, President of the FFSA, underlining that the payments exceed 17.7 billion euros withdrawals in the first ten months of 2011 . A figure that compared to last year's data with the same period, however, shows a precipitous drop of 63%, the statement of the FFSA.
Pensions of baby boomers
These results reflect a combination never seen before, the structural and cyclical factors unfavorable. Life insurance suffers from the retirement of baby boomers. These offset the drop in income by drawing on their life insurance.
European markets opened down on Friday. The CAC 40 lost 0.83% to 2985.19 and points in early trade. London also yield 0.81% to 5,379.08 points and Frankfurt 0.84% to 5800.79 points. Despite a week marked by political developments in Italy and Greece, the risk of contagion from the debt crisis strongly disturb the markets. Yesterday, France and Spain have made bond in high yields. Rates in Spain reached 6.975% of never-seen since the creation of the euro and a further step towards the 7% threshold considered dangerous. In the process, Wall Street closed lower and Asia was plunged into the red today.
In Italy, the new Chairman Mario Monti has presented its program focused on "fiscal discipline", "growth" and "equity.""The future of the euro will also depend on what will Italy in the coming weeks," he said. "Europe is experiencing its most difficult years of the postwar period. (…) The European project could not survive a possible collapse of the monetary union. "
The euro rose slightly against the dollar
On the foreign exchange market, the euro rose slightly against the dollar the slope after reaching a low of five months yesterday at 1.3421 dollar. It evolves around 1.3479 this morning but the dollar traders believe that the downtrend remains intact.
On the macroeconomic front, investors will be watching today the publication of the indices of orders received value in the industry for the month of September, published by INSEE at noon.
New stage in the European debt crisis, and new Franco-German opposition. While European banks are under attack by the markets, in turn infected by the debt crisis, the solutions to help them divide France and Germany. To resolve this dispute, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Sunday invited French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Paris wants the relief mechanism of the European Union, the European Financial Stability (EFSF) to recapitalize banks. Powered by the 17 countries of the euro area (except those receiving assistance such as Greece, Portugal and Ireland), the EFSF will see its powers expanded by the end of October.
According to Handelsblatt, Paris calls for the widest possible interpretation of the new European instruments: the buyback of indebted countries, designed to calm the markets, and the granting of funds to states to recapitalize banks. The German government, whose latitude is narrower because of the great power of Parliament, fiercely opposed to this "laissez-faire," according to the German newspaper. First contributor to EFSF, Germany would find itself more to the de facto finance a large part of the recapitalization of French banks …
Roles reversed
For this new act of the debt crisis, the roles are reversed this time. France has always, until now, prompted Germany to act. But now, if Paris believes that the recapitalization of banks is not a priority, we think differently in Berlin paydayloans.Thursday, Angela Merkel has stated that it "should not hesitate" to bail out institutions. However, she said, public support should be used rarely if institutions fail to build on their own, for example by increasing their capital. The European Central Bank has sent the same message.
France, it has recognized the need to help the sector than lip service in recent days. "It will take more capital for banks," says one source close to the now government. It's the only concession made by France: it will take ultimately recapitalize institutions, not because they need is to restore investor confidence.French banks are most exposed in Europe to default risk in Greece or Italy.
Pre-aid to Greece
In this context, urges Germany, a strengthening of European banks is a preliminary step to a new rescue Greece, which should go through a deep discount debt securities of the country (advocated by Berlin). Clearly, the eurozone banks should agree to relieve Athens by abandoning much of their claims. Result, they should wipe heavy losses. Not to sink the stock market, they can not solve it without having increased their capital.
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The automotive sector is on the alert. As shown in Le Parisien on Saturday, Brussels would consider tax per liter of diesel in Europe from 8 to 15% more than gasoline. A directive to this effect must be examined by the European Parliament in November for an application expected in 2013. Objective: To fight against this highly polluting energy, used by nearly 7 million cars in Europe.
The European Commission highlights the paradox between a cleaner gasoline and cheaper duty-sold more expensive at the pump, and diesel more expensive duty free, massive source of emissions of fine particles hazardous to health, and less expensive for motorists. She said outside the UK, the tax treatment of petrol and diesel in Europe is "flawed" and needs the overhaul.
Concern
For manufacturers, the news comes at the worst time.These are already working on the application in 2014 of Euro 6, which calls for reducing carbon emissions and fine particles. This standard requires them to implement expensive technology on diesel vehicles that will increase the price of these cars from 1500 to 2000 euros business cards design. What scare away customers. If in addition the price of a liter of diesel were to increase significantly, the diesel car market could collapse.
The Committee of French Automobile Manufacturers believes that the introduction of this directive in France could lose 20 points of market share on the sale of diesel cars. In the columns of Paris, its president, Patrick Blain, worried: "The decline in production in French factories (on the cutting edge in the field of diesel, ie) would inevitably have social consequences," he warns.
Professionals and individuals may also choose to get rid of their cars too expensive, which could lead to plummeting prices of diesel cars. "It may be possible to adopt transitional measures that will leave everyone time to adjust," said he.
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The news is reassuring. With a large majority, the Bundestag adopted the new rescue plan the Eurozone. If the vote was little doubt that the amplitude of the majority was still uncertain. According to AFP, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has won the support of its majority.
The new rescue plan foresees an expansion of European powers of the fire in the euro area, the Financial Stability Fund (EFSF), and increased its capacity from 440 to 780 euros milliarsd. "The German MPs have overwhelmingly demonstrated their sense of responsibility," responded the French Minister for European Affairs, Jean Leonetti, in a statement.
Of 611 votes cast, 523 of 620 deputies voted "for", said the chairman of the meeting Norbert Lammert. Only 85 deputies voted against and three abstaining.As expected, two of the three opposition parties, the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens, have made their voices.
More importantly, 315 members of the coalition voted for the building according to the AFP and a Conservative MP quoted by Reuters. Clearly, Merkel would not have needed the votes of the opposition guaranteed high risk personal loans. This was not a foregone conclusion, the majority having spread its divisions, the previous weeks on this subject.
If the Chancellor had failed to gather his troops, the German government would have been seriously destabilized, fueling doubts about the survival of the coalition. Angela Merkel would have indeed been "made in Germany as a loser," said Holger Schmieding, of Berenberg Bank.
Germany is the eleventh country to approve the reform of the rescue plan initially set up in 2010 to assist countries in the euro area in need.Berlin, because of its predominant economic weight in Europe, will be the first contributor.
The vote of the Bundestag is the first in a series of three crucial. In the coming weeks, he will speak on a second plan of aid to Greece and early 2012, on a permanent rescue mechanism (MES) to succeed the EFSF.
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Greece:
In the aftermath of yet another meeting "for nothing" between the finance ministers of the euro area, said Baroin continue to trust in Greece. And, while 68% of the French disapprove of the increase in French contribution to the rescue of Greece, according to a poll Ifop. "Greece knows what she has to us, insists Baroin, invited the Grand Rendez-vous Europe 1-i> Tele-Le Parisien. We have said it, she has commitments, duties vis-à-vis its creditors, it has the requirement to provide answers. "
While Europe still can not agree to release the 158 billion pledged to Greece on July 21, Baroin announced that the European Stability Fund would be active in mid-October . "The agreement of July 21, expands the interventions of European fund, says he. It enables him to act in advance.This tool is good, just it is not yet implemented. We need the European Parliaments vote, and all Parliaments have given a date. " For him, this fund is not intended to please the Greeks but to save the euro.
Banks:
Former colleagues in government Fillon and Christine Lagarde Baroin do not seem to take the same position on the banks, now that the former Minister of Economy and Finance has been leading the International Monetary Fund. Three weeks ago, Christine Lagarde, sounded the alarm and called for "urgent recapitalization" of banks.
Europe 1, Baroin, sought reassurance, noting that "central banks assured liquidity to ensure any problems.This means that the question 'Are there any cash flow problems?', The answer is no and the question 'Is there a solvency problem?', The answer is no. We are not worried. " And to the question: 'Should we recapitalize European banks? "The finance minister said," They already recapitalize since 2008. They increased their capital by 50 billion euros, "said he.
Growth:
While the European Commission Thursday lowered its forecast for French growth to 1.6% in 2011, Baroin assured that the growth target of 1.75% this year was achievable. "We were on a line at 2%. It was fixed at 1.75% and we have reasonable grounds for regarding it's achievable. There will not exceed one euro in terms of deficit compared to what we have taken as a commitment. "
Budget 2012:
"Demanding".That's how Baroin defined the 2012 budget to be presented Sept. 28. While the opposition calls for a recovery plan, the finance minister was adamant. "I am convinced that a recovery would have an adverse effect in the current financial situation. In a long-term strategy, which should take us in 2013 to 3% deficit, we can not afford us the luxury to satisfy such demand, such as department or lobby, "he said.
Economic project of the Socialist Party:
Finally, the finance minister has been very critical of the socialist project. "The project of the Socialist Party fell.They need to throw in the trash, they must forget their plan to create jobs and increase public more than 50 billion taxes, "he said, saying the government side," It is not about one second of a general increase in taxes. "
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The U.S. stock markets are reluctant. On Tuesday, the Dow Jones lost 0.24% to 11,034 points while the Nasdaq climbed 0.33% to 2503 points and the S & P 500 gained 0.09% to 1162 points.
On Monday, the New York Stock Exchange ended in the green while Rome had asked China to buy the Italian debt. The salvation of the euro area could therefore eventually come from China. Forced to borrow at prohibitive rates Monday morning, Rome had in fact asked Beijing to make significant repurchases of its sovereign debt, reports the Financial Times. A member of the Italian government confirmed on Monday the existence of discussions with the Middle Kingdom on potential investments in Beijing in the third largest economy in the euro area.But this morning, market rumors suggest that Beijing is not finally ready to buy Italian bonds, taking again the indices into the red in Europe.
Faced with these contradictory information, caution remains appropriate today. In addition, U.S. carriers, such as Europe and Asia, remain very concerned about Greece. They fear it will not be able to meet these budget commitments, which threaten to bankrupt the country and aggravate the crisis in Europe. An output of the euro in Greece is also now considered by many economists.
This morning Jean-Pierre Jouyet, chairman of the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), said on iTV that Greece may have to undergo further restructuring of its debt than expected.German side, Angela Merkel is trying to catch up about his Economy Minister Philipp Rösler, who spoke Monday the event of a default of Athens. In a radio interview BBB, the Chancellor found it necessary to "avoid any uncontrolled process in the euro area."
The United States involved in resolving the crisis in the eurozone
The United States also stressed that they became involved in resolving the crisis in the eurozone, as the Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner will participate Friday in the meeting of Ministers of Economy and Finance Union European Poland.
On the foreign exchange market, the euro was down slightly Tuesday against the dollar and the yen on Monday after falling $ 1.35 for the first time since February and the lowest for 10 years against the yen, and the voltage was strong, the markets fear more a possible failure of Greece no teletrek payday advance.Around 11 am, the European currency was worth 1.3608 dollars against 1.3624 dollars.
As for oil prices, they were mixed, helped by a relative weakening of the dollar-weighted but the latest projections of OPEC anticipates a lower than expected growth in demand for crude because of the nervousness of the markets. In early electronic trading, a barrel of "light sweet crude" gave himself 80 cents to 88.99 dollars a barrel while Brent North Sea, more sensitive to economic conditions in Europe, gave 52 cents to 112 , $ 25.
On the macroeconomic front, investors will monitor including import prices to be unveiled in late afternoon.
Samsung attack Apple
The side of values, Hewlett-Packard announced on Tuesday that 41.62% of the shareholders of Autonomy British had supported his bid.The U.S. group also announced it was extending its offer until Oct. 3.
The giant South Korean electronics Samsung Electronics filed a complaint in France against its U.S. rival Apple for a litigation involving three patents relating to UMTS technology. "The complaint focuses on three technology patents, and not the design of the shelves," as was the case during a recent trial in Germany, said a spokesman for Samsung.
Rating agencies could worsen them.Moody's has indeed said yesterday that it planned to degrade the note by the McGraw-Hill, who announced his intention to focus on competing rating agency Standard and Poor's division after educational activities.
For his part Nordson Corp. announced yesterday after the close had authorized a share repurchase program of $ 100 million.
Note also the U.S. internet group AOL has appointed a new editor for TechCrunch, the site of information on technologies he had bought in September 2010, after 10 days of controversy over the fate of the former owner, Michael Arrington . The new editor is Erick Schonfeld, Associate Editor edited by Michael Arrington. AOL announced that Michael Arrington, founder of the site, decided to leave TechCrunch and AOL to devote to investment funds that it recently launched.
