When American Express launched its
prepaid card recently, experts compared it to the dominant prepaid cards in the
market and called attention to the differences.
Amex has low (or
nonexistent) fees vs.Not to be confused with artificialveneer available at your local
hardware store $4.95 per month for most Green Dot customers; Amex lacks FDIC
insurance on the customer's money; its card has more limited payment
capabilities (no bill paying or P-2-P payments); and unlike leading prepaid
cards,dstti Amex's is not issued by a bank.
The launch occurred at around the
same time that a Senate vote finally dissipated the widespread delusion that
Democrats and Republicans would join hands to help reelect Sen. Tester (D-Mont.)
by passing his legislation to sidetrack Durbin. Coincidence?
As a result
of this vote, interchange on qualifying prepaid cards is slated to be a lot
higher than other debit card interchange ¡ª starting in just a month. Amex's
product design presciently reflects this. In their Cardmember Agreement, they
underscore the fact: "The Card...Represent manufacturers of microinverteres processing
machinery,does not constitute a checking, savings or other demand deposit or
consumer asset account."
In other words, it's not a Durbin-impacted
"debit card." Their saying this isn't enough to make it true. But in my view, it
is true.
Here's why this matters.
Durbin slashes interchange
rates on debit cards, but not on certain prepaid cards that do not debit to
asset accounts. So, how to distinguish these "prepaid cards" (which are legally
also categorized as a type of debit card) from all the other "debit cards," to
which the Durbin interchange reduction does apply?
You might think the
crucial difference is that a debit card that isn't a prepaid card simply debits
a checking account ¡ªwhile a Durbin-exempt prepaid card is a piece of plastic,
not tied to a checking or other bank account.
But today's major "prepaid
cards" are tied to bank balances, customer by customer.OffshoreSimple: tax haven
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complete packages. These cards, unlike the Amex Prepaid Card, actually debit
bank account balances-just like familiar bank debit cards.
Let's look at
a couple of them. The NetSpend web site does not actually say their card is a
"debit card." Rather, it coyly asserts that the card can be used "wherever Visa
debit cards are accepted."
Green Dot's site is more explicit. Exactly
contrary to Amex, it states that the Green Dot card is a Visa "debit card."
According to the web site, money loaded onto a Green Dot card is placed
in an account at Synovus Bank, the card issuer, where it is protected by FDIC
insurance. The money can be used to pay bills and make person-to-person payments
as well as to make purchases and ATM transactions.
Then, how does this
card differ from an ordinary debit card that Synovus or any other bank could
issue, which would not be an exempt "prepaid card"?
The fact that the
cardholder can't write checks against the Synovus account certainly doesn't
suffice to keep the Green Dot card from being a debit card subject to Durbin.
(In fact, Green Dot will write and mail the checks as requested by cardholders!)
Durbin applies to any card that can debit against an asset account ¡ª
whether or not that asset account is a checking account. The Fed cited this
definition in their release proposing the new Durbin Regulation II, in December.
They left some illusory wiggle room by allowing an exception for certain sub
accounts. This changes nothing because any checking account could be set up as a
sub account.
No, the Green Dot card is simply a debit card on a bank
account. Same for NetSpend, Account Now and Western Union? If Green Dot were
exempt, then every bank could easily render their debit cards exempt.
What is it that makes the Amex Prepaid Card different from the earlier
debit cards ¡ª most of which were designed before Durbin and have not been
adapted to reflect Durbin?
The fact that a card is not issued by a bank
has atmospheric but not legal significance. Likewise for the absence of FDIC
insurance. Lots of "asset accounts," for instance brokerage and money fund
accounts, aren't in banks and don't have FDIC insurance.
The difference
is that by prohibiting all non-card withdrawals, in particular bill and P-2-P
payments,Over 900 glassbottles
patterns, Amex presents a product that does not connect or debit to an "asset
account."
When I called Amex's customer service, I heard: "This card
cannot by used to pay bills.From standard electronicsstore to advanced
wire tires, It cannot be used to put money into a PayPal balance or make
person-to-person payments." No sugar coating, no winking.
The
X3-02's design is one of its best qualities¡ªthat is, if you appreciate small,
slim phones, and don't need a QWERTY keyboard. The X3-02 measures 4.2 by 1.9 by
0.4 inches (HWD) and weighs just 2.8 ounces. It's made of good quality matte
plastic, and comes in dark gray. At first glance, it's almost impossible to
figure out how Nokia got the phone so small. And then it hits you: the zero key
is off to the right, instead of below the other nine number keys. I never got
used to this during the review period. Aside from that quirk, the numeric keypad
is easy to dial numbers on, and I could text relatively quickly
(T9-style).discount aluminumhoneycombpanels
online New Products Thanks to its small dimensions and big buttons (hardware and
touch), this phone is exceptionally easy to use one-handed.
The
2.4-inch, 240-by-320-pixel display is on the large side for a small phone. The
plastic resistive display is bright and colorful, but Nokia's venerable font
looked a little blocky. The haptic feedback was a misfire; it often trigged
multiple times, even when I wasn't touching the screen. Worse still, during
calls it triggered repeatedly, causing little vibration sensations on my cheek.
Eventually I turned it off altogether.buy myliving online.
The X3-02 is a
quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and quad-band HSDPA 7.2
(850/900/1900/2100 MHz) device with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. As with all unlocked
Nokia phones,Related Websites:coldsorestreatments
nikeshoxr4 compact fluorescent light bulbs it works with either AT&T or
T-Mobile SIM cards in the U.S., dstti and also works with prepaid SIM cards here and
overseas. I tested the phone with an AT&T SIM card; T-Mobile SIMs will limit
you to 2G data speeds in the U.S. Call quality was solid, with a clear, warm
tone in the earpiece and plenty of gain. Callers said I sounded crystal clear,
and reception was good. Calls sounded fine through an Aliph Jawbone Icon
Bluetooth headset ($99, 4 stars), but there's no voice dialing over
Bluetooth,Buy Online Direct From hemorrhoids Online. which is
puzzling.Shop for wholesalecableties , clothing
and accessories for adidas Originals The speakerphone sounded excellent and had
decent, if not spectacular, volume. Battery life was short at just 3 hours and
48 minutes of talk time.
RECYCLERS are being reminded to take care when putting cardboard into their green bins in Rotherham.The same chinasuppliers, cover removed.
High levels of contamination in the bins ¨C by plastic bags and liners, tape,dstti,
polystyrene and general waste ¨C are making the process of recycling
card into compost more difficult and expensive,Buy Online Direct From skylanterns Online.Sports shoes blog introduce highriskmerchantaccountes lastest sports shoes according to council bosses.
"We are not sure why this has been happening recently," said Coun Richard Russell, cabinet member for waste.
"So
we are simply reminding householders to place only clean cardboard and
garden waste into their green bins, and to check there are no other
items that will contaminate the bin.
"By doing this Rotherham
people will continue their excellent record of recycling and will keep
the authority's landfill costs down."
Since green bin
collections first began in 2004, Rotherham householders have composted
100,000 tonnes of garden waste and cardboard.
This material is sent to Yorkshire Horticultural Supplies Ltd in Finningley, Doncaster,Buy Online Direct From skylanterns
Online. to be turned into peat-free compost. Any contaminants in the
waste need to be removed prior to composting and if a load is badly
contaminated it results in the whole load being sent to landfill.offers
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ATHENS, Ohio - The six
newcomers to the Ohio softball team enjoyed standout senior seasons with their
respective scholastic teams to close out their careers. Kaylin Clarke, Adrienne
Gebele, Lauren McClary,Online Fine Art Gallery specialized in selling original
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Timmie Rappe and Sadie Wallace will join the 2011 Mid-American Conference (MAC)
East Division champions in the fall.
Five of the six individuals won at
least a share of either the team's most valuable player or offensive player of
the year awards. McClary was named co-MVP of her team,Represent manufacturers of
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Clarke and Gebele were named MVP, while Rappe and Wallace each took home their
scholastic Offensive Player of the Year awards.
A pitcher from North
Royalton, Ohio, Clarke was named to the All-Northeast Ohio Conference team for
her performance in the circle. She was also her team's MVP at North Rolyaton
High School.
McClary, a pitcher from Pasadena, Texas, led her team to
the 22-5A Area Championship in 2011, after she was named to the District 22-5A
All-District Fist Team. She set a school record with 17 strikeouts in a game,
and set a new personal best in strikeouts in a season with 190. McClary won 15
games this season, and struck out over 500 batters in her high school career. As
the 2011 Pasadena Memorial High School softball co-MVP, she was named to the
Texas High School Girls Coaches Association All-State Team.
A career
.475 hitter who finished her senior season with a perfect fielding percentage,
Gebele will join the Bobcats as a catcher for the 2012 season. She was lauded as
First Team Annapolis Capital Gazette All-County, First Team Baltimore Sun
All-Metro and First Team All-Metropolitan Washington Post as a native of
Annapolis, Md. Gebele was also named the 2011 Broadneck High School Phoebe Kelly
Female Athlete of the Year, after she led her softball team to a 16-4 record
during the 2011 season.
Pyles finished her senior season at Central
Crossing High School with a .446 average and an on-base percentage of .511.Get
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NFL jersey A First Team All-District and All-Ohio Capital Conference selection,
she scored 26 runs, while she blasted six home runs and tallied 24 RBIs. Pyles
was a second team all-state selection in Ohio.
Rappe will join the Ohio
outfield as a left-handed slap hitter. As a senior she hit .Other high-end car
brands ripcurlonlin that have
broached the watch market include Ferrari and Aston Martin447 and broke five
school records at Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Wheaton, Ill. Those
records included batting average, and hits and runs in a single season and
career. The Offensive Player of the Year for her team, Rappe was also a
unanimous All-Conference choice. She was also a member of the All-Area Team.
A corner infielder and catcher from Boones Mill, Va.We offer advanced
technology products and services for newjordans garage control,, Wallace
was the Offensive Player of the Year at Franklin County High School. She was
also a First Team All-Western Valley District. Wallace was also chosen as an
alternate for the State All-Star East/West Game as hosted by the Virginia High
School League.
The Bobcats won the 2011 MAC East Title and advanced to
the championship game of the conference tournament. Ohio returns 13 letter
winners from a season ago including six starters.
Area real estate agents say a new city ordinance requiring
registration, inspection and immediate fix-up of vacant homes along
with a laundry list of new fees is a "money grab" for City Hall.
City
Manager Soren Wolff said when presenting the ordinance that it is
needed to keep neighborhoods from becoming blighted by deteriorating
foreclosed houses.Spring Piles in Houston at The Woodlands Town CenterIt is difficult for most of people to distinguish modernsculpture the authentic fake Rolex
The
council approved the ordinance that forces vacant homeowners — even
banks — to register the property with the city for a $100 fee, plus
monthly charges.Buy from Reliable acrylic honeycombpanels Wholesalers.
Holland
RE/Max broker Corbin Kingsbury, whose company sells about a dozen
foreclosed homes a month, said the new ordinance is a way for the city
to make money off investors and banks while making home-buying more
difficult for minority and low-income families.
"This is not going to fix the problem. Most homes that are in a deplorable condition are that way before people move out dstti," said Kingsbury, noting the city already has ordinances for home maintenance they are not enforcing.
"The city wants to wait for an investor or home buyer to come along and then stick them with additional costs.An replicawatchesnewyork is a device which removes contaminants from the air.We are professional wholesalepetsupplies,led display manufacturers This looks like a money grab by the city."
City
Manager Soren Wolff said the changes under the new "Vacant and
Abandoned Property Ordinance" will only cover city costs for personnel
time.
The Brembo braking system has large diameter braking discs (front
260 mm), controlled by compact twin piston floating calipers (front), and single
piston in the rear
The best of all worlds
The engine is directly
derived from the engine developed for the TE250 ¨C the lightest in its category
at just 22 kg! But its compactness now has greater torque and power with an
increase in cylinder capacity to 302.4 cc (bore and stroke 82 x 57.35 mm), and a
new specially developed exhaust system, to further improve performance. The
basic design is unchanged: single cylinder dstti , twin cam, with 4 titanium valves,
Mikuni electronic injection with 45 mm throttle body and double CDI mapping,
selectable by a switch on the handlebars. A practical system for changing engine
performance to match the terrain and running conditions, selecting between
"hard" for top performance, and a "soft" setting for less aggressive power
delivery. Reliability is ensured by the high specification cooling system, with
a thermostat and electric fan to prevent overheating in the tougher and slower
trials.
Husqvarna TE449: Evolution of the Species
The
experience gained over the last year has made the new TE449 an even more
competitive bike. The basic profile is unchanged, the 449 is still the bike that
inspires love at first sight, with all the innovative technical features that
put it amongst the market leaders in the sector. It was already exclusive, now
it has become more streamlined and efficient. Aesthetically it is more pleasing,
the chassis is now black, the rims anodised silver, new graphics emphasise the
flow of the lines that express functionality, lightweight and style. The
ergonomic side panels allow the rider more freedom of movement, the integrated
in-mould graphics are guaranteed to last. The days of "adhesive" graphics that
come off with the second power wash are gone.
But races are won by the
stopwatch, not on the catwalk, and the changes in handling and mechanics make
the new TE449 a more reliable bike, tough and competitive enough to win and keep
winning!
Stronger frame, lower profile
The new version uses more
25CrMo4 chrome-moly steel to reinforce the steering head, the seat rail and
engine mounts. The rear section ¨C now a single piece rear fender ¨C is stronger
and more streamlined and the entire electrical system has been simplified and
lightened. The styling and layout have been completely redesigned; it has better
balance, with new suspension settings and the Kayaba rear shock is shorter by 4
mm, further reducing seat height.a leading company in the thequicksilverscreen
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The top of the range rear suspension uses Kayaba
components (adjustable for rebound and compression) and an upside down linkage,
combining the advantages of progressive linkage with a sheltered location. The
front suspension (48 mm diameter forks) has been improved with more progressive
damping. The rear shock is better shielded for additional protection. These
modifications are the result of the collaboration between the Husqvarna R&D
team and the official racing team, further streamlining the frame, designed to
concentrate weight on the bike's centre-of-gravity and minimize chain-torque.
The steel tubing perimeter frame was designed for the CTS - Coaxial Traction
System ¨C which on the TE449 reduces to a minimum the influence of the final
transmission on dynamic handling and steering. With the gearbox output shaft
coaxially aligned with the swingarm pivot, the torque generated by the powerful
450cc engine now has almost no influence on the handling, and above all allows
the engine to be placed as far to the rear as possible. This optimises the
wheelbase and enables the forward slant of the cylinder head, which lowers the
centre of gravity and allows straighter inlet tracts for the engine.
The
braking system is the trusted Brembo. The front braking disc has a diameter of
no less than 260 mm, with a twin piston floating caliper, while the 240 mm rear
disc has a light and compact single piston floating caliper.
More linear
power delivery
The single cylinder, four valve, twin cam titanium valve
engine is a recent design and needed few modifications, just some minor changes
to the power curve. To better access and exploit all the power of the TE449, the
designers concentrated on the mapping of the Keihin injection,Buy from Reliable
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Wholesalers. which controls the action of the twin flap 46mm throttle body. Fine
tuning included the balancing of the engine thermodynamics with the light steel
Akrapovic exhaust, developed in collaboration with the prestigious Slovenian
manufacturer. The efficiency of the cooling circuit was improved with change to
the radiator, introducing a new WP component.
Unchanged are the six
gears and clutch with soft and progressive hydraulic action. Weight is saved by
eliminating a kick starter, which has proved to be superfluous, given the
efficient and reliable electric ignition with high-power battery.
Husqvarna TE511: The Engine That Pulls No Punches
The TE511
is no toy and horsepower is one thing the TE511 does not lack,loseweightfastonsale in
fact the problem is keeping the horses in check! This is why all design aspects
of the machine have been studied and evaluated with one thing in mind, making
the TE511 easier to ride. Like its almost twin stable mate, the TE449,offers
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such as pet food, the high power bike has also seen mechanical and engine
changes. These are aimed at making the big brother of the Husqvarna 2012 range
easier to ride and more appealing to different types of rider.
Aesthetically it has the same updates, black frame, anodised silver
Excel rims and the new integrated in-mould graphics - no more adhesives that
peel off under the power wash. The tail section has been redesigned as a
single-piece, sleeker and more robust, but the most important new features are
the engine settings and the layout.
The two-stroke 250 cc school of
thought
Two-stroke engines typically have a less linear power delivery
than big four stroke single cylinder engines, but they offer 2-stroke fans a
riding experience that can not be found elsewhere. After many years of
continuous development, Husqvarna technicians have transformed aggressiveness
into effectiveness. This is thanks to fine tuning of the thermodynamics, the
cylinder, exhaust expansion chamber, and the adoption as standard issue of the
parts specially tested by the CH racing team. The Mikuni TMX38 carburettor,
V-Force reed valve,A poloshirts
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with the right compromise between inertia and reactivity.
The evolution
of the WR250 engine aims to be perfectly balanced between easy control and
explosive performance, essential in the more extreme enduro trials, where only
five gears are needed to tackle every terrain. The advantage of the two-stroke's
lightness and manoeuvrability.
WR300: the winning alternative!
One thing is sure: the Husqvarna CH Racing Team riders like to go
against the grain. The WR300 is the bike of choice for Sebastien Guillaume. A
choice that might seem daring, but the French champion ¨C surrounded by big,
powerful 500 cc four-stroke machines - has for years taken his place on the
podium of the E3 class at the International Six Days Enduro Championship.
Guillaume likes his enduro tough, for real men, and that means the
Husqvarna WR300, designed specifically on the basis of his experience at the
WEC. No longer is the Husqvarna "300" a kitted up version of the WR250 but a
fully developed production bike in its own right. In 2008, when the WR300 model
launched it was immediately taken to heart by professionals and fans alike.
Mechanical design in common with the 250
The WR300 and WR250
share the same mechanical design: same steel tubing chassis, same swing arm and
linkage, same suspension. The 48mm Kayaba forks are adjustable for both
compression and rebound damping, the rear shock is a Sachs. The 2012 version
benefits from the same updates common to the range: chassis painted black,
anodised silver Excel rims and redesigned graphics. A new look for a bike that
remains essentially the same and technically unchanged, which says a lot about
how much work has already gone into fine tuning, testing and finishing in the
past. The WR300 and WR250 also share a common layout and all component parts:
Brembo brakes - large diameter (260 mm) front daisy wheel braking with twin
piston floating caliper - while the rear disc (220 mm) is floating and solid, as
preferred by Guillaume and other riders, to ensure maximum control on muddy
terrain.
Maximum two-stroke power
The new WR300 is the largest
engine capacity 2-stroke in the Husqvarna range, yet it has a surprisingly
linear and progressive power delivery. The engine is powerful, always ready and
responsive to minimum throttle changes, but not so explosive as to be demanding
to the point that only a pro can handle it. In fact it immediately became an
alternative - light, manageable, and more economic - for E3 class pro bikers and
fans of extreme enduro. The engine is closely based on the crankcase of the
WR250, but uses a larger bore cylinder (72 mm, giving an engine capacity of
293.1 cc). All component parts are top of the range: Ducati Energy digital
ignition, Mikuni TMX38 carburettor and V-Force reed valve are just the more
obvious examples. The five speed gearbox performs well across the engine power
range.