Monthly Archives: May 2008

It’s not as bad as some experts were expecting, but it’s still weak. The U.S. economy’s gross domestic product grew at 0.9 percent in the first quarter of this year versus 0.6 percent in fourth-quarter 2007. Back in December, I attended the Anderson … Continue reading →

It’s not as bad as some experts were expecting, but it’s still weak. The U.S. economy’s gross domestic product grew at 0.9 percent in the first quarter of this year versus 0.6 percent in fourth-quarter 2007. Back in December, I attended the Anderson … Continue reading →

This Los Angeles Times article (below) is interesting, especially knowing that one of the largest steel mills in the world used to sit in Fontana — Kaiser Steel. Fontana may not be the steel-producing power house it once was, but … Continue reading →

Billionaire Warren Buffett is going head to head with the Federal Reserve.   Well, not really.  But theoretically-speaking, I think he is.   Buffett’s remarks hint at what some retailers and elderly folks are already confirming to me when we talk … Continue reading →

Finally: the Federal Reserve is stating the obvious about this country’s economic slowdown. But what the Fed says is still far different from what some experts think.  After talking to several economic experts (and old-timers) over the past few months, … Continue reading →

California home sales are actually rising for the first time in months — can you believe it? I couldn’t, at first.  But then it all made sense.  With thousands of foreclosures coming on the market, people are picking up deals … Continue reading →

It was an interesting experience delving into Vineyard National Bancorp’s 10-K annual filing today.  If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you might pass up important information while getting lost in financial jargon. You can find the 148-page Securities-and-Exchange … Continue reading →

Stock shares for Corona-based Vineyard National Bancorp (NASDAQ: VNBC) were downgraded to “sell” from “hold” status at about 9:20 a.m. (PST) by Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P. in New York. The bank is the holding company for Vineyard Bank, which … Continue reading →

Local banks seek cover Buyouts not seen as likely Matt Wrye, Staff Writer Article Launched: 05/17/2008 10:21:46 PM PDT In the last two quarters, local banks collectively shoveled a whopping $230 million into their loan loss reserves to cover tens of … Continue reading →

Realty, advising firm picks president Matt Wrye, Staff Writer Article Launched: 05/16/2008 07:24:11 PM PDT As Germania Corp. stays on the prowl for business opportunities stemming from the Inland Empire’s growth, it announced Friday the promotion of Kevin Wolf to president … Continue reading →