Goldman in settlement talks with U.S. over trading loss

(Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc is in settlement talks with the U.S. government over an $8.3 billion position that one of the investment bank's traders had concealed five years ago, according to a published report.
The Financial Times said a settlement with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission , which regulatesU.S. futures and options markets, is expected in the coming weeks, citing two sources familiar with the plans.
Goldman declined to comment and the CFTC could not be reached for comment.
The planned settlement follows Thursday's announcement from the regulator that accused ex-Goldman trader Matthew Marshall Taylor of hiding a large position in S&P 500 e-mini futures contracts. Taylor has denied the accusations, his lawyer said on Thursday.

10 Tips & Ideas of wise Money saving

1. Here's another old adage -"One man's trash is another man's treasure." Before you decide to trash something, find out if it hasvalue. Sell it at Ebay, CraigsList, sell it on consignment, or sell it at a garage sale. You can alwaysthrow it away later if it doesn't sell!
2. When you need to buy, shop and save by planningyour shopping trips in entirety.
*. Always comparison shop for large ticket items. Subtract coupon and rebate offers from prices before you buy and check sale priced items against competition's regular priced items to see if the offered discount really is a bargain.
*. Buy groceries and department store items at the store that offers the most savings overall. With gas prices these days, it justisn't practical to drive across town to save a nickelon a can of vegetable soup.
*. If you wouldn't buy it without a coupon, don't buy it with one. If you are shopping with coupons, besure to check and see if a comparable brand (or a generic item) is less expensive even with no coupon. If it is, toss that coupon out. You won't be needing it!
*. Using a shopping list can eliminate return trips for forgotten items and also help you resist impulse buying. Crossing off items as you find them lets you know when it's time to go to the checkout.
3. Pay attention to fees when withdrawing cash at ATMs with debit cards. Look for ATMs that offer free cash withdrawals.
4. Credit card balance transfers and debt consolidation offers may look very lucrative at first glance, but before you transfer that balance or rollyour debts into one loan, make sure the total package, including fees and future interest rates adds up on the plus side of your budget. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has a wealth of tips on finding and doing business with reputable companies.
5. Many insurance companies offer significant discounts when you bundle your insurances with them. Before you decide to purchase lower priced vehicle insurance, add up the totals for house (or renters), vehicle, life, and medical insurance policies and go with the company or companies that offer the best overall plan.
6. Useful utility savings.
*. Set your thermostat to the temperature where you feel most comfortable and leave it there. Furnace and air conditioner stops and starts are big power drains, especially when they needto reheat or re-cool your home.
*. Before you turn on air conditioning in warm weather months, spend a few days with open windows and doors.
*. Before you turn up the heat, put on a sweater. When sitting idle while reading or watching television, stay cozy with a lap robe or small blanket.
*. Turn off the lights when they're not in use.
*. Turn off your computer when you're finished for the night.
7. Consider going cell phone(or landline) only. Internetservices like Skype offer affordable ways to reach out and talk to someone.
8. Cable and satellite dish television connections are wonderful luxuries. However, do you really need 30 premium channels? Frequently check with your provider to see if new packages might better suit your needs at a lower price.
9. Keep your checkbook in balance. Aside from the embarrassment of reclaiming a bad check, bank and merchant overdraft fees can quickly bust your budget.
10. Track your spending for 30 days. Then decide what items you are willingto sacrifice to save money.

Banks Found Australia full list

ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED +61 8 8300 6000
ADVANCE BANK AUSTRALIA LIMITED +61 2 9236 1511
ALLIED BANKING CORPORATION AUSTRALIA +61 2 9415 4643
AMP BANK LIMITED +61 2 9257 8444
ARAB BANK +61 2 9377 8900
ARAB BANK AUSTRALIA LIMITED +61 2 9377 8900
AUSBIL DEXIA LIMITED +61 2 9259 0200
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED. +61 3 9273 5555
AUSTRAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION +61 2 9299 1833
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. SYDNEY +61 2 9931 4200
BANK OF CYPRUS AUSTRALIA +61 3 8627 2745
BANK OF MELBOURNE +61 3 9520 0000
BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED +61 4 3212 3494
BANK OF SCOTLAND INTERNATIONAL +61 2 8299 8853
BANK OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA LIMITED +61 8 210 4758
BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI LTD. +61 2 9296 1111
BANK OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA LTD (BANKWEST) +61 1 8001 99535
BANKSIA FINALCIAL GROUP +61 3 9602 0000
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BENDIGO BANK +61 1 3003 61911
BNP PARIBAS +61 2 9216 8633
CIBC - CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE +61 2 9275 1300
CITIBANK LIMITED +61 2 9239 9100
COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT +61 2 9273 3000
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA +61 2 9378 2000
CREDIT SUISSE (INVESTMENT BANKING) +61 2 8205 4400
CREDIT UNION SERVICES CORPORATION +61 3 9286 4536
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INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BANK OF CHINA +61 2 9233 2233
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STANDARD CHARTERED BANK +61 2 9232 9333
ST. GEORGE BANK LIMITED +61 2 952 1111
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THE TORONTO-DOMINIONBANK +61 2 9619 8888
UBS IN SYDNEY +61 2 9324 2000
UNITED OVERSEAS BANK LIMITED

list of the 50 largest banks and savings institutions in the United States

1 JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.(1039502) NEW YORK, NY $2,290,146,000
2 BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION (1073757) CHARLOTTE, NC $2,162,083,396
3 CITIGROUP INC. (1951350) NEW YORK, NY $1,916,451,000
4 WELLS FARGO & COMPANY (1120754) SAN FRANCISCO, CA $1,374,715,000 $1,336,204,000
5 GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC., THE (2380443) NEW YORK, NY $948,981,000
6 METLIFE, INC. (2945824) NEW YORK, NY $825,188,490
7 MORGAN STANLEY (2162966) NEW YORK, NY $748,517,000
8 U.S. BANCORP (1119794) MINNEAPOLIS, MN $352,253,000 $353,136,000
9 BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORPORATION, THE (3587146) NEW YORK, NY $330,490,000
10 HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC. (3232316) NEW YORK, NY $317,482,381
11 PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC., THE (1069778) PITTSBURGH, PA $299,712,018
12 CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION (2277860) MCLEAN, VA $296,698,168
13 TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY (1249196) PORTLAND, ME $207,333,395
14 STATE STREET CORPORATION (1111435) BOSTON, MA $200,368,976
15 ALLY FINANCIAL INC. (1562859) DETROIT, MI $178,560,000
16 BB&T CORPORATION (1074156) WINSTON-SALEM, NC $178,529,372
17 SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.(1131787) ATLANTA, GA $173,213,253 $178,307,292
18 PRINCIPAL FINANCIALGROUP, INC. (3853449) DES MOINES, IA $159,193,269 $152,050,658
19 AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (1275216) NEW YORK, NY $146,890,000
20 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL, INC. (2433312) MINNEAPOLIS, MN $135,271,252
21 RBS CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (1132449) PROVIDENCE, RI $132,014,924 $129,313,757
22 REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION (3242838) BIRMINGHAM, AL $122,344,664
23 FIFTH THIRD BANCORP(1070345) CINCINNATI, OH $117,482,869 $117,542,579
24 BMO FINANCIAL CORP.(1245415) WILMINGTON, DE $112,165,541
25 CHARLES SCHWAB CORPORATION, THE (1026632) SAN FRANCISCO, CA $117,658,000 $111,816,000
26 UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (1447376) SAN ANTONIO, TX $110,562,587
27 NORTHERN TRUST CORPORATION (1199611) CHICAGO, IL $94,455,895
28 UNIONBANCAL CORPORATION (1378434) SAN FRANCISCO, CA $87,939,869
29 KEYCORP (1068025) CLEVELAND, OH $86,741,424
30 SANTANDER HOLDINGSUSA, INC. (3981856) BOSTON, MA $82,943,616
31 M&T BANK CORPORATION (1037003) BUFFALO, NY $80,807,578
32 BANCWEST CORPORATION (1025608) HONOLULU, HI $78,655,826
33 DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES (3846375) RIVERWOODS, IL $73,255,567
34 BBVA USA BANCSHARES, INC. (1078529) HOUSTON, TX $66,013,042
35 DEUTSCHE BANK TRUSTCORPORATION (1032473) NEW YORK, NY $64,994,000
36 COMERICA INCORPORATED (1199844) DALLAS, TX $62,756,597
37 HUNTINGTON BANCSHARES INCORPORATED (1068191) COLUMBUS, OH $56,443,000 $56,622,959
38 ZIONS BANCORPORATION (1027004) SALT LAKE CITY, UT $53,418,819
39 E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORPORATION (3412583) NEW YORK, NY $49,155,830
40 UTRECHT-AMERICA HOLDINGS, INC. (2307280) NEW YORK, NY $46,125,000
41 NEW YORK COMMUNITYBANCORP, INC. (2132932) WESTBURY, NY $44,075,366 $43,501,094
42 HUDSON CITY BANCORP, INC. (2367556) PARAMUS, NJ $42,961,040
43 CIT GROUP INC. (1036967) LIVINGSTON, NJ $42,796,446
44 POPULAR, INC. (1129382) SAN JUAN, PR $36,612,000
45 FIRST NIAGARA FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (2648693) BUFFALO, NY $35,123,415
46 PEOPLE'S UNITED FINANCIAL, INC. (3650152) BRIDGEPORT, CT $28,134,752
47 SYNOVUS FINANCIAL CORP. (1078846) COLUMBUS, GA $26,294,110
48 BOK FINANCIAL CORPORATION (1883693) TULSA, OK $25,561,731
49 FIRST HORIZON NATIONAL CORPORATION(1094640) MEMPHIS, TN $25,740,652 $25,493,925
50 IMB HOLDCO LLC (3923614) PASADENA, CA $24,959,052

Fidelity: 401(k) accounts grew 4% in3rd quarter

Fidelity Investments, the nation's largest 401(k) administrator, said Thursday that the average balance of$75,900 at the end of the quarter was the highest sinceit began tracking the data in 2000.
Three months earlier, the average account balance among the 12 million accounts that Fidelity administers was $72,800.
The Standard & Poor's 500 stock index rose nearly 6% in the July-to-September period, boosting investment returns in 401(k)s. The gain helped investors recover from a nearly 3% market decline in the previous quarter.
Workers' 401(k)s are typicallyinvested in bonds as well as stocks to help reduce volatility. A broad U.S. bond market index rose about 1% in the second quarter, substantially less than the stock market. So workers with large portions of their accounts invested in stocks enjoyed better performance than those with more in bonds.
Account contributions from employees' paycheck deductions also rose in the latest quarter, as did 401(k) contributions from employers, known as company matches.
Annual contributions from workers now average about$7,900, up more than 7% from the level five years ago.Company matches average$3,420, up 19% from the third quarter of 2007.
Many companies reduced or suspended their 401(k) matches to conserve cash during the recession that began in late 2007. But as the economy has gradually improved, many employers have restored those matches,and then some.
"When employers were cutting contributions, many told us that they felt badly about it, and that restoring them would be one of the first things they wanted to do once they saw signs of improvement," said Beth McHugh, vice president of market insights at Boston-based Fidelity.

Swiss bank to lay off10,000 in restructuring

Swiss bank UBS unveiled plans on Tuesday to fire 10,000 staff and wind downits fixed income business, returning to its private banking roots as it adapts totough capital rules that make it harder to turn a profit from trading.
Zurich-based UBS will focuson wealth management anda smaller investment bank, ditching much of the trading business that ran up$50 billion in losses in the financial crisis.

Hacked Not Us says Twitter

After many Twitter users received e-mails on Thursday morning asking them to reset the passwords to their Twitter accounts, many suspected that they, or the company, had been hacked.
Not so.
As a security policy, Twitter regularly resets passwords to accounts it believes may have been compromised and sends users an e-mail informing them that they need to create a new passwords. But on Thursdaymorning, a large number of Twitter users took to the platform to complain that they had received the e-mail and worried they had been hacked.
Twitter said it had mistakenly reset passwords for more people than it it intended on Thursday. "We unintentionally reset passwords of a larger number of accounts, beyond those that we believed to have been compromised," the companysaid in a blog post. "We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused."

Germany's Angela Merkel on Wednesday warned Britain not to turn its back onEurope

Describing plans to increase the EU budget as"ludicrous", Cameron has threatened to veto any deal he thinks is not in Britain's interests and will push for a real-terms freeze.
However, German officials are exasperated by what they see as London's slide towards Europe's margins, a feeling reinforced last week after the British parliament voted to call for a real-terms cut in the EU's budget.
Before meeting Cameron, the German Chancellor told the European Parliament shecould not imagine a Europe without Britain, the world's sixth largest economy, whichrelies on the EU for half its trade.
"I believe you can be very happy on an island, but being alone in this world doesn't make you any happier," Merkel said after British politician Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-European UK Independence Party, urged her to tell Cameron that Britain should quit the EU.

Priceline.com to acquire travel site Kayak for US$1.8-billion

Priceline.com Inc., the most valuable online-travel agency, has agreed to buy Kayak Software Corp. for US$1.8-billion in cash and stock to expand its Web-based travel services.
Kayak shareholders will receive US$40 a share, the companies said in a statement. That price represents a 29% premiumover Kayak’s closing price of US$31.04 in New York today, and it includes about US$500-million in cash as well as US$1.3-billion in equity and assumed stock options.
Priceline has been using acquisitions to add customers as it works to grow sales and fend off competition in a sluggish economy. Kayak, which raised US$91-million in an initial public offering in July, lets travelers compareprices and make reservations for hotels, flights, cars and vacations.

Galaxy S3 world best selling smartphone

Galaxy S3 became the world's best-selling smartphone model last quarter, pushing aside Apple Inc's iPhone, which has dominated the chart for more than two years, research firm Strategy Analytics said on Thursday.
Strategy Analytics estimated Samsung sold 18 million S3 models in the third quarter, compared with iPhone 4S sales of 16.2 million.
Strong sales of the flagship Galaxy S3 - which comes with a large 4.8 inch touchscreen - helped Samsung post a record $7.3 billion operating profit in theJuly-September quarter.
"Samsung's Galaxy S3 has proven wildly popular with consumers and operators across North America, Europe and Asia," said analyst Neil Mawston, adding the new iPhone 5 would likely reclaim the top spot for Apple in the currentquarter