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Bank profits increase as industry improves, FDIC says

Insurance fund nears positive territory after seven quarters in red

June 2, 2011

Commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reported an aggregate profit of $29 billion in the first quarter of 2011, an $11.6 billion improvement, or 66.5 percent upswing, from the $17.4 billion in net

Free checking becomes more scarce

Big institutions operating here tacking on fees; some smaller ones holding off

June 2, 2011

Chey Scott

Some of the larger banks that serve Inland Northwest customers are adding monthly service charges to their personal checking account packages. Bank officials say it's an effort to make up for losses in revenue due to current economic conditions, to

Study: Angel investment rebounding

Reported 14 percent rise in cash infusions follows two years of contraction

June 2, 2011

The 2010 angel investor market saw a robust increase in investment dollars following a considerable contraction in investment dollars in 2008 and 2009, says an analysis released by the Center for Venture Research at the University of New in 2010 an

Consumers should put fiscal fitness to the test, advisers say

Experts suggest tracking spending, income closely over three-month period

June 2, 2011

Personal Investing

Banks must endure fiscal fitness tests these days, with the results not always pretty or predictable.This concept isn't such a bad idea for average citizens either.The darkest stories of recession involve lost jobs, lost homes, and lost hope.

Calendar

May 5, 2011

Meeting & EventsThe Spokane Regional MarCom Association will hold a breakfast meeting, titled Making Your Special Events Spectacular, on Friday, May 6, from 7:30 to 9 a.m., at the McCarthey Athletic Center, 801 N. Cincinnati, on the Gonzaga The a

In the News

May 5, 2011

April 28 / Valley repeals revitalization planThe Spokane Valley City Council voted 5-1 to repeal the Sprague-Appleway Revitalization Plan, or SARP, adopted in June 2009, which changed zoning regulations along the Spokane Valley commercial The to

Western States to erect building for East Spokane Water District

May 5, 2011

Treva Lind

Western States Construction Inc., of Valleyford, Wash., has been awarded a contract to erect a $500,000 office building in Spokane Valley for the East Spokane Water District, and is beginning work on the project now. The new building, which is

Small Business Watch

May 5, 2011

Small Business WatchFour women open Liberty Lake storeLollipop Lemondrop, a women's and children's used clothing outlet, has opened in 1,600 square feet of space at 23129 E. Mission, in Liberty Lake.Kelsy McHenry, who co-owns Lollipop with an

Disasters, high demand complicate global energy picture

Need for diverse sources of energy could lead to investment opportunity

May 5, 2011

Personal Investing

The global energy picture has become more complicated in 2011, but investors are making some sense of it.The nuclear outage in Japan and turbulence in oil-producing nations is prompting increased demand for alternative electricity sources such a

Clean tech could catalyze Washington's economy

Innovations developed statewide in energy, fuels to drive business growth

May 5, 2011

Tom Ranken

Washington's economy always has been based on making the things the rest of the world needs. Whether it's airplanes at Boeing or software at Microsoft, the products we make in the Northwest have made us a living. Increasingly, our region is getting