Sometimes that difference between short-term rates and long-term rates expands and sometimes it narrows. That difference has narrowed in the last two years, which hampers banks' ability to profit from the difference.

[In 2002, rates on both types of cards are nearly certain to rise. Even fixed-rate cards are no shelter.] The jockeying around to find a low-rate card is really only half the equation, ... The real thing to do is pay down debt.

Everybody has turned it up a notch. The teams that were a little bit short years ago have narrowed the gap. You can't pick a team to play. It's one of those things that's hard to put a finger on other than to say, 'Everybody's good.' And it's not just coach talk.

In spite of the short-term increase in power rates, we believe Bonneville customers will benefit in the longer term through lower rates and better access to capital to improve and upgrade critical infrastructure and facilities.

PPG is viewed by investors as an early cycle stock, ... The recent 50-basis-point pullback in short-term rates should accelerate interest in the cyclical chemical group, and more particularly, PPG.

Longer-term rates will not rise dramatically as long as the Fed keeps the short-term policy rate at 1 percent. However, the pressure for upward movement in bond rates is already there and will persist.