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Current DateTime: 08:28:31 29 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 31388230
Expiration DateTime: 11/29/2009 8:30:10 PM
    • Shopper & Investor Deals  25 Nov 2009

        A look at what's likely to happen at the registers once the doors open on Friday, with Richard Hastings, Global Hunters Securities; Richard Jaffe, Stifel Nicolaus & Co. and CNBC's Jane Wells.

    • Black Friday: Bargain or Bust?  25 Nov 2009

        Whether the deals are better than what shoppers will usually see or if it is just another marketing tactic, with Hitha Prabhakar, Style File Group; Brad Wilson, BlackFriday2009.com and CNBC's Jane Wells.

    • Holiday Central  25 Nov 2009

        A discussion of the many ways retailers are preparing for Black Friday, live from K-Mart in Burbank, CA, with CNBC's Jane Wells.

    • Retailers Getting Ready for Black Friday  25 Nov 2009

        Retailers are getting ready for Black Friday, and CNBC's Jane Wells has the play by play. Stacy Janiak, of Deloitte, shares her insight.

    • Amazon vs. Wal-Mart  24 Nov 2009

        What began as a price war between Wal-Mart and Amazon over a handful of books has nos spread to a wide assortment of consumer goods. Lee Eisenberg, a noted retail expert and consumer behaviorist, and CNBC's Jane Wells discuss.

    • Prices to Be Thankful For  24 Nov 2009

        A decrease in food prices is something to be thankful for this holiday, reports CNBC's Jane Wells.

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Current DateTime: 08:28:33 29 Nov 2009
LinksList Documentid: 31388237
Expiration DateTime: 11/29/2009 8:30:17 PM
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Funny Business

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Apr.07
1:57 PM ET
Monday, 7 Apr 2008
Credit Crisis Is Not So Funny Down On The Farm

Barn
AP

Even in a farm boom, lending is tight. Brett Crosby is a cowboy with an MBA. He runs a Wyoming cattle ranch and also operates Custom Ag Solutions, a firm that helps do agricultural risk management.

He tells me one local banker whom he knows well says federal officials have increased their scrutiny so much that even with lower interest rates, these small banks are lending less now than they were during the higher-rate environment of a year ago. Crosby says the banker tells him, "The Fed's rate cut is all smoke and mirrors. They are keeping such a tight rein on us that we just aren't making any new loans." Regulators wrote down this bank's portfolio, giving it less lending capacity.

Whom does it loan to? Not first-time home buyers trying for a subprime loan. Most of the loans are to the agriculture industry, which would seem to be one of the safest bets in the current economy.

Crosby says established operators are still able to renew credit. The problem is for newcomers, or when an established operation wants to expand, which a lot of them do right now.

Crosby points out that getting loans in a timely manner is becoming a problem. "Collateral values are being documented by certified appraisals before loans can close, thus slowing ag borrowers' access to operating capital at a key time in the planting season."

Most would probably agree that a certified appraisal is a good thing, especially as some suspect farm real estate may be the next bubble. But it's interesting to see how the subprime fallout is affecting everything, even the food you eat.

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