That's a 90-basis-point spread that the homeowner can scoop up.

FORBES: Hock Your House

The May 10 Bank of England 25-basis-point rate hike to 5.5%, topping the U.S., gives an opportunity to benchmark U.S. monetary stimulus.

FORBES: Wal-Mart Or Malpass?

The yield on America's ten-year Treasury bond rose quickly by eight basis points (a basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point).

ECONOMIST: American interest rates: Just a minute | The

He is battling now against a French attempt to call a conference in Paris next month on the basis of Mr Obama's formula that so annoyed him last month: that the starting point should be the 1967 line, with mutually agreed land swaps and security provisions.

ECONOMIST: Israel and diplomacy

The two-year loan, secured against AIG's insurance businesses, carries an interest rate of LIBOR plus 850 basis points (hundredths of a percentage point).

ECONOMIST: American finance: A lifeline for AIG | The