Investing

America's Most Overpaid CEOs (MER)(CBS)(AXP)(MS)(NBR)

Cammonopoly_wideweb__430x3250The AP announced its list of the top 10 paid CEOs for 2007. The figures were based on "AP’s compensation formula, which adds up salary, perks, bonuses, above-market interest on pay set aside for later, and company estimates for the value of stock options and stock awards on the day they were granted last year."

While these figures are for last year, a number of the companies on the list have had remarkably poor stock market returns over the last two years, making the pay packages unseemly.

John Thain at Merrill Lynch (MER) made $83.1 million. He has not been at Merrill for two years, but he has done nothing to arrest the slide in the value of the company’s shares which are down 70%.

Leslie Moonves at CBS (CBS) made $67.6 million. CBS is off over 40% during that last two years.

Kenneth Chenault at American Express (AXP) made $57.1 million and his stock is off 30% during the last 48 months.

John Mack at Morgan Stanley (MS) made $41.7 million and the firm’s stock has dropped 45% in two years.

Eugene Isenberg of Nabor Industries (NBR) made $44.6 million. At least his shares are up almost 10% over the last 48 months.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Credit Card Companies Are Doing Something Nuts

Credit card companies are at war. The biggest issuers are handing out free rewards and benefits to win the best customers.

It’s possible to find cards paying unlimited 1.5%, 2%, and even more today. That’s free money for qualified borrowers, and the type of thing that would be crazy to pass up. Those rewards can add up to thousands of dollars every year in free money, and include other benefits as well.

We’ve assembled some of the best credit cards for users today.  Don’t miss these offers because they won’t be this good forever.

 

Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

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