The United States Postal Service does deliver mail on Good Friday. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
The new official list of 2011 bank, stock market, and federal holidays is now available.
Today is Good Friday, the day many Catholics and Christians around the world spend at church and preparing for Easter. Good Friday is not, however, on the list of federal holidays, USPS holidays or post office holidays. Good Friday does, however, count as one of the stock market holidays and some bank holidays. In other words, if you are wondering if there is mail on Good Friday or are banks open on Good Friday, the answer could vary. You may or may not be able to visit a personal loan company on this religious, not federal, holiday. So what are the official holidays for these services?
Stock Market Holidays 2010
The stock market holidays 2010 are very close to the bank holidays and official NYSE holidays list. Officially, the stock market holidays in 2010 are:
- New Year’s Day – January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 18
- President’s Day – February 15
- Good Friday – April 2
- Memorial Day – May 31
- Independence Day – July 5 (observed)
- Labor Day – September 6
- Thanksgiving Day – November 25
- Day after Thanksgiving – Early close (1 p.m.)
- Christmas – December 24 (observed)
Bank Holidays – Are Banks open on Good Friday?
Though the Stock Market Holidays include Good Friday in their official list, Bank Holidays are more varied. Individual banks can choose to close in observance of particular holidays, so to know for sure you should check with your local bank. If you will be filling out a personal loan application, call your banker to find out if you can turn it in on Good Friday. However, the general list of U.S. Bank Holidays in 2010 include:
- New Year’s Day – January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 18
- President’s Day – February 15
- Memorial Day – May 31
- Independence Day – July 5 (observed)
- Labor Day – September 6
- Columbus Day – October 11
- Veteran’s Day – November 11
- Thanksgiving Day – November 25
- Christmas – December 25
USPS Holidays – Post Office Holidays 2010
If you are wondering is there mail on Good Friday, the answer is yes. The USPS does not observe most religious holidays. The Post Office Holidays 2010 include:
- New Year’s Day – January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 18
- President’s Day – February 15
- Memorial Day – May 31
- Independence Day – July 5 (observed)
- Labor Day – September 6
- Columbus Day – October 11
- Veteran’s Day – November 11
- Thanksgiving Day – November 25
- Christmas – December 25
Federal Holidays
The U.S. Government does officially recognize some holidays. The specific federal holidays that are observed do not easily change, though the “observed” holiday may be moved by a day to accommodate work schedules. The official 2010 Federal Holidays are:
- New Year’s Day – January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 18
- Washington’s Birthday – February 15
- Memorial Day – May 31
- Independence Day – July 5 (observed)
- Labor Day – September 6
- Columbus Day – October 11
- Veteran’s Day – November 11
- Thanksgiving Day – November 25
- Christmas – December 24 (observed)
The specific holidays that are observed by various institutions, your workplace or local businesses may vary greatly from stock market holidays, bank holidays, post office holidays and federal holidays. If you celebrate Good Friday today or not, it is important to call ahead to make sure the places you plan to go are open.
The Federal Reserve and the stock market
Today the Federal Reserve have decided to keep interest rates low for a longer period of time.And the stock market keeps on moving up slowly each and very day with lighter volume.Does any body knows when the Federal Reserve will begin to raise the rates? The answer is no…not the way the Federal Reserve have been acting every time there is a Federal meeting. I do believe only time and only when the economy start to get better.I mean only when the Federal Reserve believe the economy is better.Then we will see an increase in interest rates.But don't be surprise if the Federal Reserve start to raise interest rates beginning next year.To my understanding is that a lot of investors are still on the side line with lots of money in fixed income.The sad part is that many people have lost money when the stock market went down but others made money.