Meet with difficulties, clothing retailers in October and November for coat and knitwear sales was blocked by the untimely warm weather, while the housing market slowdown means DIY furniture chain and tough times. But even so, the average gain was 0.14 percentage points, to 4.74 percentage points, Moneyfacts said. Rising out of your ashes in the banking collapse of 2008, alternative banking practices are actually available. And have been for quite a while. Well, I guess the banking community wants another chance to help us manage our money. Thanks to the Federal Reserve, it's as if they are getting that chance for some time to come.