Small Business Administration hosts free consultations

The U.S. Small Business Administration is holding free 30-minute consultations to small businesses throughout May.

The consultations will be with specialists from the SBA and address critical issues like access to capital and credit. Reservations are recommended.

Programs will be held:

» May 6: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Central Pacific Bank, 1535 Dillingham Blvd.
» May 13: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Savings Bank, 45-1144 Kamehameha Highway.
» May 18: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at First Hawaiian Bank, 590 Farrington Highway, Suite 100.
» May 27: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hawaii National Bank at the Kamehameha Shopping Center, 1620 N. School St.

To register, call 541-2990, ext. 210, for all locations except for the First Hawaiian Bank location, which is ext. 211. Registration is also online at www.sba.gov/hi.

Entries are sought for 54th annual Parade of Homes

The early-bird entry deadline for the Building Industry Association of Hawaii Parade of Homes is May 17.

Developers and contractors can enter single-family and multifamily homes, townhomes, high-rises, units in vacation ownership complexes and conversions; in a first for Hawaii, this year's competition will include the American National Standards Institute's standards for residential construction.

Entry details and additional information can be obtained from Clarice at 629-7503 or via e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The 54th annual BIA-Hawaii Parade of Homes will be showcased during open-house weekends Oct. 9-10 and 16-17 and will be preceded by the annual gala Oct. 5 at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

The 2010 BIA Parade of Homes theme is “;It's a Great Time to Buy.”;

Hawaiian Island Creations to open flagship Waikiki store

A new flagship store for Kailua-based Hawaiian Island Creations Inc. will open to the public May 7 and stage a grand opening event on May 29.

The surf retailer will take over the former Burberry Ltd. space at 298 Beach Walk, which has more than 5,000 square feet of sales floor near free parking near Saratoga Road. The store also replaces HIC's previous Waikiki location in the Royal Hawaiian Center.

HIC Waikiki will carry name-brand surfboards, bodyboards, skateboards, surf accessories and apparel. It will also offer surfboard rentals and lessons by Faith Surf School.

Credit card delinquencies diminishing

U.S. credit card delinquencies fell last month to the lowest level since July as five of the six biggest issuers posted declines, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Loans at least 30 days overdue, a signal of future write-offs, dropped to 5.79 percent in March from 5.91 percent in the previous month, Moody's said in a report. Write-offs, a lagging indicator, rose to 11.21 percent from 11.08 percent in February.

Total recall

» Ford Motor Co. is recalling 33,000 midsize vehicles and SUVs in the United States to fix front seat recliners.

The recall affects some versions of the 2010 Ford Fusion, Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac and 2010 Mercury Milan and Mountaineer with front seat manual recliners. The vehicles under recall were built from mid-December through early February.

The recliner's gears could have problems that would lead to the seat back and head restraint moving toward the rear in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. The government says the vehicles don't comply with federal requirements for head restraints.

Dealers will replace the manual seat recliners free of charge. Owners can call Ford at 866-436-7332.

A Ford spokesman says there have been no accidents or injuries reported.

Coming Up

» Today: Caterpillar Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. release financial results.
» Tomorrow: Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller releases February index of home prices.
» Wednesday: Federal Reserve announces decision on interest rates.
» Thursday: Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.
» Friday: Commerce Department releases first-quarter gross domestic product.