GOOD DAY FOR: Customer service, as salespeople at luxury stores and boutiques are starting to treat all shoppers as valued customers, rather than just those with nice shoes and watches. Until the recession caused neighboring high-end stores to go under, customers in poor or even average attire were routinely ignored. (International Herald Tribune)
BAD DAY FOR: Swiss bank accounts, after UBS’s deal to divulge the names of clients suspected of dodging U.S. taxes could put an end to centuries of Swiss banking secrecy. In a landmark $780 million settlement with U.S. tax authorities, UBS and Swiss regulators agreed to let the U.S. access the names without a lengthy appeals process. Tax fraud is a crime in Switzerland, but tax evasion isn’t. (Reuters)
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