The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is available during October with a 1.9% interest rate loan incentive for 36 months or a 2.9% financing incentive for up to 66 months. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic is offered with a $379 monthly payment lease deal on a 30-month lease with $4,039 due at signing.

This month, the 2011 E-Class is being sold with a 2.9% interest rate incentive for 36 months or a 3.9% for up to 60 months. The 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 can be leased for $599 per month on a 33-month lease with a $4,369 down payment.

During October, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 can be leased for $399 per month on a 33-month lease with $4,583 due at signing. The 2011 GLK is also available with a 1.9% financing incentive for 36 months or a 2.9% loan deal for up to 60 months.

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz ML350 is being offered this month with a 1.9% financing incentive for 36 months or a 2.9% loan incentive for up to 60 months. XXX The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 lease deal for October is a $619 per month incentive for 33 months with $4,964 due at signing.

For October, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class SUV comes with a 1.9% interest rate loan incentive for up to 66 months.

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Anywhere but Westminster is a series of films and articles aimed at exploring the gap between mainstream politics and real life. Having just spent three weeks film-making and going quietly mad at the party conferences, we've been reminded again of why we conceived the series in the first place. In fact, the films that were made outside the conference bubbles in Birmingham, Wirral and the town of Ramsbottom were ABW pieces in all but name.

In early November we will return with the regular series, making two more films before Christmas. It seems to us that everyone we speak to right now wants to talk about their experience of the state of the economy, and a crisis that shows no signs of coming to an end – and with that in mind, we're asking Comment is free users for suggestions as to non-Westminster stories that highlight Britain's economic plight. Do you know of a place that is the downturn incarnate? Is there a particular business whose fate speaks volumes about the state we're in? Does your own experience point to an aspect of the flatlining economy that politicians don't talk about? Please keep the ideas as specific as possible – for the ABW films we always visit a single location to explore an issue or story. John Domokos and I will be back in the thread at regular intervals.

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A price war has broken out in the personal loan market, with the average rate on an unsecured loan of £7,500 falling to 7.89pc – the lowest level since November 2008.

However, those looking to borrow a smaller amount will not see the benefits of rate cuts as the average rate on a £3,000 loan has increased by 2.19 points to 15.12pc in the same time period, while the average cost of a £5,000 loan has increased by 1.6 percentage points, according to moneysupermarket.com.

The most competitive deals are available on loans of between £7,500 and £15,000 and eight providers have reduced their rates since December. For instance, this week Santander cut its rate from 7.8pc to 7.3pc on loans for customers using comparison sites, while Sainsbury’s Finance reduced its rate to 7.4pc and Marks & Spencer Money has launched a new loan at 7.5pc.

Tim Moss, the head of loans and debt at moneysupermarket.com, said: “With many consumers reviewing their finances in the New Year, it is great to see providers creating some healthy competition in the unsecured loans market after a period of relative inactivity.

“For those looking to borrow over £7,500 there are some excellent deals and in some cases it pays to borrow slightly more as it would cost you less overall. Unfortunately, we have yet to see rates drop as rapidly for smaller loans.”

However, Andrew Hagger, a spokesman for Moneynet.co.uk, pointed out that the rate cuts had been targeted at borrowers with existing loans.

He said: “It’s a shame that the rate cutting has, apart from Tesco, Santander and M&S Money, been targeted at existing customers only.” www.telegraph.co.uk

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A ceremonial big check for $605,000 was presented Thursday by Donnie Thomas, acting state director of USDA Rural Development, to Grace Fricks, chief executive officer of Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE), to provide micro-loans to small rural businesses in North Georgia, including in Whitfield and Murray counties.

Funding for micro-loans, those less than $50,000, is available through the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). ACE became eligible to draw down funds right before Christmas.

“This should be another avenue of support for rural entrepreneurs in need of loans,” said Thomas. “We realize that many small businesses are running into problems accessing capital. We hope this program will help.”

ACE will serve most of Northeast Georgia, including the counties of Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Heard, Henry, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Murray, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Putnam, Rabun, Rockdale, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White and Whitfield.

As businesses pay back loans, the funds are then available to re-lend to another business, creating a renewable loan resource.

Funding levels for RMAP for fiscal year 2011 are not currently known. The initial announcement said $4 million would be available nationwide. However, the U.S. government is currently under a continuing resolution. Specific funding amounts for fiscal year 2011 will not be known until a budget is signed by Congress.

Loans through this program can be used for working capital; purchase of furniture, fixtures, supplies, inventory or equipment; debt refinancing; business acquisitions; and purchase or lease of real estate, with qualifying conditions.

Loan funds cannot be used for a variety of purposes, including, but not limited to, construction costs or assistance that will cause conflict of interest issues.

Businesses interested in applying for loans can contact ACE for assistance (www.aceloans.org). Interest rates on the ACE loans will be between 6 to 12 percent and the point of contact is Sandy Headley (headley@aceloans.org).

For more information on Rural Development programs visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/ga.

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