Welcome to the 55th installment of The Wal-Mart Weekly, a column dedicated to bringing you insight, wit, facts, results, opinions, and just a bit of everything else when it comes down to a very hot topic these days: Wal-Mart.

In this week's Wal-Mart Weekly, I'll be looking at the entry (although indirect) of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) into the consumer banking industry. While it may seem a stretch to think that Wal-Mart's new debit card program is anything but a way to help consumers, it could be positioning the retailer as a new banking partner for many consumers as well as adding handsomely to the retailer's bottom line.

Continue reading The Wal-Mart Weekly: Meet Wal-Mart's new debit card. Now it's competing head-on with banks

The Wal-Mart Weekly: Meet Wal-Mart's new debit card. Now it's competing head-on with banks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.