News

2010

July

15

• Foreclosures could top 1 million homes in 2010. More than 1 million U.S. households could lose their homes to foreclosure this year, as lenders work their way through a huge backlog of borrowers who have fallen behind on their loans, according to RealtyTrac,…

13

• Wall Street reform and the price of milk. Congress is expected to finally pass the massive Wall Street reform bill later this week. And the lobbyists have already moved on to their next line of attack: The regulators who will issue the hundreds…

• Financial regulation bill nears finish line. Two key Republicans said Monday that they plan to support a far-reaching bill to overhaul financial regulations, all but ensuring that the landmark legislation will sail through the Senate in coming days. GOP Sens. Olympia…

• Smaller cable TV packages good for consumers. Looks like the cable industry is finally responding to the threat of cut-rate online alternatives such as YouTube and Hulu. No, that doesn't mean cable companies will at last allow people to pay only for…

12

• More Americans' credit scores sink to new lows. The credit scores of millions more Americans are sinking to new lows. Figures provided by FICO Inc. show that 25.5 percent of consumers — nearly 43.4 million people — now have a credit score of…

11

• Mortgage investors turn to state courts for relief. Investors who lost billions on boatloads of faulty mortgage securities have had a hard time holding Wall Street accountable for selling the things in the first place. For the most part, banks have said they…

10

• Fannie Mae calls for experienced appraisers. Picture this: You've signed a contract to sell your house. Your buyers say they have nailed down the right mortgage. All is well. But then the appraisal comes in low - $25,000 to $50,000 under…

09

• Biggest defaulters on mortgages are the rich. No need for tears, but the well-off are losing their master suites and saying goodbye to their wine cellars. The housing bust that began among the working class in remote subdivisions and quickly progressed to…

05

• Loan giants opt to block energy loans. Two government-chartered mortgage finance companies are unlikely to accept loans on homes that are part of a special program that lets homeowners repay the cost of energy improvements through a surcharge on their property tax…

04

• The hard work falls to the regulators. Robert Temple doesn't look obscenely rich. He's got big glasses and a thick walrus mustache. He does not wear bling. And the fact of the matter is that Robert Temple is not obscenely rich. But…

03

• Changes in mobile home lending. Mobile homes may not be a staple of the New York City housing market, but nationally last year they made up nearly a quarter of all new homes sold for less than $200,000, according to…

• When borrowers can pay but don't. With tougher mortgage underwriting rules a virtual certainty under Congress's financial reform legislation, lenders have begun confronting still another vexing issue: Can homebuyers who have high credit scores be trusted not to pull the plug…

02

• Tall tales your contractor tells. Even honest contractors occasionally play a bit fast and loose with the truth. All tradesmen are looking to maximize profits and minimize hassle -- and that can end up costing you extra money. So don't…

01

• Loan giants threaten energy-efficiency programs. The Obama administration is devoting $150 million in stimulus money for programs that help homeowners install solar panels and other energy improvements, which they pay for over time on their property tax bills. At the…

• Lower your credit card bill fast. We here at WalletPop have spent plenty of time telling you about the big changes you can make to pare down your credit card debt and live a more financially stable life. While that's still…

• Financial reform bill passes U.S. House. The House on Wednesday approved the most sweeping rewrite of financial rules since the Great Depression, and last-minute changes this week appeared to solidify support in the Senate and pave the way for the legislation…

June

29

• What Wall Street reform means for your mortgage. Predatory lending would likely become a thing of the past if proposed regulatory reform rules are put into practice. And that may mean that mortgages get more expensive and more difficult to get, lenders warn.…

27

• Caring for seniors' financial health. When we talk about the aging population in the United States, the conversation is often focused on who will take care of the physical needs of millions of seniors. But there's a growing threat we…

26

• Wave of new rules to protect consumers. The financial overhaul bill that has taken final shape would give the government a larger role in guarding the wallets of consumers — many of whom, it became clear in the financial crisis, did not…

• Overhaul adds consumer help. The massive financial overhaul approved by key lawmakers early Friday was hailed by many reform advocates as offering landmark protections for consumers, even as others expressed disappointment at key omissions and wondered whether big business…