Headline News Archive
2007
July
16
- Solar power wins enthusiasts but not money. The trade association for the nuclear power industry recently asked 1,000 Americans what energy source they thought would be used most for generating electricity in…
13
- State issuing Ameriquest refund forms. Eligible California customers who took out loans with Ameriquest Mortgage Co. from 1999 to 2005 will soon be receiving forms to claim a share of…
12
- Lawmakers unveil lending reform bill. House Republicans introduced a bill Thursday designed to protect borrowers from abusive lending practices - the second major piece of legislation introduced in Congress on…
11
- High end housing market surviving slump. Given that the real estate market is supposed to be in free fall, some strange things have been happening recently in Mill Valley. It is…
07
- Subprime lenders are on notice. It won't mean the end of high-risk mortgages for subprime home buyers, but new guidance from federal financial regulators will almost certainly cut sharply the…
03
- Scheme preys on desperate homeowners. With the housing market in decline, financial predators are finding yet another way to take advantage of people who fall behind on their payments. The…
- Home equity loan late payments rise. Late payments on home equity loans climbed to a 1 1/2-year high in the opening quarter of this year, while delinquencies on credit card…
- Good credit score helps your mortgage rate. Sales of existing homes fell to a four-year low last month, and the supply of homes for sale was up, which is happy news for…
02
- Mortgage guidance is tightened. Federal bank regulators Friday issued tougher standards for higher-cost adjustable rate subprime mortgages, going after common but controversial practices such as penalties for early prepayment…
June
30
- Alarms sound on dangerous loans. There's a marketing blitz underway aimed at the homeowner in denial -- the one missing mortgage payments, dodging calls from the lender and hoping for…
- Regulators call for better mortgage underwriting. The Federal Reserve Board and other regulators urged lenders yesterday to more closely assess the ability of borrowers to repay certain types of home mortgages…
- Traditional mortgage solutions still exist. What kind of financing is possible for home buyers and sellers worried about rising mortgage rates, Wall Street bond-market jitters and soft home prices? Plenty.…
25
- Your aging parents and you. A series in USA Today explores the financial and emotional costs of helping aging parents. First you get phone calls that seem kind of strange.…
23
- Mortgage forms sow confusion. With mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures soaring, federal researchers have identified a key contributing factor: Many borrowers simply do not understand their mortgages - especially subprime…
20
- FTC, Fed criticized over credit reports. Lawmakers accused federal regulators yesterday of moving too slowly to implement rules to help consumers fix errors on their credit reports. The Federal Trade Commission…
19
- Subprime storm winds will keep blowing. Home foreclosures in Minneapolis doubled in 2006 and are on pace to double again this year. The number of vacant buildings is rising in working-class…
17
- Credit query may be asking for trouble. As a former mortgage broker, Adryenn Ashley thought she knew what to expect when she refinanced her house in March. Yet Ashley was unprepared for…
- Stopping the credit score 'piggyback' ruse. The days may be numbered for dozens of Internet-based companies that promise to quickly boost FICO credit scores by 200 to 300 points. Fair Isaac,…
- Mortgage rates take upward path. The price of money has gone up. Or more technically, long-term interest rates have jumped in recent weeks, rattling the already slumping housing market. When…
15
- Fed urged to alter subprime practices. Consumer advocates pressed the Federal Reserve Thursday to ban or dramatically restrict common subprime lending practices, including penalties for early repayment of loans, and mortgages…
- Subprime borrowers help set foreclosure record. A record number of Americans with subpar credit and adjustable-rate mortgages have fallen behind on their payments, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Thursday. The figure…
14
- Home ownership isn't paradise for everyone. Anyone who has given the headlines even a passing glance recently knows the subprime mortgage industry is in deep trouble. Since 2006 more than 20…
13
- Subprime loan repayment penalties debated. A key lawmaker is pressing Wall Street bond firms and loan servicers to ease financial penalties imposed on homeowners who pay off their subprime mortgages…
09
- Return of the full real estate commission. The tough market for home sales may be spurring a surprise side effect on real estate commissions: For the first time in years, the average…
04
- Credit card 'piggybacking' roils credit industry. Only a low credit score stood between Alipio Estruch and a mortgage to buy a $449,000 Spanish-style house in Weston, Fla., a few miles west…