Headline News Archive
2010
June
24
- Big job looms for new consumer protection agency. When he took charge of the new Environmental Protection Agency in December 1970, William Ruckelshaus wasted no time flexing his muscle and clobbering polluters. Nine days
- Fannie Mae gets tough on homeowners who walk away. Taking aim at homeowners who are able to pay their mortgage but decide it's not worth it, Fannie Mae plans to go after them in
22
- More dropouts in mortgage relief program. The Obama administration's marquee foreclosure-prevention initiative continues to struggle, as government data released Monday show that fewer homeowners are enrolling in the program and more
- Thorny issues remain in financial overhaul. One evening late last week, as House and Senate negotiators wound down another marathon session hammering out details of a massive financial regulatory overhaul, Sen.
20
- Cost of Fannie/Freddie keeps soaring for taxpayers. CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac took over a foreclosed home roughly every 90 seconds during the first three months of the year. They
19
- Credit unions beckoning with open arms. Everyone can join a credit union, but not everyone can join any credit union. This turns out to be a source of much confusion for
- Reverse mortgage holders could lose homes if taxes aren't paid. Here's a sobering message for anyone who has a federally insured reverse mortgage or plans to apply for one: If you don't pay your local
14
- Key issues as Congress finalizes financial reform. From big banks' exotic trades to the credit cards in people's wallets, it only takes a few of the most contentious issues to upend a
- Financial-reform fight draws quirky crowd of lobbyists. Wall Street banks and financial services companies are hardly the only ones fretting provisions of the financial-reform legislation now awaiting House and Senate negotiators. Indian
13
- Vigilance is key to protecting your credit. If you're even slightly concerned about the privacy of your personal information, Jim Stickley is your worst nightmare. The chief technology officer of TraceSecurity, a
- Study says math deficiencies increase foreclosure risk. If you can’t divide 300 by 2, should you qualify for a loan? That is one of the questions raised by a new study led by
12
- Confusion over estate tax keeps advisors busy. The disappearance of the federal estate tax this year has created confusion and frustration among the wealthy, even among those who stand to benefit from
10
- FTC wins Countrywide settlement, but celebrates too early. It's an all-too-familiar Washington story. Officials call a news conference to pat themselves on the back for righting a wrong they shouldn't have allowed in
08
- Debt-settlement companies draw increasing criticism. The ads are ubiquitous, and for consumers awash in debt, nearly impossible to ignore: Reduce your credit card bills 50%! Avoid bankruptcy! The relief is real!
- Countrywide customers to be repaid $108 million for overcharges. Bank of America, owner of former mortgage giant Countrywide Financial, will pay $108 million in refunds to hundreds of thousands of homeowners under one of the
06
- Who's checking your credit report?. Dear Liz: As part of our mortgage refinance, my wife and I were provided copies of our credit reports and scores by the credit union
- The new 20-year mortgage. MOST people who took out jumbo mortgages during the financial crisis got hit with high interest rates as lenders and investors recoiled from anything that
05
- A last push for consumer watchdog. As lawmakers in the House and the Senate iron out differences between their far-reaching new financial regulations, consumer advocates are waging a final, fervent push
- Consumers stand to gain the most from financial overhaul. Though the Wall Street and banking features of the giant financial industry overhaul bill taking shape on Capitol Hill have drawn most of the attention,
01
- Owners stop paying mortgages, and stop fretting. For Alex Pemberton and Susan Reboyras, foreclosure is becoming a way of life — something they did not want but are in no hurry to get
May
30
- Study assisted-living options for aging parents. The residents at the assisted-living facility looked so frail, many sitting in wheelchairs or hunched over their walkers, making their way slowly along the hallways.
29
- FHA to halve concessions for mortgage loan sellers. One of the key attractions of FHA mortgage financing is going, going -- but not quite gone. Sellers and buyers who move fast can still
23
- Documents you need to save or purge while getting organized. Save it or toss it? It's a question we face whenever confronted with canceled checks, utility bills, ATM and credit card receipts, 401(k) statements — that
22
- How the finance bill affects consumers. For consumers trying to figure out what the financial overhaul bill means for them, the legislation the Senate passed Thursday offers some tantalizing possibilities. Merchants
20
- Financial regulation is stalled in Senate. Two Senate Democrats broke party ranks Wednesday to block an effort to wrap up debate on landmark legislation to overhaul the nation's financial regulation, potentially
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