Headline News Archive

2010

March

25

• Retain documents no longer than you must. I’ve long been a pack rat when it comes to saving financial documents. I have a file cabinet full of old cellphone and credit

24

• Whistle-Blower: Banks give homeowners the runaround (video). A vice president for one of the nation's biggest banks claims customers looking for help in lowering their mortgage payments are often told to call

23

• 5 credit score killers. As banks shy away from making risky consumer loans, a mediocre credit history just won't cut it anymore. To get the best rates on mortgages,

• Senate panel passes sweeping financial-regulation bill. The Senate banking committee voted along party lines Monday to transform the regulation of financial markets, sending another piece of far-reaching legislation to the full

22

• Average income tax refund jumps. The average income tax refund is up nearly 10% from a year ago, reflecting tax credits included in last year's economic stimulus package, according to IRS

20

• When not to pay down a mortgage. his week, the Federal Reserve reaffirmed its intention to stop buying mortgage-backed securities, signaling the likelihood that the mortgage rates you can get today are

• HUD clarifies rules on realty add-on fees. Does it matter whether a real estate agent charges you a flat commission rate - say 6 percent - or quotes you a flat rate but

18

• Elizabeth Warren's fight for financial reform. Elizabeth Warren, who came to Washington in 2008 with the task of keeping tabs on the financial bailout, today faces the unthinkable: business as usual for

16

• 2nd shot at financial reform still leaves loopholes. Trying to fix the broken U.S. financial system is no way to win a popularity contest. Standing by himself, Christopher Dodd, chairman of the

14

• Dodd to unveil comprensive financial reform bill. The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee [Christopher Dodd (D-CT] will unveil on Monday a proposal to revamp the nation’s financial regulations that would

13

• Tax issues on mortgage write-downs. With the Obama administration and private lenders actively considering mortgage principal-reduction programs to help financially distressed homeowners, the Internal Revenue Service has issued a new

09

• Pennsylvania helps jobless homeowners. The jobless may not be getting much help from President Obama's loan modification program, but those in Pennsylvania have another place to turn. The Pennsylvania

08

• Program will pay homeowners to sell at a loss. In an effort to end the foreclosure crisis, the Obama administration has been trying to keep defaulting owners in their homes. Now it will take

06

• Developers' private transfer fees. How about this for a new and ingenious real estate money machine? Every time a house sells during the next 99 years, 1 percent of the price

04

• Renters' right in reporting unreasonable rent increase (Chinese). 移民、打拚數年，林姓年輕夫妻決定自行創業，在阿罕布拉市的Main大街上發現有間店面出租，華裔群集，是理想的營業地點，每月租金不到2000元，趕緊與房東聯繫。 房東表示，打算數月內將這間店面售出，但保證雙方簽訂的租約，不受業主易人的影響。林姓夫妻欣然與房東簽約，並開始申請營業許可、裝潢店面。 然而開幕前夕，突然有位房屋仲介經紀來到店內，表示這間店面的業主已換人，新業主覺得目前店租偏低不合理，打算暫時每月先調漲店租500元，一段時間後將再次調漲，夫妻倆頓時傻眼。 另一開設攝影公司的陳姓業主，近日看中一間人潮較多店面，與房東接洽後，覺得店租也堪稱合理，但簽約時，房東卻堅持租約上不列明每年房租的漲幅，每年由房東視情況調漲。 陳姓業者表示，一般租賃合約都會載明每年租金調漲幅度，認為房東要求不合理。房東則態度強硬的表示，該店面等著要租的人頗多，若覺得不列明每年租金漲幅不合理，可以不租。 律師許俊良表示，只要房客與房東間有簽訂租約，即使房東易人，租約的有效性也不受影響，因此林姓夫妻可堅持維護自身權益，要求新屋主應遵從、履行已簽訂的租約，且在租約未到期期間不能任意漲價。 同時，有些城市為保障房客，頒布房租每年合理調漲幅度的法規，但目前商業店面的租賃，均無房租調漲幅度的管理法規，因此簽訂店面租約時，通常房東與房客都會事先議定每年調漲租金的幅度。 RE/MAX公司喜瑞都、羅蘭岡總裁胡張燕燕則說，通常一般商業店面租約租期至少三年，且會載明每年租金調漲幅度，若未載明租金調漲幅度，則視同每年租金均相同，不會調漲，這些法律常識，承租人必須瞭解，才能捍衛自身權益。 胡張燕燕建議，林姓夫妻碰上店面業主易人，面臨租金無端被調漲的困擾，不妨先跟原業主溝通，請原業主要求新業主履行租約，若溝通無效，須訴諸法律時，承租人對店面的原業主、新業主未履行合約，均可提告。 非營利「消費者行動」華裔社區外展經理張毓潔說，若房東不履行租約，造成承租人權益受損，承租人可考慮到城市的租屋委員會（Rent Board）、聯邦住屋暨都市發展局（HUD）等單位投訴。 張毓潔指出，林姓夫妻遭新房東任意調漲租金的案例中，若不想向新房東繼續承租，可至小額賠償法庭，針對店面易主前，該夫妻承租店面期間所投入的精神、心力及裝潢成本，提出訴訟及賠償要求。

• Renters beware of rent increase after signing the lease (Chinese). 移民、打拚數年，林姓年輕夫妻決定自行創業，在阿罕布拉市的Main大街上發現有間店面出租，華裔群集，是理想的營業地點，每月租金不到2000元，趕緊與房東聯繫。 房東表示，打算數月內將這間店面售出，但保證雙方簽訂的租約，不受業主易人的影響。林姓夫妻欣然與房東簽約，並開始申請營業許可、裝潢店面。

• Downgrade of financial protection agency threatens overhaul plan. The move this week to downgrade a proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency to lure bipartisan support instead appears to be undermining the Obama administration's effort

02

• Refinancing program extended for troubled homeowners. The Obama administration announced Monday that borrowers with little or no equity in their homes will have another year to take advantage of a refinancing

• Consumer protection may be headed for the Fed. The chairman of the Senate banking committee is seeking Democratic support for a Republican proposal to house a new consumer-protection regulator inside the Federal Reserve,

01

• Renewed effort in Senate to reach financial regulation. When Christopher J. Dodd announced in January that he would not seek a sixth term in the Senate, he called reform of financial regulation, along

February

26

• FDIC to test mortgage reductions for underwater borrowers. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is developing a program to test whether cutting the mortgage balances of distressed borrowers who owe significantly more than their

25

• Mortgage servicers offer aid plan for jobless. The Mortgage Bankers Association proposed a forbearance program Wednesday aimed at helping the unemployed pay their mortgages for up to nine months. Under the proposal,

• U.S. may bend on consumer agency. The Obama administration is no longer insisting on the creation of a stand-alone consumer protection agency as a central element of the plan to remake

23

• Cash-for-clunkers rebates for new appliances. Three dozen states will launch programs in March and April to distribute almost $300 million in rebates to consumers buying energy-efficient appliances. The federally funded programs,

18

• Pressure to expand foreclosure prevention. The Obama administration is facing increasing pressure from lawmakers and housing advocates to retool its troubled mortgage relief program a year after its debut as