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California Introduces ‘Homeowner Bill of Rights’
Advocates have long called for better consumer protections in the mortgage industry, and now one state has addressed some of the big issues with a new measure. California’s Homeowner Bill of Rights...
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Justin Bieber Promotes Prepaid Debit Card, Financial Lit
These days, many financial experts say it’s vitally important to begin learning financial responsibility at a young age, and now one of the most popular teen stars is helping to promote that message....
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Banks’ Hybrid Debit/Credit Cards Unpopular With Consumers
At various points last year, a number of major banks toyed with the idea of rolling out new kinds of cards that allowed consumers to choose between debit and credit for each transaction, but now nearly...
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New Home Sales Got a Boost in November
The number of new-home sales across the nation increased in November from both the month and year before, and experts say this is a good sign for the economy. Commerce Department data shows sales of...
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6 Reasons to Go Paperless & How to Do It
Last fall I opened one of my filing drawers to retrieve a health care receipt for my husband. He took one look at the file bulging with receipts for our Flexible Spending Account and, shaking his head,...
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5 Ways the Fiscal Cliff Deal Will Affect Your Taxes
At the last possible moment, Congress finally approved a deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff that was threatening to enact automatic cuts to government programs and tax increases on Americans....
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CFPB Could Pass New Mortgage Rules Soon
The federal watchdog agency tasked with helping consumers avoid predatory and misleading lending practices on the part of lenders may soon pass more rules to make the mortgage market fairer for...
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Unraveling the Freddie-Fannie Tangle
by Jesse Eisinger and Cora Currier ProPublica In the aftermath of the financial crisis, American taxpayers poured $187.5 billion into two huge but poorly understood companies: Freddie Mac and Fannie...
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Housing Market Officially in Recovery Mode
There have been numerous signs of a general recovery in the housing market after the significant downturn of a few years ago, but data suggests that a full recuperation is now underway and should...
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5 Credit Myths to Ditch in 2013
When one year ends and another begins, it’s hard not to look ahead and strive to do better. And when it comes to credit, we’re definitely creatures of habit. We resolve to spend less, but open store...
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How to Make Your Money Resolutions Stick
At the beginning of every year, many people create New Year’s resolutions to help them develop good habits in different areas of their life — like losing weight, quitting smoking and getting more...
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9 Ways Disconnecting Doesn’t Make You Any Safer
A funny thing happened on my way from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. this week, I found myself on a flight without Wi-Fi. The prospect of being unplugged for more than four hours on a flying machine...
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Why You Can’t Get a Home Loan
Left out in the cold by a tight lending climate, prospective homebuyers are finally starting to see a thaw. Fifty-one percent of respondents to the latest Fannie Mae National Housing Survey indicated...
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Fannie Mae Reaches Massive Settlement Deal with BofA
Many of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders have been involved in settlements related to potentially unfair or misleading origination or foreclosure practices prior to and during the housing...
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5 Common Secured Credit Card Myths
In the credit card world, secured cards are often viewed as second-rate. And often that’s due to common myths about how they work. In fact, you may be surprised at how a card like this can help you....
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Euro-Tip: How to Use Your Credit Card Abroad
Several years after I graduated from college, I looked into the new year with incredible joy because I had planned my first trip overseas. My best friend wanted to visit her Italian roots for her 25th...
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Late Payments Slip in 3rd Quarter
The rate at which Americans fell 30 days or more behind on their payments, both for revolving and nonrevolving accounts, slipped in the third quarter of 2012 as borrowers continued to get their...
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3 Loans That Are Tough to Refinance
Advertised rates for car loans, mortgages and even some credit cards are tantalizingly low, promising big savings for borrowers who can refinance. But just because you see that rate advertised doesn’t...
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Debit Thief Accidentally Sends Gifts to Victims
While many consumers may get ripped off by identity thieves without knowing it, one particularly unfortunate fraudster recently gave his victims a pretty good clue: He accidentally shipped his...
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Mixed Reviews on CFPB’s New Mortgage Rules
In an effort to forestall a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today announced it would issue new mortgage rules designed to ensure that borrowers have the...
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