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A Department of Education study has found lax student loan standards swelled the rolls of students with overwhelming debt as the market grew from $5 billion in debt in 2001 to over $20 billion in 2008....
View ArticleShoppers' spending a bright note for economy
NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers showed some spending muscle in July, once summer clearance sales and the hottest July in 50 years got them in the mood.Solid sales reports from retailers Thursday took some of...
View ArticleLate payments on mortgages hit three-year low in second quarter
LOS ANGELES — U.S. homeowners are getting better about keeping up with their mortgage payments, driving the percentage of borrowers who have fallen behind to a three-year low, according to a new...
View ArticleNumber of new credit cards issued to consumers in second quarter up 4 percent
LOS ANGELES — Americans are carrying more credit card debt than a year ago, yet the late-payment rate for card holders remains near an 18-year low, an analysis of consumer-credit data shows.read more
View ArticleBankruptcy filings
U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURTJUDGE ROBERT JONESCHAPTER 7Kyletta Faye Miller, filed Sept. 24Freddie David Moreno, filed Sept. 25Harold Lee Coats, filed Sept. 26Juan G. Salazar and Vickie S. Salazar, filed Sept....
View ArticleAmex paying $112.5M in late-fee settlements
WASHINGTON (AP) — American Express Co. is paying $112.5 million in refunds and fines to settle regulators' accusations that it charged unlawful late fees and deceived customers to pressure them to pay...
View ArticleUS jobless claims fall to 339K, fewest in 4½ years
WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid plummeted last week to seasonally adjusted 339,000, the lowest level in more than four years. The sharp drop, if sustained, could...
View ArticleUS suit alleges 'brazen' fraud at Countrywide , underscores Bank of America...
NEW YORK (AP) — The latest federal lawsuit over alleged mortgage fraud paints an unflattering picture of a doomed lender: Executives at Countrywide Financial urged workers to churn out loans, accepted...
View ArticleFla. AG reaches deal over $300 million settlement
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — After a months-long feud, Florida’s attorney general and the state Legislature reached a deal Friday intended to clear the way for $300 million in mortgage settlement money to...
View ArticleBankruptcy petitions
U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURTJUDGE ROBERT JONESCHAPTER 7Matthew Aaron Ballou, filed Oct. 25Lisa Mary Aguirre, filed Oct. 26Coby D. Perkins and Brenda Gail Perkins, filed Oct. 29David Christopher Odle and...
View ArticleAverage US credit card debt per borrower up in 3Q; on-time payments less...
LOS ANGELES — Americans cranked up their use of credit cards in the third quarter, racking up more debt than a year ago, while also being less diligent about making payments on time, an analysis of...
View ArticleJudge orders Hostess to mediate with union
Twinkies won't die that easily after all.read more
View ArticleBusiness in brief
Business in brief SAN FRANCISCOIntel CEO Paul Otellini is retiring in May, giving the world’s largest maker of microprocessors six months to find a new leader as it confronts two major challenges: a...
View ArticleHappy Holidays! Take advantage of great mortgage rates and start 2013 in a...
Now is the right time to buy a new home! Sales of both new and existing homes are up, and the stage is set for a busy winter of buying and selling. Add to that further drops in interest rates (both for...
View ArticleConsumer borrowing rises to record
WASHINGTON — Americans swiped their credit cards more often in October and borrowed more to attend school and buy cars. The increases drove U.S. consumer debt to an all-time high.The Federal Reserve...
View ArticleCan you buy a home with bad credit? Try these steps
There are many variables that come into play when you decide to purchase a house. You may save for a while toward a down payment and determine what kind of mortgage payment would work best for your...
View ArticleSix ways to put those unwanted gift cards to some good use
NEW YORK — Gift cards are easily forgotten.All too often they’re placed in drawers or stuffed into wallets, never to be seen again. Some $1.7 billion of the $110 billion gift cards bought in 2012 will...
View ArticleBankruptcy petitions
U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURTJUDGE ROBERT JONESCHAPTER 7Gary Kenneth Hansen and Neta Sue Hansen, filed Jan. 14Robert Kevin McCarver, filed Jan. 15CHAPTER 13James Thomas Hamby and Milissa Michelle Hamby, filed...
View ArticleTexas unemployment rate decreases by a fraction, local rate increases by same...
As the Texas unemployment rate posted a minimal December decrease of .1 percent, the local unemployment rate rose by the same amount. For the fourth consecutive month, the state unemployment rate...
View ArticlePersonal finance industry gets drubbing
Personal finance industry gets drubbed “Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry” (Portfolio/Penguin), by Helaine Olenread more
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