Monthly Archives: April 2011

S&P enters budget debate by lowering U.S. credit rating outlook

Stocks fell when Standard & Poor's announced that partisan budget bickering has led the agency to downgrade the U.S. credit rating outlook.
New York Stock Exchange

The top health hazards that make life insurance expensive

Here are the top health hazards that can send your life insurance premiums skyrocketing. Managing health conditions can help you save cash.
A couple in their golden years are seated in lawn chairs. Standing behind them is a man in a business suit – an implied life insurance agent – is holding a umbrella over the couple's heads.

Severe budget problems could get all Detroit teachers laid off

Every single teacher employed by the city of Detroit will be laid off by July 29, unless the city can fix some chronic budget problems.
Picture of Detroit skyline

Payday loan APR Fees and How They Compare To Other Financing Rates

A fee of $32 on a $100 bounced check can have an APR as high as 2,336%. You would be surprised to see how other fees measure up.
A fee of $32 on a $100 bounced check can have an APR as high as 2,336%. You would be surprised to see how other fees measure up.

First-time homebuyer tax credit: Get ready to pay

The first payment on the $7,500 first-time homebuyer tax credit from 2008 is due with the 2010 tax return for anyone who received the credit.
A young couple dreamily contemplates their first new home.

Federal budget passes; fewer troops need military payday loans

The government shutdown has been averted, which means service personnel won't have to work without pay or get payday loans as a result.
Military family

CARD Act could strip stay-at-home partners of financial identity

The consumer-protection CARD Act is supposed to protect consumers, but some stay-at-home spouses hit snags because they can't prove income.
Credit Card Applications

Installment Loans Online and How They Differ From The Average Payday Loan

One of the most liked features of installment loans is being able to pay them back over a much longer period of time then normal loans you may find locally.
One of the most liked features of installment loans is being able to pay them back over a much longer period of time then normal loans you may find locally.

Two-thirds of US men worked in 2010, a record low

Only two-thirds of U.S. men worked in 2010, a record low. Only 45.4 percent of U.S. adults worked last year, the lowest figure since 1983.
A man dressed in a 1970s “Battlestar Galactica” Cylon costume. He's pandhandling. His  sign reads “Replaced by CGI. Please help.”

Senate report on financial crisis points finger at Goldman Sachs

A Senate report investigating the cause of the financial crisis accuses Goldman Sachs of misleading both its clients and Congress ...
u.s. capitol building

Mortgages face tough competition from home buyers paying cash

Plummeting home values are attracting cash buyers who outcompete mortgages with lower offers ...
home for sale

The Ease and Convenience of Short Term Loans Needs To Be Managed In A Smart Way

It is not wise to go crazy with short term loans just because you can get them online with no credit checks, no collateral and without having to fax in tons of documents.
It is not wise to go crazy with short term loans just because you can get them online with no credit checks, no collateral and without having to fax in tons of documents.

Federal agencies agree to cooperate on gas price investigation

Two federal agencies have signed an agreement to cooperate in investigating gas prices.
Gas pump

Banks fighting to corner market for EMV chip credit cards

JPMorgan and Wells Fargo are launching EMV chip equipped smart cards for high-end credit card customers who travel overseas frequently.
Smart card

Banks under SEC antitrust investigation for rate manipulation

The SEC and Justice Department are investigating whether a group of world banks colluded to manipulate the LIBOR interest rate.
A Bank of America branch logo.

What You Need To Know To Keep From Getting Trapped By Cash Advance Addiction

Cash advances are not a long term financial fix for spending spree addictions. Using them should be done so responsibly and in a realistic manner.
Cash advances are not a long term financial fix for spending spree addictions. Using them should be done so responsibly and in a realistic manner.

NFL lockout loans: More money, more problems

The 2011 NFL lockout has spawned a controversial product called the lockout loan. Large-dollar same day loans to players can spell trouble.
A padlock with the NFL logo Photoshopped on.

14 banks ordered to pay homeowners back for bad foreclosures

Terms of the robosigning settlement include 14 financial institutions having to repay homeowners whose homes were wrongfully foreclosed.
Foreclosure sign

Child identity theft victims often targeted by loved ones

No child is too young for identity theft; it happens to children 51 times more often than adults. More than 10 percent in a study had stolen IDs.
toddler

No Credit Check Personal Loans From The Comfort Of Home - A Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

Personal loans are so easy to get it worries some consumer groups. Like anything on the internet it pays to be informed before you pursue any online transactions.
Personal loans are so easy to get it worries some consumer groups. Like anything on the internet it pays to be informed before you pursue any online transactions.

Amazon to release ad-supported Kindle for $114

The Amazon Kindle with Special Offers – the first ad-supported Kindle – will ship May 3. Is a $25 discount enough to make the ads bearable?
An older-model Amazon Kindle sits atop a traditional book for size comparison.

Will Goldman-triggered commodity rout lower US gas prices?

Goldman Sachs cashed in on crude oil, warning that high prices are creating demand destruction that will end the rally.
sign at gas station displaying prices