The Latest Debt & Finance Blog

Fix-and-flip houses

FHA Extends Program that Allows Quick ‘Flips’ of Properties

By Bill Fay | December 17, 2012

As the nation continues to wrestle with high unemployment rates and a recuperating real estate market, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) decided to continue one of its popular programs. The…

Fiscal cliff

17 Days to Fiscal Cliff: Lawmakers Head Home for the Weekend

By Bill Fay | December 14, 2012

The fiscal cliff debate will be going on some place this weekend, but Capitol Hill isn’t one of them. With a little more than two weeks remaining before mandatory spending…

Interest rates to remain low

Bernanke: Interest Rates to Remain Low for Up to Three Years

By Bill Fay | December 13, 2012

The Federal Reserve vowed this week to keep interest rates near zero until national unemployment falls to the pre-recession levels, which could take up to three years. The main interest…

War on Labor Unions

The War on Labor Unions – Part 2

By Bill Fay | December 13, 2012

In Part 1, the War on Labor Unions was exposed as a premeditated political attack on middle-class working men and women, cynically camouflaged as some sort of protection of the…

LGBT Americans better with finances

Study: LGBT Americans Better at Earning & Saving

By Katherine Pilnick | December 12, 2012

Gay Americans deserve a pat on the back, and not just for continuing to overcome added hardships and prejudices. Members of the LGBT community are also significantly better at managing…

Customers dissatisfied with banks

Amid Scandals and Fee Hikes, Most Americans Dissatisfied with Banks

By Bill Fay | December 12, 2012

After a year filled with negative banking news from around the world — from deceptive practices, outrageously high fees, class-action suits and money laundering scandals — Americans are beginning to…

War on labor unions

The War on Labor Unions – Part 1

By Bill Fay | December 12, 2012

There are hot wars, and there are cold wars. There are good wars (the War on Poverty), unwise wars (the War on Drugs), unnecessary wars (Iraq) and endless wars (the…

Global economy

Report: Growing Middle Class Expected to Boost Global Economy

By Bill Fay | December 12, 2012

The world’s middle-class population will triple in the next 20 years, bringing with it unprecedented buying power that will be a boon to the global economy, but also an appetite…

Holiday hiring and spending increase

Analysts: It Could Be a Banner Year for Holiday Spending, Employment

By Bill Fay | December 11, 2012

With the holiday spending season in full swing, market analysts say this could be a banner year for sales, employment and holiday parties. Seasonal hiring is quickly approaching a record…

Baby boomers have enough to retire

Baby Boomers Better Prepared for Retirement than Previous Generations

By Bill Fay | December 11, 2012

A new report says that most baby boomers have successfully stuffed enough pennies into the piggy banks – and dollars into the 401(k) plans – to retain their status as…

Sources:

  1. Harney, K. (2012, December 16). FHA to extend rule permitting loans on 'flips' of fixed-up homes. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/la-fi-harney-20121216,0,7259629.story
  2. Liberman, M. (2012, December 12). FOMC Ties Fed Funds to Unemployment Rate. The M Report. Retrieved from http://www.themreport.com/articles/fomc-maintains-policy-stance-to-hold-down-rates-2012-12-12
  3. The Federal Reserve. (2012, December 12). 2012 Monetary Policy Releases [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/monetary/20121212a.htm