The Latest Debt & Finance Blog

Law to Protect Consumers Actually Limits Their Access to Credit

By Bill Fay | September 22, 2012

The Credit CARD Act of 2009 was supposed to help borrowers who do not work outside the home, but one interpretation is cutting the access those potential borrowers have to credit. One lawmaker describes this as a return to the “dark days” of lending when women were disenfranchised.

Major Mortgage Lender Begins Selling Loans in Default

By Bill Fay | September 21, 2012

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) recently developed a program to help homeowners facing possible foreclosure and to prevent an excess of defaulted mortgages and home loans. The new program, known…

Fannie Mae and Bank of America: Breaking Up Not So Hard to Do

By Bill Fay | September 20, 2012

Taxpayer-owned mortgage lender Fannie Mae wasn’t happy with how Bank of America serviced its mortgage loans and decided to find another partner. But instead of taking the loans back — as it could have under the agreement — Fannie Mae instead paid BOA millions for the right.

Seniors Receiving Medicare Forced to Deplete Savings

By Bill Fay | September 19, 2012

American seniors are fighting an ongoing battle as they try to cope with medical expenses on top of an already high cost of living. A recently published study has revealed…

Auto Loans Easier to Borrow as Defaults Hit All-Time Low

By Bill Fay | September 18, 2012

As millions of Americans struggle to keep up with monthly expenses in a tough economy, consumers in search of automobile loans are in for some good news: not only have…

Matching District Attorneys, Bad-Check Collectors Is Bad Policy

By Bill Fay | September 17, 2012

A relationship between debt collectors and district attorneys that allows for the use of D.A. letterhead in the collections process shouldn’t be considered sound policy. It’s just too cozy.

Millions of Elderly Americans Face Foreclosure

By Bill Fay | September 17, 2012

America’s seniors were once considered among the most financially secure, with retirement at the top of the agenda. By the time people reached their 50s and 60s, Social Security and…

Student Loans Reach Record Highs With No Debt Relief in Sight

By Bill Fay | September 14, 2012

As a record number of borrowers default on their student loans, a new poll shows that those who haven’t paid off their loans want their lenders to forgive the debt.…

Will the Economy Affect the 2012 Presidential Election?

By Bill Fay | September 14, 2012

“It’s the economy, stupid,” was the mantra of Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential campaign. At a time when the country was recovering from two-and-a-half quarters of recession and with unemployment…

Computerized Property Appraisals Downplay Home Values

By Bill Fay | September 12, 2012

It may seem ideal to refinance a mortgage or obtain a home equity line of credit (HELOC) at a time while interest rates are at an all-time low, but some…