The Latest Debt & Finance Blog

Americans Brace for Tax Hike if Bush Tax Cuts Expire

By Bill Fay | August 24, 2012

Uncertain economic times may become even more challenging in a matter of months, as millions of Americans could face 2013 riddled with significant tax increases. If changes are not made…

Housing Market Uptick Offers Little for Young Homeowners

By Bill Fay | August 24, 2012

Despite the modest housing market gains in the past 12 months, many younger borrowers are still likely to be underwater in their home mortgages, real estate experts recently said. About…

Economists: Coupon Use Is Up, Expected to Continue Increasing

By Bill Fay | August 22, 2012

American consumers are doing their best to pay their bills and stay out of debt by using coupons to shrink costs. It’s working — but much more could be saved, experts say.

Aggressive Debt Collectors Face Crackdown

By Bill Fay | August 21, 2012

Long accused of using aggressive and unethical tactics, debt-collection agencies have stepped up their games recently to collect owed monies during these hard economic times. In response, lawmakers nationwide have…

Mortgage Debt Relief Act Set to Expire

By Bill Fay | August 20, 2012

Homeowners confronting the challenges of foreclosure or the short sale of their homes may soon be facing yet another hardship — income tax on money they will never see. For…

IRS Relaxes Rules for Tax Debt Settlement

By Bill Fay | August 17, 2012

In response to overwhelming household debt and tax liabilities, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced it intends to aid struggling Americans by possibly reducing their tax debt. In May…

Bank Fees Go Up Again; Credit Unions Remain Steady

By Bill Fay | August 16, 2012

American consumers can’t seem to catch a break. It seems every time we look around, prices are going up. Bank fees are no different. MoneyRates.com recently found that banking costs…

Pilot Programs Allow Homeowners to Avoid Foreclosure, Rent Their Houses

By Bill Fay | August 15, 2012

As the American housing market continues to struggle, several banks are making an effort to lessen the financial burden on distressed homeowners. Citigroup is implementing a pilot program this month,…

Buying a Home Remains Out of Reach for Many

By Bill Fay | August 14, 2012

While America’s demand for mortgages has gone up this summer, the banks still haven’t budged much on their tightened lending standards, CNN recently reported. The Federal Reserve recently announced that…

Unemployment Rate Increases Despite Job Creation

By Bill Fay | August 13, 2012

Economists are increasingly optimistic this month as more than 163,000 new jobs were added to the American market in July, the highest figure in the past five months. This number…

Sources:

  1. Ahern, N. (2012, April 11). Fate of Bush Tax Cuts Uncertain As Expiration Approaches. Retrieved from http://taxfoundation.org/article/fate-bush-tax-cuts-uncertain-expiration-approaches
  2. Cox, Jeff. (2012, August 15). If Bush Tax Cuts End, It Will Cost. A Lot. Retrieved from http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bush-tax-cuts-end-cost-181220449.html
  3. Bischoff, B. (2012, May 16). What End of Bush Tax Cuts Would Mean for You. Retrieved from:
  4. http://www.smartmoney.com/taxes/income/how-the-expiring-bush-tax-cuts-affect-you/