Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wise Spending Tips for the Holidays

The last few months of the year is considered to be the most profitable season for many merchants and businesses.  With four different holidays fast approaching, the Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year – many consumers are willing to spend a little more despite the limited budget.

Are you ready to face the holidays this year?  How can you survive the season without getting stuck in bad debt?  Consider the following suggestions:

Zero in your credit card balances.  Before the holiday season comes, make sure that you have no remaining balance in any of your credit card accounts.  If you’re planning to use your credit cards for holiday shopping, it’s best to start with zero balance. 

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Monday, November 28, 2011

Report: Banks earned $13B from secret Fed loans amid crisis

Providing what it calls "a fresh narrative" of the financial crisis, Bloomberg Markets Magazine reports that banks earned $13 billion in secret cut-rate loans from the Federal Reserve and that one day in early December 2008 they needed $1.2 trillion to stay afloat.

As of March 2009, toting up loan guarantees and lending limits, the Fed had committed $7.77 trillion to rescuing the financial system. That was "more than half the value of everything produced in the U.S. that year," Bloomberg writes.

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

The other student loan problem: too little debt

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Jesse Yeh uses the University of California-Berkeley library instead of buying textbooks. He scrounges for free food at campus events and occasionally skips meals. He's stopped exercising and sleeps five to six hours per night so he can take 21 credits — a course load so heavy he had to get special permission from a dean.

The only thing he won't do: take out a student loan.

"I see a lot of my friends who took out student loans, then they graduated and because of the economy right now they still couldn't find a job," said the third-year student, whose parents both lost their jobs in 2009 and who grew up in the boom-and-bust town of Victorville, Calif., on a block with several houses in foreclosure. "The debt burden is really heavy on them."

Even as college prices and average student loan debt rise, educators in some sectors of higher education report they're also seeing plenty of students like Yeh. After watching debt cause widespread damage in their families and communities, they're determined to avoid loans no matter what.

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

U.S. House votes to raise FHA loan limits

WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill to raise the maximum size of mortgages the Federal Housing Administration can insure, sending it to the Senate for final approval.

The measure would push the so-called FHA conforming loan limit in the highest-priced real estate markets back up to $729,750 through 2013, from $625,500, a sign of lawmaker concern over the still-depressed state of the housing sector.

The limits, which vary from market to market, were temporarily raised for FHA and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the financial crisis when banks became reluctant to lend. They automatically dropped back on Oct. 1.

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

What Is Online Cash Advance Financing?

Online cash advance financing is increasingly becoming popular these days.  Many people in need of immediate cash have been able to get the financial assistance they need by applying online.  Are you familiar with this type of loan?  If not, let us talk about the basic facts you should know about this form of lending.

What is Online Cash Advance?


Online cash advance is simply a payday loan offered through the internet.  But what is a payday loan?  As the name suggests, a payday loan is a short term loan payable by the borrower’s next pay check. Traditional payday loan lenders offer their services from a specific location. 

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Bank earnings hit highest level in 4 years

WASHINGTON – Bank earnings rose over the summer to their highest level in more than four years, while the number of troubled banks fell for the second straight quarter, federal regulators reported Tuesday.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said the banking industry earned $35.3 billion in the third quarter. That's up from $23.8 billion in the same period last year. More than 60% of banks reported improved earnings.

The FDIC also says there were 844 banks on its confidential "problem" list in the quarter, or roughly 11.5% of all federally insured banks. That was down from 865 the April-June period, the first quarter in five years in which the number declined.

Banks with assets exceeding $10 billion drove the bulk of the earnings growth. They made up 1.4% of all banks but accounted for about $29.8 billion of the industry's earnings in the third quarter.

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

TransUnion: National Credit Card Delinquencies Increase, but Remain Near Record Low Levels

CHICAGO, IL, Nov 15, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The national credit card delinquency rate (the ratio of borrowers 90 or more days past due) increased in the third quarter for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2009, edging upward to 0.71 percent. Average credit card debt per borrower increased $63 in the quarter to $4,762, though it remains near record-low levels. This information is reported by TransUnion and is part of its ongoing series of quarterly analyses of credit-active U.S. consumers, evaluating how they are managing credit related to mortgages, credit cards and auto loans.

The Q3 2011 TransUnion data released today show credit card delinquency rates rising from the historic lows of last quarter. "This is the first quarterly increase we've seen in almost two years," said Ezra Becker, vice president of research and consulting in TransUnion's financial services business unit. "Even so, we are still well below historical norms. In fact, we're at the second lowest delinquency rate nationwide that we've seen in the past 16 years.

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Monday, November 14, 2011

US economic data inspires cautious optimism

Economic indicators in the US are showing signs of recovery, despite the Federal Reserve’s unwillingness to take the steps needed to curtail the budget deficit, according to Julius Baer.

A household would never run its budget the way the US government does, said Mark Matthews, a managing director at the boutique private bank. If the US were a household with an annual family income of $21,700 (its gross domestic product), it would be spending $38,200 every year. Despite an outstanding credit card bill of $142,710, it is still adding new debt of $16,500 annually — and through painful efforts it recently achieved a budget cut of $385.

There has been some improvement in the jobless numbers, but unemployment has been above 9% for 28 months now. That is its longest slump since 1945.


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Which Credit Cards Can Help You Rebuild Credit?

Today, bad credit is a common problem that many consumers are confronted with.  The good thing is, you can do something to improve your credit score and get yourself out of bad credit.  On this post, let’s take a look at some of the credit cards that you can use to rebuild your credit more quickly. 

Secured Credit Cards. A secured credit card is a popular type of bad credit credit card that requires the submission of security deposit.

Unsecured Bad Credit Credit Cards.  There is a new type of bad credit credit card in the market which does not require security deposits.

Prepaid Credit or Debit Cards. Prepaid credit cards or debit cards have evolved since they were first introduced in the market.

Anyone can easily obtain a prepaid debit card regardless of credit history or credit score.

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Wealthy Qualifying for Loans Intended for Low-Income Borrowers

Nov. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Colorado’s San Miguel County is known as a winter playground with world-class skiing and mountain vistas, a place where homes can sell for millions of dollars.

If you’d like to buy, the Federal Housing Administration -- the agency created to aid low-income and first-time homebuyers - - can help. Not far from the ski resorts of Telluride, an FHA- approved borrower can pick up a five-bedroom, four-bath house with stainless steel appliances and a two-car garage for about $600,000.

The agency, created during the Great Depression, has found itself insuring high-dollar loans in hundreds of counties across the country, from New Jersey to Florida to Arizona. Such loans are drawing renewed scrutiny as lawmakers debate whether to expand FHA lending to even wealthier borrowers.

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Monday, November 7, 2011

UPDATE: Student Loans Push $7.39B Consumer Credit Expansion

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. consumer credit grew during September, bouncing back after a big dip the previous month, mainly on the increased issuance of student loans.

Consumer credit increased by $7.39 billion, to $2.452 trillion, the Federal Reserve said Monday. The figures are a significant turnaround from August, when consumer credit fell $9.68 billion, according to revised figures. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a $4 billion September expansion in consumer credit.

A growing amount of student loans from the U.S. government appears to be a primary factor driving the jump, said IHS Global Insight U.S. Economist Gregory Daco. Tuition bills drove the credit expansion more than consumers increasing their spending at stores, he said.

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

House panel approves White House subpoena in Solyndra loan deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican-led House panel on Thursday agreed to subpoena the White House for documents related to Solyndra Inc., the failed California solar company that received a half-billion-dollar federal loan.

A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee voted 14-9 along party lines to authorize subpoenas of top White House officials. GOP lawmakers say the subpoenas are necessary because the White House has denied or delayed requests for thousands of documents related to Solyndra. The Fremont, Calif., company received a $528 million federal loan before filing for bankruptcy protection and laying off 1,100 workers.


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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Don’t Get Stuck with Holiday Credit Card Debt

Are you ready for this year’s shopping spree?  The Christmas season is known to be the most expensive time of the year.  Obviously, a lot of people tend to spend more during the months of November and December and preparation for the Christmas Eve and the New Year.

In line with the merriment and celebrations, consumers should also be conscious about their spending to avoid holiday debt.  Nobody wants to wake up the next morning of the New Year stuck in a pile of debt, not knowing where to begin with repayment.

The best way to start the year right and stress-free is to avoid holiday debt.  By this, we mean credit card debt.  Indeed, many credit cardholders are guilty to maxing out their limit, buying gifts and spending on food – charging everything to credit.  Sure enough, having a credit card is a convenient way to purchase but don’t forget that you are still spending real money.

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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Quicken Loans to sponsor Newman's No. 39

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- Jay Farner, president and chief marketing officer of Quicken Loans, was out trick-or-treating with his three children Sunday night when he received a phone call.
"We won! We won!" an associate shouted into Farner's ear.
At first Farner did a double-take. He wasn't sure what his co-worker was talking about. Then he remembered: Quicken Loans just entered into a partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing -- so when SHR owner-driver Tony Stewart wins as he did Sunday when he captured the Tums 500 at Martinsville Speedway, so does Farner's company.
The partnership became official Tuesday with a lunchtime announcement at SHR's Kannapolis headquarters, where details of the arrangement were laid out. Quicken Loans will serve as the primary sponsor on SHR driver Ryan Newman's No. 39 Chevrolet for nine races in 2012. The sponsor also will be displayed prominently on Newman's car this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, where the car will carry a special paint scheme to help promote the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic, the NCAA Division I men's basketball season opener between top-ranked North Carolina and Michigan State that will be played on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Carl Vinson aircraft carrier on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

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