Construction, Condo Sales Continue To Drop
Construction spending in January 2008 fell 1.7 percent from December 2007 and dropped 3.3 percent from one year earlier, to $1,121.5 billion, accordin...
The Latest on Housing in the U.S.
"Let me be clear: I oppose any bailout," said U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson this morning before the National Association of Business Economist...
Use Cash Strategically On Credit Card Debt
If your credit card debt is spread out over several credit cards, you should plan how to use your cash to get the most benefit for your credit score. Spreading the payments across all the cards will not eliminate the debt, but it will lower the balance-to-credit-limit ratio, improving your credit score. Or to pay off the cards the fastest, put all of the cash toward the highest interest rate. Then use the money you'll save to pay off the rest of the cards. Plan your strategy for what will give the most benefit to your personal finances.
The Bankruptcy Handbook
If you can't pay your bills you may want to get information on filing bankruptcy. Another source for bankruptcy information is John Ventura's book, "The Bankruptcy Handbook."
Mortgage Lender Won’t Send Good Faith Estimate
A mortgage lender approves a borrower but does not say it in writing. The borrower calls and writes the mortgage lender. The mortgage lender does not respond to the borrower. What can the borrower do?
Stocks Fall On More Bad News
U.S. and European stocks fell today after bad news from financial services companies and the National Association of Purchasing Management in Chicago ...
Retirement Home
What should you do if you've bought a retirement home but haven't yet sold your current home? If you don't sell the home, you could be forced into foreclosure if you can't pay both mortgages. You may need to ask your mortgage lender to allow a short sale as full payment.
Don’t Forget These Tax Deductions
Here's a list of deductions that people may overlook when filing their taxes: Out-of-pocket expenses relating to charitable activities, including the...
Property Transfers Into Revocable Living Trust
If you want to transfer property in to a revocable living trust - can you do so without a lawyer? Because it can be a complicated process and an error with the title could cause future problems, you should pay an attorney to do it. Or you can go to a title company for help.
How to Pick the Right Tax Preparer
More than half of the 120 million U.S. taxpayers hired a tax preparer last year, according to the Chicago Better Business Bureau. And not all of them ...