Loans program proposed to keep roofs over heads of poor

By Barbara Behrendt, Times Staff Writer Wednesday, February 22, 2012 BROOKSVILLE — Some low-income residents whose old roofs are standing between them and affordable homeowner's insurance may soon get a break. The Hernando County Housing Authority will propose a new program to the County Commission next week that could provide no-interest loans to home-owners who might otherwise land in ...

Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco Announces Annual and Quarterly Operating Results

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco today announced its 2011 operating results. Net income for 2011 was $216 million, compared with net income of $399 million for 2010. Net

Romney proposes 28 percent top income tax rate (Reuters)

Reuters - Republican Mitt Romney revised his proposal for overhauling the U.S. tax code on Wednesday, calling for all individual tax rates to be cut by 20 percent while declining to offer specifics on how to make up the lost revenue from lower rates.

Some money from mortgage settlement to be diverted

The ink wasn't even dry on a settlement with the nation's top mortgage lenders when Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon laid claim to a chunk of the money to avert a huge budget cut for public colleges and universities.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle Announces 2011 Unaudited Preliminary Financial Highlights

Today, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle announced preliminary financial highlights for the year ended December 31, 2011, reporting $83.5 million of net income, compared to $20.5 million of net income in 2010.

Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter 2011 Financial Results

ATLANTA, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. (NYSE: IVR - News) (the "Company") today announced results for the quarter ended December 31, 2011.(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110131/MM39469LOGO-b ...

States may tap mortgage money to fill budget gaps

The ink wasn't even dry on a settlement with the nation's top mortgage lenders when Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon laid claim to a chunk of the money to avert a huge budget cut for public colleges and universities.

Horizon Pharma Secures $60 Million Loan Facility

DEERFIELD, IL-- - Horizon Pharma, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a loan agreement with a group of lenders to provide $60 million in capital. Horizon used $22.4 million of the loan proceeds ...

Fitch Affirms Senior and Subordinate Notes of SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2007-2

Fitch Ratings affirms both the senior notes at 'AAAsf' and subordinate student loan note at 'BBBsf' issued by SLM Student Loan Trust series 2007-2. The Rating Outlook remains Negative for the senior classes.

Fitch Affirms Senior and Subordinate Notes of SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-6

Fitch Ratings affirms both the senior notes at 'AAAsf' and subordinate student loan note at 'Asf' issued by SLM Student Loan Trust series 2008-6. The Rating Outlook remains Negative for the senior classes and Stable for the subordinate class.

Liquidity solution: Pawnbrokers take fine wine as collateral for loans

Some U.S. pawnbrokers are accepting fine wines as collateral for loans, along with family jewels and fine art.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Earnings

DALLAS -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (Bank) today reported net income of $17.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2011. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Bank reported net income ...

Fitch Affirms Senior and Subordinate Notes of SLM Student Loan Trust, Series 2008-3

Fitch Ratings affirms both the senior notes at 'AAAsf' and subordinate student loan note at 'A+sf' issued by SLM Student Loan Trust series 2008-3. The Rating Outlook remains Negative for the senior classes and Outlook Stable for the subordinate class.

Credit Card Disclosures: Effective or Not?

Do credit card disclosures influence consumers’ financial behavior? And if so, do they influence it for the better or the worse? Both, a new study finds. Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau meets to discuss the credit card marketplace, a year after the effective date of many...

Is Student Loan Debt The Next Financial Crisis?

The student loan system is in desperate need of reform, as more and more gradutes struggle to find work and pay off their student loans.

UK Banks Lead Charge to Sell Off Bad Property Loans

The pressure on banks in Europe to get rid of bad property loans off their books has not eased amidst the worsening sovereign debt crisis that seemingly no-one was has the solution to.

5 Banks Stocks Profiting on the Most Profitable Loans (Update 2)

Updated with market close and total return information. NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Many banks are trying to grow their commercial and industrial loan books, which is of prime importance to investors as other loan balances continue to shrink. "Banks covet C&I loans because it is the area showing the earliest growth as we emerge from the recession," says Jefferies analyst Ken Usdin, "and many banks ...

JPMorgan, Citi, BofA sued for $949 million by Sealink (Reuters)

Reuters - JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. and more than a half dozen other major banks are being hit with a new lawsuit over $949 million in residential mortgage-backed securities.

Should Mortgage Rates Even Be Lower?

Mortgage rates are the lowest on record. But by a key historical measure, they should be even lower.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Announces Preliminary 2011 Year-End Financial Results

ATLANTA -- Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (the Bank) today released unaudited financial highlights for the year ended Dec. 31, 2011. The Bank will announce 2011 audited financial results in its Form ...

CLO activity jumps in February as credit market heats up

Amid strong credit-market conditions and falling senior liabilities, CLO activity is on the rise. Indeed, managers have printed or announced $2.2 billion of new CLOs this month. That puts February on pace to become the busiest month for CLO production since the credit crisis, topping November 2011, when $2.5 billion of new vehicles cleared (or ...

Oops, Interest-Free Loans Are Taxable

Suppose your employer loans you money, and like a good employee, you repay it. Neither event is taxable. But paying interest has tax effects to you both. What if you agree there?s no interest?

Credit Sesame Launches the Industry's First Interactive Visual Mortgage Comparison Tool

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, CreditSesame.com , the popular personal finance and credit education resource site, announced the launch of its interactive mortgage comparison and ...

Credit Suisse Suspends Volatility ETN Issuance

Credit Suisse late Tuesday said it has temporarily suspended further issuance of VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Short-Term ETN (NYSEArca: TVIX ) due to internal limits on the size of the exchange traded note.The ...

Mortgage Application Volume Falls 2.5%

The number of mortgage applications filed in the U.S. last week fell 2.5% from the prior week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday.

More issuers cutting credit card foreign transaction fees

As competition for more affluent consumers heats up among card issuers, more are reducing or even dropping their foreign transaction fee charges

Rate alert: best loans and credit cards

We review the best credit cards and personal loans for your borrowing needs.

Consumer-finance watchdog probes overdraft fees (AP)

AP - The government's new consumer-watchdog agency is launching a probe into costly overdraft fees charged by big banks.

Student loans are a ticking 'debt bomb'

It’s a vicious cycle. Many families in this country cannot afford the skyrocketing cost of higher education without student loans. But many graduates can't find a job to pay off the loans.

U.S. mortgage applications sagged last week: MBA (Reuters)

Reuters - Applications for U.S. home mortgages tumbled last week as demand for loan refinancing sagged, an industry group said on Wednesday.

Record European Credit Rally Halted on Greek Bailout Wrangling

A record rally in European credit markets ground to a halt as the unraveling rescue plan for Greece fueled concern of a default triggering turmoil in the euro region.

TransUnion: National Credit Card Delinquencies End 2011 Nearly 5% Lower Than Last Year

CHICAGO, IL-- - The national credit card delinquency rate reached 0.78% in the fourth quarter of 2011, a drop of almost 5% from the same period one year ago and continuing well below historical norms. ...

Your mortgage escrow account isn't for investing

Dear Dr. Don,I have just discovered that my mortgage escrow account for a mortgage that I refinanced last year pays 2 percent interest. This is apparently mandated by New York state law. Is it possible ...

Simplified mortgage statements proposed

Washington— Your monthly mortgage bill soon could get easier to understand, and it wouldn't change each time your loan is sold to a new servicer.

U.S. proposes to reduce top corporate tax rate: report (Reuters)

Reuters - The Obama administration will propose slashing the top income tax rate for corporations to 28 percent from the current 35 percent, as part of a corporate tax reform plan that is set to be announced on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal said.

Citigroup ‘Defrauded’ Fannie, Freddie With Bad Loans, Whistle-Blower Says

Citigroup Inc. (C) , which last week admitted breaking Federal Housing Administration rules and paid a fine, also violated regulations for home loans sold to Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) , according to a whistle-blower’s complaint.

Fannie, Freddie need to tighten legal expenses: regulator (Reuters)

Reuters - A government watchdog on Wednesday said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator needs to curtail the rising cost of their legal expenses since there is no end in sight to the widening taxpayer tab keeping the two firms afloat.

Watchdog: Limit Fannie, Freddie legal fees more (AP)

AP - The U.S. government regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must do a better job limiting legal expenses paid by the two mortgage giants to their former executives facing lawsuits, a new watchdog report says.

Pace of new credit card accounts picks up in 2011

More people opened new credit card accounts last year, as the banking industry began to loosen standards it tightened during the recession.

Colorado woman must turn over computer password (AP)

AP - Sophisticated encryption software has become so readily available and so effective, it's surpassed the federal government's ability to seize computers and gather evidence in criminal cases.