Back in January 2009, the Federal Reserve stepped in to steady the declining housing markets by investing in mortgage bonds. The move helped stabilize the housing segment, which was spiraling down under the onslaught of the recessive economy and bolstered the hopes of many home owners and developers alike. [Read more…]
Analysts Fear Housing Market Still Unstable
As the Federal Reserve finally pulls out its continued support to the housing markets, the sector is poised to witness major changes in the near future.
While the announcement by the Fed to stop further purchases of mortgage loans to shore up the sector is not exactly a bolt out of the blue, the actual event is still likely to leave a trace of uncertainty and fear in the minds of investors. However, so far the market has not shown any drastic changes following the news of the Fed pullout. [Read more…]
Traditional Risks Likely to Emerge with Mortgage Bonds
As the Federal Reserve withdraws its support to the housing sector by putting an end to purchases of mortgage bonds, the housing industry does not appear to be unduly perturbed with the turn of events. The Fed initiated a massive $1.25 trillion bailout for the sector after the subprime crisis severely impacted the stability of the markets leading to a crash in prices and brought about a standstill in activity. [Read more…]
New Proposal for Evaluating 401(k) Retirement Plans
The Department of Labor has come up with a new proposal that 401(k) retirement plans should only be evaluated on the basis of fees and other charges. The computerized advice models will not factor in the history and performance of these funds. [Read more…]
Rethinking Investment of Retirement Savings in Your 401(k) Plan
If you have been investing the money for your retirement savings in a 401(k) plan offered by your employer, then it is time to rethink your strategy. Although, 401(k) is considered almost sacred as far as retirement savings go, its value has been decreasing lately. [Read more…]
Quick Guide to Traditional IRA Investment
IRA or Individual Retirement Account is an investment option through which people can save funds for their post-retirement life. There are many types of IRAs including Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Both of these IRAs can be created by individuals, who can invest up to a fixed amount every year in these accounts. Two other IRAs – SEPs and SIMPLEs are established by employers. [Read more…]
How to Protect Yourself from Investment and Ponzi Scams
Investment frauds are being perpetrated at a wider scale these days. One of the common frauds is the Ponzi scheme in which the investor is paid back from his own money or from the money of new investors, but the schemes soon collapses, wiping out the wealth of later investors. You have to be cautious while investing so that you do not fall into any of these traps. The best way to protect your wealth is to find a trustworthy financial adviser. [Read more…]
Restrictions against Whistleblowers Pursuing Cases for Financial Benefits
Whistleblower lawsuits will no longer be a source of easy income for those who regularly scan published information for loopholes in government procedures and accounts. A recent Supreme Court judgment has imposed limits on such cases if the information used for the lawsuit is collected from government sources. These cases are often used to uncover financial frauds. [Read more…]
Supreme Court Sends Mutual Fund Fees Case Back to Lower Court
The Jones v. Harris Associates case, which was in the news when a district court supported the Chicago-based Harris Associates by finding the mutual fund fees charged reasonable, has come into the spotlight once again as the Supreme Court has sent the case back to the lower court. [Read more…]
Investment Alternatives to Mutual Funds
Those days when investors could blindly stack their cash in mutual funds are behind us. The returns from mutual fund investments have gone down and various other investment options have emerged that look much better. Many retail investors seem to have ignored this fact and they are still not moving their cash from mutual funds to other areas. [Read more…]
Britain Shows the Way on How to Deal with Banks
During the recession, many British banks got substantial support from the government, which even acquired a stake in some of them. The government also introduced economic stimulus measures and special liquidity schemes that helped banks. More than one trillion pounds were invested to keep the banks afloat. [Read more…]
Health Care Reform Impact on Employees
Many positive changes have been introduced in the health care reform, which is seen as a major victory for the Obama administration. It will ensure that more people can take advantage of health insurance, but it would also mean higher contribution from employers. [Read more…]
Jobless Benefits Deadlines Not Extended
Thousands of Americans who rely on extended jobless benefits would be disappointed to know that they might lose their benefits soon. This is because the government failed to extend the deadline for applications asking for unemployment benefits and the COBRA health insurance subsidy. [Read more…]
True Costs of Hiring an Employee
If you are starting a new business and are considering the costs involved, then you might have already figured out that one of the biggest cost of running a company is employee’s salaries. But what you might not know is that the actual cost of every staff member is much more than the salary. [Read more…]
Tips for Young Investors
If you are young, have just got on a new job and your income exceeds your basic expenses, you should start considering investment opportunities to save for the future. By starting early and making wise investment decisions, you will be able to grow your wealth and secure a safe financial future for yourself. [Read more…]
Americans Spending More as Optimism and Economy Improves
The unemployment problem plaguing the US may be affecting full recovery of the economy, but consumers are definitely more optimistic now as seen by the increased levels of spending in recent times. February’s statistics show that consumer spending steadily increased for the fifth month in a row, which is good news for policy makers, businesses, and the general public. [Read more…]
Economic Upturn Not Leading to Rise in Employment
The statistics collected over the past month have shown clear indications that the US economy is slowly getting back on track. Industrial activity is picking up, investors are moving into US markets once more and consumers are beginning to lose their fear of spending again. However, no matter what the figures and facts say about the improvement in the economy, the jobless are still no better off than they were a year ago. [Read more…]
Government Considers Citigroup Stable Enough to Sell Stake
Following reports that the economic recovery is likely to be sustainable, the government has decided to withdraw its backing of Citigroup Inc by selling its stake in the company. The Obama administration stepped in with a massive bailout program to keep the bank afloat during recession, when there was a lot of pressure on many businesses and several were forced to close down. [Read more…]
A Dog Bite Can Hurt You Financially
Have you ever considered that if your dog bites someone, it could have a serious financial impact? As a dog can not be held accountable for its actions, it is the dog’s owner who has to bear the brunt if the dog bites a person. The dog owner is liable to pay for dog-induced injuries and other court liabilities in such cases. In fact, the law protects the rights of the victim of a dog bite or assault. [Read more…]
How the Healthcare Reform Impacts You
More than 30 million Americans are likely to benefit from the new health care coverage bill signed into law recently. The bill was cleared with a 219-212 vote by the senate a few days back after an extended period of discussions and debate.
Coming on the heels of other health care reforms, the $940 billion plan brings new hope to many Americans who have not been able to claim any aid from the government for their health care expenses. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will modify the insurance coverage for children and senior citizens too. One significant change here is that young people will still be covered by parental insurance policies up to the age of 26. This eliminates the pressure on them if they are unable to find jobs before this but require expensive medical treatment. [Read more…]
Housing Activity Slowdown Continues to Plague US Markets
Despite President Obama’s housing and mortgage programs to help the distressed, the activity in the sector continues to witness a slowdown in recent weeks. The first time homebuyer credit program launched earlier in the year to help the housing sector out of the recession was expected to increase the investment activity. Significant tax advantages were offered under this program to home buyers. However, the program has not delivered results as per the expectations. [Read more…]
Unemployment Likely to Play a Big Role in Determining Elections Outcome
As the unemployment rate continues to hover at undesirable levels, analysts are of the opinion that this will play an important role in determining the fate of upcoming elections. The current recorded unemployment rate of 9.7% is appalling, even if the recent recession is taken into account.
Post recession, analysts are still trying to understand why the unemployment levels dropped to these dismal depths even though the predictions made earlier showed slightly better prospects for the jobs market during the worst of the recession. [Read more…]
How to Choose the Best Home Insurance Policy
With so many home insurance products on offer, selecting the right insurance policy can be an overwhelming experience. But you can make use of some simple guidelines and tips to make the task relatively less taxing and easy.
This first thing to check in a home insurance policy is the extent and type of coverage offered. The requirement of coverage may differ for different people and it’s best to give this some thought before going out shopping for a suitable home insurance policy. [Read more…]
Don’t Forget About Tax Breaks when Filing Your Taxes | IRA
In these economically tough times, most people are looking for ways of saving taxes. There are many ncentive tax savings through purchasing of homes or starting new businesses, but only a few taxpayers would go to those lengths to save tax. The good news is that there are numerous other tax breaks ranging from energy saving home improvements to tuition costs and child credits that you can avail. [Read more…]
HARP Government Programs for Saving Your House from Foreclosure
Many people are finding it hard to refinance their mortgage loans, as their mortgage balance is already significantly more than that of the property. If you land up in such a situation, then you can consider two government programs under the Making Home Affordable Scheme – HARP (Home Affordable Refinance Program) and HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program). [Read more…]
How to Meet Deadlines for Getting Home Buyer Tax Credit
There is a new federal scheme that gives tax credit to those who buy a house this year. Home buyers, who have not owned a house for the last three years, will get relief of 10% of the sale price of the house or $8,000, whichever is lower.
Those who have not owned or resided in any principal residence for at least five consecutive years during eight years before the purchase of the new house, will get a benefit of up to $6,500 under the tax credit scheme. [Read more…]
Substantial Increase in Health Care Expenses for Employers
A new health care regime is being ushered in the U.S. that is likely to cost a great deal to companies. It has been reported that the increase in the health care expenditure will not be offset by the small tax relief and would significantly change the costs for the companies. [Read more…]
Indiscreet Lies Can Destroy Your Life Insurance Policy
Quite frequently, applicants for life insurance policies tell various lies in their application in order to get a policy or to be eligible for lower premiums. But you have to be extremely cautious as these lies can make your life insurance policy useless in the long run. [Read more…]
Negative Impact of the CARD Act
Various reforms are being introduced by the CARD Act for the credit card industry. For consumers there are many good news but there are many bad news as well. The most important change is that as banks would not be allowed very aggressive tactics anymore, there could be higher fees and charges now so that they can compensate for their losses. [Read more…]
How to Check Your Credit Score Online
You should always keep a tab on your credit score in order to ensure that when the need arises you can avail of new loans at low interest rates. Consumers have a right to get free annual credit reports from three big credit reporting agencies under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 2003. [Read more…]
